Brennan Attacks First Responders Again
In a sane world, John Brennan would be on his best behavior while his nomination to lead the CIA is pending approval in the Senate. Sadly, the world we inhabit has become so insane that Brennan's "best behavior" appears to be a return to drone…
John Brennan Promises to Take the Gloves Off
In response to John Brennan's nomination, PBS sent out the clip from their 2006 interview in which he endorsed taking the gloves off. I find that clip, plus the complete interview transcript, all the more instructive given what has transpired…
Warrick Promotes Neocon Framing of Newest Iran Sanctions
Despite crippling smog in Tehran that may well derive from sanctions aimed at refined gasoline and the UN noting several months ago that US sanctions against Iran "appear to be affecting humanitarian operations in the country", Joby Warrick…
The Official John Brennan Story
The NYT has chosen to have someone who presented an outdated picture of drone targeting that covered up changes implemented under John Brennan report on John Brennan's nomination to be CIA Director. The story is predictably imbalanced.
Take…
The Seduction of John Brennan's "Moral Rectitude"
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As has been floated over the last few days, Obama will reportedly appoint John Brennan CIA Director later today.
FWIW, having John Brennan in a position where he will be subject to Congressional oversight--rather…
Wildcard Weekend, Sexy Rex Art and Johnny Football
There is a lot of football news in the wind but, frankly, there is only one thing everybody is interested in. Rex Ryan's wife. Tattooed on his ass, er arm. Dressed only in a Dirty Sanchex jersey. No wonder Tebow couldn't get on the field and…
Why Ask the FBI about Classification on the Targeted Killing FOIA?
The FBI, as far as we know, never gets to press the buttons on JSOC and CIA's drones. And as I noted last June, FBI information we know exists (some of it in unclassified form) was suspiciously absent from the materials identified in the response…
The Disposition of Informants and Citizens
A lot of the commentary about Craig Whitlock's Tuesday article on three alleged al Shabaab members rendered to the US focused on whether he accurately described this rendition--to a law enforcement proceeding and not, as happened under Bush,…
Military Slowly Gaining Perspective on Insider Attacks in Afghanistan
Citing a "former American official", the New York Times today dubbed insider, or green on blue, attacks as "the signature violence of 2012" as it provided information directly from an Afghan soldier who turned his gun on US troops on May 11…
The Dianne Feinstein-Jose Rodriguez Grudge Match
It cannot be sheer coincidence that Dianne Feinstein released two letters to acting CIA Director Michael Morell just hours before WaPo published yet another fact-free defense of torture from Jose Rodriguez.
In addition to demanding proof…
Al-Haramain Will Not Appeal 9th Circuit Decision Immunizing Illegal Wiretapping
The single best chance to hold the government accountable for its illegal wiretapping, the al-Haramain suit, is over.
Our goal was for the judiciary to rule that the president may not disregard an act of Congress in the name of national security.
[snip]
Ironically,…
The DOD Targeted Killing Memo Not Addressed to DOD
I'm still deep in the weeds of Judge Colleen McMahon's opinion rejecting the NYT and ACLU's efforts to get the legal basis for killing Anwar al-Awlaki, The Child (as McMahon calls Anwar's son Abdulrahman), and Samir Khan.
I observed yesterday…
Why Not Have a Hearing on Civilian Drone Casualties?
Yesterday, I suggested that Mike Rogers and Dutch Ruppersberger's certainty that public accounts of drone casualties are overstated may say more about our failed intelligence oversight than it does about the number of civilians who have died…
Colleen McMahon's Cheshire Cat: CIA's Stephen Preston
As you no doubt remember from Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat keeps disappearing. Indeed, the cat's habit of disappearing at will presents an insurmountable challenge to the Queen's normally simple rules on executions.
When [Alice] got…
Judge Invokes Alice in Wonderland in Denying NYT and ACLU Targeted Killing FOIAs
"YOU'D better not talk!' said Five. 'I heard the Queen say only yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!'
'What for?' said the one who had spoken first.
'That's none of YOUR business, Two!' said Seven.
[snip]
'And who are THESE?'…
Company that Engaged in Criminal Wiretapping Hails Obama's Wiretap Extension
The Wall Street Journal--owned by the same guy whose company and son are in trouble in the UK for criminally wiretapping those they wanted to collect information on--has found something to love in the Obama Administration.
Well, not everything…
Time to Fund Fat Al Gore Relief Like We Should Have Funded Iraq, Afghan Wars
Peter King, House Republican, called today for New Yorkers to stop funding House Republicans because they refused to pass a Sandy relief bill last night.
“These Republicans have no problem finding New York when they’re out raising millions…
Bipartisan Agreement: Garbage into Intel Oversight, Garbage Out
House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers made headlines on Monday by responding to a last ditch Dennis Kucinich call for more review of drone strikes by claiming that public reports on civilian casualties are "wildly wrong."
"I think that you would…
Lanny Breuer Deputizes Banks Rather than Prosecuting Them
Back when DOJ's head of criminal prosecutions, Lanny Breuer, let HSBC off without indictments, I noted that he didn't even mention HSBC's significant ties to funding terrorists.
When it came to one of the world's biggest banks, the Assistant…
Out Of The Blue & Into The Black: Sad Farewells & A Moment For Schacht
They give you this, but they gave us Schacht.
Hi there friends of the Emptywheel blog. The collective lost another longtime voice.
It's better to burn out
than it is to rust
The king is gone
but he's not forgotten.
Hey hey, my…