Proof Bush Deceived America

James Risen’s State of War: the Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration, may hold bigger secrets than the disclosure that President George W. Bush authorized warrantless eavesdropping on Americans. Risen’s book also confirms the most damning element of the British Cabinet Office memos popularly called the "Downing Street memos;" namely, that "the … Continue reading “Proof Bush Deceived America”

Heck of a Job, Hayden!

The eavesdropping-on-Americans scandal came as shock and betrayal to most employees of the National Security Agency – and to other intelligence officers, active and retired. The idea that the once highly respected former director of NSA, Gen. Mike Hayden, had allowed himself to be seduced into sinning against NSA’s first commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Spy … Continue reading “Heck of a Job, Hayden!”

J. Edgar Hoover With Supercomputers

On Dec. 19, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Deputy Director of National Intelligence Gen. Mike Hayden held a press conference in which they once again misled the American people. Gonzales and Hayden answered questions about reports that the National Security Agency (NSA), which Hayden directed from 1999 to 2005, was eavesdropping on Americans via a … Continue reading “J. Edgar Hoover With Supercomputers”

Will Republican Senators Save the Republic?

I‘ll say this for Vice President Dick Cheney: he puts it right out there, whether it is trying to ensure legal protection for those torturing prisoners, or insisting – as he did on Tuesday – that a wartime president "needs to have his powers unimpaired." Supporters of this view are dredging up quotes from former … Continue reading “Will Republican Senators Save the Republic?”

Bush’s Underwhelming Gesture on Torture

Don’t believe what you’ve heard in our domesticated media; the much-ballyhooed White House compromise with Sen. John McCain on torture is largely smoke and mirrors. The focus has now shifted to a fresh outrage, as President George W. Bush attempts to defend the deliberate flouting of U.S. laws regulating eavesdropping on American citizens – as … Continue reading “Bush’s Underwhelming Gesture on Torture”

Cheney and Fried Rice in Hot Water

European reaction to visiting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s statements on torture can be summed up in lead commentary Wednesday in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, among the most widely respected German newspapers. Under the title “Justice à la Rice,” the editor “translated” her message into these words: “The end justifies the means, and terrorism can be … Continue reading “Cheney and Fried Rice in Hot Water”

A Clear Strategy – for Disaster

The bromide-heavy speech that President George W. Bush gave Wednesday at the Naval Academy presents a clear strategy for continued quagmire and eventual disaster in Iraq. Despite the gathering storm of opposition to the administration’s approach to the war in Iraq, the speech was long on tired clichés and bereft of new ideas, calling to … Continue reading “A Clear Strategy – for Disaster”

From Cairo, Hope

The surprising degree of consensus reached by the main Iraqi factions at the Arab League-orchestrated Reconciliation Conference in Cairo last weekend sharply undercuts the unilateral, guns-and-puppets approach of the Bush administration to the deteriorating situation in Iraq. The common demand, by Shia and Kurds as well as Sunnis, for a timetable for withdrawal of occupation … Continue reading “From Cairo, Hope”

A Moral Barometer for America

The next several days will show whether our Congress has slipped its moral moorings. Seldom have moral lines been so clearly drawn. The issue is whether American armed forces and intelligence personnel should be permitted or forbidden to torture detainees. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are expected to decide whether to ban torture against all prisoners … Continue reading “A Moral Barometer for America”

Cheney’s Chickens Come Home to Roost

Indictments are expected to come down shortly as special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald completes the investigation originally precipitated by the outing of a CIA officer under deep cover. In 21-plus months of digging and interviewing, Fitzgerald and his able staff have been able to negotiate the intelligence/policy/politics labyrinth with considerable sophistication. In the process, they seem … Continue reading “Cheney’s Chickens Come Home to Roost”