Democrats were routinely briefed on Bush torture techniques, document shows

[RC one]

The CIA has released a devastating document detailing the dates and explicit details of secret Congressional briefings in which members of Congress were told of the Bush administration’s torture techniques and when they had been used.

The document is explicit (PDF here). Most damning, perhaps, is its description of a meeting held between CIA staff and then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Porter Goss and now-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which shows that Pelosi was briefed on the Bush Administration’s torture techniques in 2002 — even though she’s publicly said she was never told about the use of waterboarding.

Equally striking, however, is the volume of the briefings that have been conducted on the CIA’s interrogation practices since 2002. The document runs ten pages, with up to four briefings a page.

Briefings given to Democrats are of particular significance because the party has been the most vocal about the Bush Administration’s torture practices. Apparently, however, they had known about the practices for years. At least 19 Democrats were briefed about the techniques in detail by end of 2006.

Those briefed earliest on the so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” included Pelosi, Goss, Rep. Jane Harman, then-Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), Sen. John Rockefeller (D), Sen Patrick Roberts (R-KN) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).

On Sept. 6, 2006, the CIA briefed the full Senate Intelligence Committee, excluding Sen. Ron Wyden (D-WA), who did not attend. According to the document, “Significant details of EITs were provided in this briefing to include mentions of waterboarding, diet manipulation, nudity, walling, and stomach slap.” EIT is shorthand for “Enhanced Interrogation Technique.”

[RC one]

Looks like the Democrats have to arrest their own people now and try them before a world court for war crimes. They'll do anything to draw our attention away from the fact that they're complete morons. Go watch them kick their own a**es over this at democratic underground. It's a real treat.

link deleted.

[gusopol3]

Why are you headlining this as Bush “torture techniques?” The CIA document apparently calls them “enhanced interrogation techniques.” This is a semantic battle, like “anti-abortion, pro-choice” that we can’t afford to surrender on.

[Gator113]

As I have been watching this unfold over the past many days, there is something I keep thinking about.

Much of this stuff is not news to me.

I mean, some of this was in the media back around 2003. I can’t remember right now all of the details, but way back then we were being told that certain members in DC were being kept advised as to the status of interrogation techniques and other secret issues.

I keep thinking that Fox might actually have the footage banked that could also be brought out to demonstrate that much of this was already in the public eye.

[RC one]

It was a quick cut and paste. Frankly, I think it just became a non-issue anyways. They won’t hang themselves to hang us. They’ll posture and pose and bluster and whine and, in the end, nothing will happen. What’s more, the more they pursue this, the dumber they look and the more obvious it becomes that they really don’t know how to do anything except bash Bush.