http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/looselips/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:23:49 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418087/posts WASHINGTON – As the government reviews how an alleged terrorist was able to bring a bomb onto a U.S.-bound plane and try to blow it up on Christmas Day, the Transportation Security Administration is going after bloggers who wrote about a directive to increase security after the incident. TSA special agents served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott, demanding that they reveal who leaked the security directive to them. The government says the directive was not supposed to be disclosed to the public. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418087/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:23:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415264/posts The title of the legislation is innocent enough: the Free Flow of Information Act. The motivation behind it is a seemingly worthy one. It would give anyone in the media a shield--special protection--against being forced to reveal the names of confidential sources of information. And the result would be more and more information flowing freely to the American people, satisfying their right to know. ... You may wonder why Congress is bothering to create a media privilege in federal cases at this time. It's not as if critical, top secret information isn't flowing to the media at a record pace.... Weekly Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415264/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:18:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2349439/posts — OK, can you do some more probing? New York will want to know frank's out today. i checked already, and so did zurich. they say the question is irrelevant. he answered me with the quote i used, about we knew when he was coming this time. he's been here many times in the past, we think. thx brad. aptn is aware, but unfortunately won't make it in time, but is hoping to catch tail end. i'm pushing out another writethru with some more background details before press conference. no surprise, new york is really hot on this. they particularly... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2349439/posts#comment Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:06:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2321315/posts Why would the New York Times divulge information that could prove harmful to the national security of the United States? Is it so consumed is it by hatred of anything outside their left wing agenda that the paper actually wants America to lose the war on terror. One case in point was an article the Times published on June 30, 2008, Amid U.S. Policy Disputes, Qaeda Grows in Pakistan, which quoted from a "highly-classified Pentagon order" describing internal disputes at the Pentagon over plans to capture Osama Bin Laden and defeat al Qaeda. In June 2006, both The New York... NY TIMES/Weekly Standard/THE LID http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2321315/posts#comment Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:05:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2291161/posts WASHINGTON -- A secret Central Intelligence Agency initiative terminated by Director Leon Panetta was an attempt to carry out a 2001 presidential authorization to capture or kill al Qaeda operatives, according to former intelligence officials familiar with the matter. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said CIA Director Panetta, above, told lawmakers Vice President Cheney ordered information be withheld from Congress. . The precise nature of the highly classified effort isn't clear, and the CIA won't comment on its substance. According to current and former government officials, the agency spent money on planning and possibly some training. It was acting on a 2001... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2291161/posts#comment Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:21:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290887/posts Subhead of this Sunday's print edition of the Dallas Morning News reads, "0Agency reported to have hidden secret counterterrorism project from Congress on ex-VP's order." The first paragraph reads, "The Central Intelligence Agency withheld informatin about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eigght years on diret orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency's director, Leon Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday." The Dallas Morning News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290887/posts#comment Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:57:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264896/posts US President Barack Obama made a major gesture of conciliation to Iran on Thursday when he admitted US involvement in the 1953 coup which overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. "In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government," Obama said during his keynote speech to the Muslim world in Cairo. It is the first time a serving US president has publicly admitted American involvement in the coup. (snip) Obama also said: "For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264896/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 20:32:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2253241/posts Vice President Joe Biden, well-known for his verbal gaffes, may have finally outdone himself, divulging potentially classified information meant to save the life of a sitting vice president. According to a report, while recently attending the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, an annual event where powerful politicians and media elite get a chance to cozy up to one another, Biden told his dinnermates about the existence of a secret bunker under the old U.S. Naval Observatory, which is now the home of the vice president. The bunker is believed to be the secure, undisclosed location former Vice President Dick Cheney... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2253241/posts#comment Mon, 18 May 2009 15:54:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2252600/posts Vice President Joe Biden, well-known for his verbal gaffes, may have finally outdone himself, divulging potentially classified information meant to save the life of a sitting vice president. According to a report, while recently attending the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, an annual event where powerful politicians and media elite get a chance to cozy up to one another, Biden told his dinnermates about the existence of a secret bunker under the old U.S. Naval Observatory, which is now the home of the vice president. The bunker is believed to be the secure, undisclosed location former Vice President Dick Cheney... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2252600/posts#comment Sun, 17 May 2009 12:47:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2252746/posts The vice president, well-known for his verbal gaffes, confirms at a dinner the existence and location of a secret hidden bunker that Cheney is believed to have used after the 9/11 attacks. FOX news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2252746/posts#comment Sun, 17 May 2009 17:51:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234169/posts President Obama visited the CIA headquarters yesterday to placate officials dismayed by his decision to release top secret “torture” memos, a move that has provoked accusations that he is willing to compromise America’s safety out of political correctness. Mr Obama’s first visit to the CIA, to boost morale there and shore up his own reputation, came as his decision to release the memos detailing brutal interrogation sessions of terror suspects continued to attract criticism. There were claims from inside the agency’s ranks that the move had undermined its ability to extract vital intelligence from America’s enemies, and could even blow... Times Online (U.K.) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234169/posts#comment Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:15:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2233759/posts WASHINGTON – Days after releasing top-secret memos that detailed the CIA's use of simulated drowning while interrogating terror suspects, President Barack Obama went to the spy agency's Virginia headquarters on Monday to defend his decision and bolster the morale of its employees. "I acted primarily because of the exceptional circumstances that surrounded these memos, particularly the fact that so much of the information was public," Obama said. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2233759/posts#comment Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:30:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2232839/posts former Army colonel says President Obama gave all the terrorists planning to do "bad things" to the United States a huge assurance today when he released memos from the Bush presidency regarding interrogation techniques for such suspects. The actions were "bad form, bad tactics, bad strategy until this war is over," according to retired U.S. Army Col. Bob Maginnis. worldnetdaily.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2232839/posts#comment Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:50:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2233063/posts The U.S. Justice Department released four memos last week that show the agency’s lawyers approval of the Central Intelligence Agency’s use of such techniques as sleep deprivation, slapping, nudity and waterboarding. The memos also discussed how far interrogators are allowed to go. Almost an outline of what terrorists have to train for. It has been reported the release was made over the objections of CIA director Leon Panetta. The purpose of the interrogation methods has nothing to do with gaining confessions for some military or civilian trial. The CIA used those methods to get information and prevent future terror attacks.... The Hill/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2233063/posts#comment Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:45:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231750/posts WASHINGTON (AFP) – Amid calls for torture prosecutions, former Bush administration officials Friday slammed President Barack Obama's release of terror interrogation memos, warning the move would fuel "timidity and fear" among US spies. Unhappy with Obama's promise not to prosecute CIA officials, human rights groups have demanded criminal investigations of officials who approved or used the interrogation techniques chillingly detailed in the Justice Department memos. But in an editorial in The Wall Street Journal, former CIA director Michael Hayden and former attorney general Michael Mukasey charged that disclosure of the memos "was unnecessary as a legal matter, and is unsound... YahooNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231750/posts#comment Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:20:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231253/posts Barack Obama reveals George Bush's 'torture' techniques President Barack Obama has disclosed the controversial CIA interrogation techniques of the Bush administration, including the threat of stinging insects, simulated drowning and depriving prisoners of sleep for up to 180 hours. By Alex Spillius in Washington 16 Apr 2009 Leg shackles on the floor at at the U.S. Naval Base, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Photo: REUTERS The US government released four memos written by the Justice Department in 2002 and 2005 to provide legal cover for methods that have been widely criticised as torture and which the new president has already disowned.... Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231253/posts#comment Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:21:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231036/posts Barack Obama today released four top secret memos that allowed the CIA under the Bush administration to torture al-Qaida and other suspects held at Guantánamo and secret detention centres round the world. But, in an accompanying statement, Obama ruled out prosecutions against those who had been involved. It is a "time for reflection, not retribution," he said. Ten techniques are approved, listed as: attention grasp, walling (in which the suspect could be pushed into a wall), a facial hold, a facial slap, cramped confinement, wall standing, sleep deprivation, insects placed in a confinement box (the suspect had a fear of... Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231036/posts#comment Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:39:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2230431/posts Our sister publication, The Wall Street Journal, reports that President Obama is considering the release of CIA memos revealing in detail the interrogation techniques used in questioning terror suspects in the desperate days and months after 9/11. The president's decision will tell us much about him. It is no secret that U.S. intelligence agents subjected key captives to rough treatment to extract information. Senior intelligence officials have said that the information obtained was some of the best they got and was vital to preventing further attacks. But the methods were harsh, to include the simulated drowning known as water boarding,... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2230431/posts#comment Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:20:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2229198/posts Obama Weighs Airing CIA Tactics Top Officials at Odds Over Whether to Withhold Some Details in Interrogation Memos By EVAN PEREZ and SIOBHAN GORMAN WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is leaning toward keeping secret some graphic details of tactics allowed in Central Intelligence Agency interrogations, despite a push by some top officials to make the information public, according to people familiar with the discussions. These people cautioned that President Barack Obama is still reviewing internal arguments over the release of Justice Department memorandums related to CIA interrogations, and how much information will be made public is in flux. Among the... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2229198/posts#comment Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:10:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2187399/posts Sources have forwarded this Report news of a serious gaffe by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. It proves she apparently has no business chairing the Senate Intelligence Committee. This serious embarrassment was virtually smothered by American media outlets. The CIA and The Pentagon refused to comment on this matter when questioned by The UK’s Daily Telegraph. In a breathtaking example of incompetence Feinstein publicly revealed a military secret during an open Committee hearing last Friday. In what must have been a “senior moment” the new Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, confirmed that American unmanned drone spy planes are being launched... The Collins Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2187399/posts#comment Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:08:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2186824/posts Here is another example of a lib passing military secrets to the enemy. Where is the outrage of those who thought Cheney and Bush should hang for "blowing" the cover of an agent not currently undercover? Read on Transsylvania Phoenix http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2186824/posts#comment Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:34:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186781/posts When reporters asked President Franklin Roosevelt where Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle's raiders launched their daring 1942 raid on the Japanese mainland, he puckishly answered, “from our new secret base at Shangri-La.” Contrast Roosevelt's slyness with Sen. Diane Feinstein's recent comment regarding the secret location of the launch sites for Predator hunter/killer drones — “As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base.” Sen. Feinstein's defense for discussing this highly sensitive information, that she was only repeating what she read in the papers, is greatly unconvincing. It is true that the Washington Post first reported Predators operating out... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186781/posts#comment Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:36:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186541/posts Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced that U.S. drone aircraft are flying from bases within Pakistan. This revelation embarrasses the Pakistani government and endangers the lives of U.S. and Pakistani personnel. www.stolinsky.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186541/posts#comment Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:23:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185366/posts WASHINGTON, D.C. - A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an airbase inside that country, a revelation likely to embarrass the Pakistani government and complicate its counterterrorism collaboration with the United States. The disclosure by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, marked the first time a U.S. official had publicly commented on where the Predator aircraft patrolling Pakistan take off and land. At a hearing, Feinstein expressed surprise at Pakistani opposition to the ongoing campaign of Predator-launched CIA missile strikes against Al Qaeda targets along... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185366/posts#comment Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:26:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2184697/posts WASHINGTON, D.C. A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an airbase inside that country, a revelation likely to embarrass the Pakistani government and complicate its counterterrorism collaboration with the United States. The disclosure by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, marked the first time a U.S. official had publicly commented on where the Predator aircraft patrolling Pakistan take off and land. At a hearing, Feinstein expressed surprise at Pakistani opposition to the ongoing campaign of Predator-launched CIA missile strikes against Al Qaeda targets along Pakistan's... chicogo tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2184697/posts#comment Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:15:06 GMT