RAW DATA: Letter by Former CIA Directors to President Obama (Stop Holder's Investigation)

September 18, 2009

The President

The White House

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

We have served as directors of Central Intelligence or directors of the CIA for presidents reaching back over 35 years. We respectfully urge you to exercise your authority to reverse Attorney General Holder's August 24 decision to re-open the criminal investigation of CIA interrogations that took place following the attacks of September 11.

Our reasons for making this recommendation are as follows.

The post-September 11 interrogations for which the attorney general is opening an inquiry were investigated four years ago by career prosecutors. The CIA, at its own initiative, forwarded fewer than 20 instances where agency officers appeared to have acted beyond their existing legal authorities.

Career prosecutors under the supervision of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia determined that one prosecution (of a CIA contractor) was warranted. A conviction was later obtained. They determined that prosecutions were not warranted in the other cases. In a number of these cases the CIA subsequently took administrative disciplinary steps against the individuals involved.

Attorney General Holder's decision to re-open the criminal investigation creates an atmosphere of continuous jeopardy for those whose cases the Department of Justice had previously declined to prosecute. Moreover, there is no reason to expect that the re-opened criminal investigation will remain narrowly focused.

If criminal investigations closed by career prosecutors during one administration can so easily be reopened at the direction of political appointees in the next, declinations of prosecution will be rendered meaningless. Those men and women who undertake difficult intelligence assignments in the aftermath of an attack such as September 11 must believe there is permanence in the legal rules that govern their actions.

They must be free, as the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Senator Lieberman, has put it: "to do their dangerous and critical jobs without worrying that years from now a future attorney general will authorize a criminal investigation of them for behavior that a previous attorney general concluded was authorized and legal." Similar deference needs to be shown to fact-based decisions made by career prosecutors years ago.

Not only will some members of the intelligence community be subjected to costly financial and other burdens from what amounts to endless criminal investigations, but this approach will seriously damage the willingness of many other intelligence officers to take risks to protect the country. In our judgment such risk-taking is vital to success in the long and difficult fight against the terrorists who continue to threaten us.

Success in intelligence often depends on surprise and deception and on creating uncertainty in the mind of an enemy. As president you have the authority to make decisions restricting substantive interrogation or any other intelligence collection method, based on legal analyses and policy recommendations.

But, the administration must be mindful that public disclosure about past intelligence operations can only help Al Qaeda elude U.S. intelligence and plan future operations. Disclosures about CIA collection operations have and will continue to make it harder for intelligence officers to maintain the momentum of operations that have saved lives and helped protect America from further attacks.

Finally, another certain result of these reopened investigations is the serious damage done to our intelligence community's ability to obtain the cooperation of foreign intelligence agencies. Foreign services are already greatly concerned about the United States' inability to maintain any secrets. They rightly fear that, through these additional investigations and the court proceedings that could follow, terrorists may learn how other countries came to our assistance in a time of peril.

The United States promised these foreign countries that their cooperation would never be disclosed. As a result of the zeal on the part of some to uncover every action taken in the post-9/11 period, many countries may decide that they can no longer safely share intelligence or cooperate with us on future counter-terrorist operations. They simply cannot rely on our promises of secrecy.

We support your stated commitment, Mr. President, to look to the future regarding these important issues. In our judgment the only way that is possible is if the criminal investigation of these interrogations that Attorney General Holder has re-opened is now re-closed.

Sincerely,

Michael Hayden

Porter Goss

George Tenet

John Deutch

R. James Woolsey

William Webster

James R. Schlesinger

I am beginning to wonder if we have a genuine Manchurian Candidate in the White House.

Can’t they get a single signature form someone at ACORN?

That would at least count for something with Holder.

This man has one goal. Destroy and humiliate America.

yes he is...its been clear from the beginning

As a result of the zeal on the part of some to uncover every action taken in the post-9/11 period

Read "The Leftists".

I would state that he doesnt want to destroy the CIA..he just wants total control of it, lock stock and barrel.

King Obama will not stop the investigation. It is part of his plan to weaken America by disorganizing the CIA and then build his own brown shirt agency to investigate and crush any American that opposes him. He is a hard core communists.

But will they read it? Obama and Holder think they are 10 times wiser than anyone who has ever come before them. And Panetta is just waiting for the trap door in the floor to collapse under him.

Stansfield Turner isn’t voting “present”

Is the defense ‘I was just following legal opinion’ better than ‘I was just following orders’? We are about to find out.

It seems logical to me. I started checking his background as best I could as soon as I found out he started his career with William Ayers. Nothing I have been able to find out trends otherwise. Looks bad.

In our judgment the only way that is possible is if the criminal investigation of these interrogations that Attorney General Holder has re-opened is now re-closed.

"Re-closed", excellent! If I were to translate this from diplomatic to common language, my post would be removed due to excess of profanity.

On the other hand, Obama and Holder are too busy to read this.

Look how world opinion of America has tanked due to Obama.

“Poland calls Obama's missile defense announcement treason
Polish and Czech newspapers call Obama's plan treason.”

"US ACORN SCANDAL: International Press Roundup (RUSSIA); Balt. Libs Recommend to Establish Brothel.

Liberal Benefactors in Baltimore gave recommendations to establish a brothel
В США опубликован видеоролик с участием сотрудников либеральной некоммерческой
организации, которые с энтузиазмом дают советы по организации противозаконного бизнеса -
детской проституции. In the United States published a video with the participation of staff of the liberal non-profit organization,
who enthusiastically give advice on the organization of an illegal business - child prostitution.
Как передает CNN, запись сделана двумя консервативными активистами,
один из которых изображал сутенера, а другая - проститутку.
According to CNN, entry was made by two conservative activist, one of which
depicted the pimp and the other - a prostitute.
Объектом успешной провокации стала влиятельная Ассоциация местных
организаций за немедленные реформы (ACORN)."

"ACORN SCANDAL: International Press Roundup (MEXICO) Girls
from Mexico/E.S. to U.S. for Prostitution
"Trabajo encubierto exhibe ilícitos de empleados de la ACORN;
Llevan a EU niñas de México y El Salvador para prostituirlas"
They have girls from Mexico to the United States and El Salvador for Prostitution
Antonio Heras Antonio Heras Corresponsal Correspondent Mexicali, BC, 17 de
septiembre. Mexicali, BC, Sept. 17. An undercover work done by Hannah Giles and
James O'Keefe, activists, human rights advocates, revealed illegal actions of
employees of the Association of Community Organizations for the New Reform
(ACORN, for its acronym in English), who advise the import United States of girls
from Mexico and El Salvador for prostitution in the neighboring country and profit
from it.

The ACORN, nongovernmental organization dedicated to the support of migrants and
highly marginalized people to acquire home ownership in the U.S., announced it will
initiate an independent investigation to determine responsibilities of its employees."

"ACORN SCANDAL: International Press Roundup (NORWAY): "Obama-Support Group Helps Fake Whore/Pimp" "Obama-Støttegruppe Felt Av Falsk Hore Og Hhallik"
a video camera has revealed how people in the U.S. umbrella organization Acorn has
been willing to provide support to illegal projects.
Obama-aid Lobby group, which supports low-and middle-income groups in the housing
wage and tax issues, was under the election campaign last year, accused of election
fraud after a sub-organization had a mission to register voters worth 800 000 dollars
for Obama. "

the attorney general is opening an inquiry

Let's just call this what it is: a witch hunt intended to embarass and weaken the United States

I think he’s worse than that. I think he’s a true believer. He’s a far Left, racist radical with hatred in his heart.

Or worse..????

Do you think he could be a mole?

Diogenesis, thank you. You’ve compiled a very impressive file.

At least two other living former directors are missing from the list—Robert Gates and George Herbert Walker Bush.