Is the CIA Going Rogue Against Government on Interrogation

CIA: Clear Cut Mission, or Not

Torture is Clear, and So is the Law

Major  update (March 15, 2014): This story is moving quickly shown in this update.  

And, it is also ironic that today is the “Ides of March.” You may recall that date was the day when Julius Caesar got stabbed 23 times by his trusted friends in the Roman Senate in 44 B.C. Now, today, with this GOP, we have them stabbing us all in the back many times over.  This update with the following information shows a bit of what I mean regarding the Feinstein vs. the CIA flap over who spied on whom:

Some Senate Republicans backed Sen. Diane Feinstein in a series of early statements:

1.  Sen. Graham (R-SC): “This is dangerous to a democracy. People should go to jail, if it’s true. The legislative branch should declare war on the CIA, if it’s true.”

2.  Sen. McCain (R-AZ) is “calling for a thorough and complete investigation.” 

However, other high-profile Republicans like Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY), have simply declined to comment, plus there are early indications that despite the seriousness of Feinstein’s allegations many other Republican may actually side with the CIA, including Sen. Chambliss (R-GA). For more on Chambliss, see the story here.

Original post is in this update below on the Senate Intelligence Committee vs. the CIA "who spied on whom" flap or full blown scandal. 

A few critical points (and perhaps facts along the way to the truth - whatever that means is to be proven): 

1.  Most Senate Republicans are treading carefully, however, and are for obvious political advantages to draw this dispute out as long as possible.

2.  More vocal Republicans, like Sen. Chambliss have shown that they have no moral objections to torture of terror suspects and want to burnish the Bush legacy by discrediting the Senate Democratic report critical of the CIA program.

3.  The current public fight between the Senate Intelligence Committee and the CIA gives Republicans the opportunity to paint Democrats facing tough re election races as weak on national security. 

4.  Most GOP Senators are delighted at the possibility of driving a wedge between CIA Director John Brennan, one of Obama’s closest counterterrorism advisers –  and someone who you could almost literally say knows where the bodies are buried – and the White House. 

5.  It is no surprise then that Republicans have characterized every minor presidential declaration and regulatory decision from the White House as a dictatorial power grab, as they remain far more cautious about what may turn out to be a genuine constitutional crisis.

The root of this issue from this thumbnail sketch of the key focus right now:

The CIA “Black Site program” is again at the center of the controversy. However, this time, the CIA Director John Brennan, is the agency’s director and it’s the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is trying to declassify its own report that is expected to show the CIA’s rendition, detention, and interrogation practices during the Bush administration were far more brutal than the CIA had previously acknowledged.

The key sticking point: The documents the CIA said the Senate was not supposed to receive comprised an internal review by the CIA, and according to Sen. Feinstein, its conclusions bolster her committee’s harsh assessment of the agency’s black site program. 

So, here we go again and here we are again. We are looking at how the "illegal was made legal by secret memos" and how "rogue operations that were blessed in secrecy" – which is another American political first: skirting the law with secret deeds. In all honesty, that must not be allowed to stand because that is not the way to change any law. 

So, whats's next? In short, who knows. Maybe the GOPers will want to water board Senator Feinstein 

and all opposing DEMS, or even the President?

This is not over yet. A lot more will follow I am sure.