1 Boring Old Man

Former C.I.A. Chiefs Protest Justice Inquiry of Interrogation Methods
New York Times
By Peter Baker
September 18, 2009

Seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency asked President Obama on Friday to shut down the new Justice Department inquiry into past abuses during interrogations of terror suspects, arguing that it “will seriously damage” the nation’s ability to protect itself.

In a letter to Mr. Obama, the former C.I.A. chiefs said the cases now under study have already been examined by career prosecutors who determined no charges were warranted. To reopen cases based on a change in political party controlling the government, they wrote, will make it harder for intelligence officers to take risks without worrying that some future attorney general will investigate them.

“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,” the directors said in their letter.

The directors argued that the new inquiry will result in the disclosure of information about past operations that “can only help Al Qaeda elude” capture and will convince foreign intelligence agencies that they cannot trust America to protect secrets. Moreover, they said the inquiry could expand beyond the handful of cases now under review…

[see emptywheel, Poppy Bush Not Joining Other DCIs Opposing Investigation of W Bush’s Torture]

1. In America, we don’t have a King! It is not the President’s job to direct the DOJ not to pursue justice. We’ve said this over and over. Aren’t you guys listening. Just because Cheney and Bush thought something doesn’t mean it changes our Constitution and Separation of Powers!

2. “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.” That is exactly right, and we do have permanence in legal rules – The Geneva Conventions and USC §2340. They’re easy to find on the Internet. Just read them. Just because Cheney and Bush thought something doesn’t mean it changes our Constitution and Separation of Powers! Just because they got John Yoo to say the rules that applied didn’t apply makes no difference. Any right-thinking Agent knew that those Memos were absolute horse-shit put together to try to evade the law. If the guys couldn’t tell that by reading them, they should’ve looked for another job that didn’t require critical thinking.