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Condi Rice to Haspel Critics: You Weren't There on September 11
Townhall.com ^ | May 2, 2018 | Cortney O'Brien

Posted on 05/02/2018 7:15:26 AM PDT by Kaslin

Gina Haspel's nomination for CIA director has not been easy. The current deputy director of the agency faces critics from both sides of the political aisle who are shining a spotlight on her role in the enhanced interrogation techniques program that was used during the George W. Bush administration. That program, which included what critics call harsh tactics, were employed in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) wrote a whole op-ed about why Haspel, who was "complicit in torture," is wrong for the role of CIA chief.

Condoleezza Rice, who was national security advisor at the time of the tragedy, defended Haspel on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday morning. She shamed critics who are condemning the nominee without knowing anything about what it's like to lead during such a unique national crisis.

"If you were not in a position of authority on September 11, you have no idea the pressures that we faced to try and make sure that this country wasn't attacked again," she said. "Walk a mile in our shoes and you'll understand some of the things that—"

"So you're almost offended when people are judging her?" host Brian Kilmeade asked.

"I am offended that people who were not there and who didn't have to make the tough decisions now want to second-guess," Rice said. "We're an open society. People can debate. There's nothing wrong with that. But the fine professionals who kept us safe deserve our praise, not our criticism." (Free Beacon)

Former CIA Dir. Michael Hayden also jumped to the nominee's defense. Haspel is the “absolute, best choice to be the director of the CIA, he said.

He's 100 percent certain she’s "the best athlete available in the draft."

Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was just sworn in as the new secretary of state, so his old position is patiently waiting its replacement.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: condoleezarice; ginahaspel; september11
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1 posted on 05/02/2018 7:15:26 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

“...Rand Paul (R-KY) wrote a whole op-ed about why Haspel, who was “complicit in torture,”...”

What we did to the terrorists was less torture than what Paul’s neighbor did to him.


2 posted on 05/02/2018 7:19:13 AM PDT by budj (combat vet, 2nd of 3 generations)
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To: Kaslin
"water boarding"


3 posted on 05/02/2018 7:20:21 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (Quit calling them liberals, progressives, or Democrats. Call them what they are: COMMUNISTS!)
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To: Kaslin

She’s right


4 posted on 05/02/2018 7:20:42 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: silverleaf

Not really. I understand her point, but she seems to be suggesting that interrogation techniques considered unacceptable in 2018 were OK in September 2001.


5 posted on 05/02/2018 7:28:20 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: Kaslin

She is 100% correct. If thee had been another attack along the same lines, the complainers would have been screaming about why we didn’t use water boarding.

I also am still angry at all of those people who claimed that President Bush misled us into Iraq. They do not know what Saddam was doing, what he was paying for and what he thought he had in his arsenal. Some of the scientists who were supposed to be putting together those weapons lied to Saddam , but the whole world really did think Saddam had them.


6 posted on 05/02/2018 7:30:34 AM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: Kaslin

I am so sick of the beta cuck pussy, Rand Paul.

It would be a welcome development if one of his “neighbors” were to again beat his a$$ to a bloody pulp.


7 posted on 05/02/2018 7:30:59 AM PDT by JME_FAN (uired to)
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To: Alberta's Child

Exactly so
But also what she is saying is you cannot go back in history and judge decisions made then based on what we know now
No one died from enhanced interrogation - which as I recall was used on about 3-4 terrorists
But lives were saved
Seems like just warfare to me


8 posted on 05/02/2018 7:31:34 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: budj

You got that right.


9 posted on 05/02/2018 7:33:16 AM PDT by Kaslin (Politicians are not born; they are excreted -Civilibus nati sunt; sunt excernitur. (Cicero)
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To: Kaslin

Face it Democrats prefer terrorists to American citizens.


10 posted on 05/02/2018 7:38:06 AM PDT by Retvet (Retvete)
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To: budj

EITs are not torture. Other than actual waterboarding, we do the same types of techniques to our own Special Operations Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines during their selection and training process. Paul is an idiot on this.


11 posted on 05/02/2018 7:52:39 AM PDT by TallahasseeConservative (Isaiah 40:31)
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To: silverleaf

I agree and would just add that “common sense” SHOULD rule in a National Security Emergency where thousands of American lives are at stake. In such a case, “common sense” DICTATES that some terrorist in our possession can be skinned alive if need be, much less water boarded, to SAVE LIVES.

Rand Paul is wrong on this one. Condoleeza Rice, who I’m not generally a fan of is RIGHT.


12 posted on 05/02/2018 7:55:03 AM PDT by Cen-Tejas
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To: Kaslin

How many times has 911 been justified to act stupid. .gov can’t seem to act unless it’s a ‘emergency’. And when it does, it’s usually stupid things. Nation building, iraq, arming muzzies, debt, etc.


13 posted on 05/02/2018 8:23:47 AM PDT by Theoria (I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive)
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To: Alberta's Child

Not really. I understand her point, but she seems to be suggesting that interrogation techniques considered unacceptable in 2018 were OK in September 2001.

___________________________________________________________

This whole argument is silly. We have signed on to an agreement with many other countries that say we will not use torture. That is well and good but it only applies to the countries that signed the agreement. Terrorists who have not signed anything, who use torture and kill innocents purposely have no non-torture agreement with us. To suggest they do is ignorance. To make a law in congress that says we won’t use these techniques against those who would use them on us is traitorous and stupididity of the highest order.

After World War II the “civilized” countries of the world got together in Geneva and decided what would be fair and not fair in future wars. The Geneva Convention and treaties are for participating COUNTRIES, not non-participating terrorists.

It is time to get the bamboo under the fingernails of terrorists. Torture the Hell out of them, make them talk and wish they had never been born, then kill them and bury them with a pig. Put the torture and burrying on youtube for the world to see.


14 posted on 05/02/2018 8:24:37 AM PDT by JAKraig (my religion is at least as good as yours)
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To: wbarmy

Well said.

FWIW, I have always thought those WMD from Iraq were taken over the border into Syria.

Anyone who says Iraq didn’t have chemical and biological weapons is fooling themselves.


15 posted on 05/02/2018 9:05:15 AM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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To: Alberta's Child

I recommend this book:

Enhanced Interrogation: Inside the Minds and Motives of the Islamic Terrorists Trying To Destroy America Nov 29, 2016
by James E. Mitchell Ph.D. and Bill Harlow


16 posted on 05/02/2018 9:24:52 AM PDT by Excellence (Marine mom since April 11, 2014)
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To: rlmorel
Of course Iraq had those things. The U.S. sold them to Iraq years earlier.

Any country with a leader with half a brain has advanced WMD programs in place. History has shown that it's the best way to keep other countries from pushing them around.

17 posted on 05/02/2018 9:28:24 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: JAKraig
The simpler explanation is that a person from Country A (Saudi Arabia, for example) who is captured in Country B (Afghanistan, for example) in a military campaign where Country A has no involvement isn't covered under any international treaties anyway.

The nuances of these explanations will never be understood by 95% of the American public. Condoleeza Rice would be better off just keeping quiet about it.

18 posted on 05/02/2018 9:34:08 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: Alberta's Child

so, we were doubly justified to go into Iraq. We knew they had them, and we knew we supplied them.

Still, so many persist that there were no WMD in Iraq and that it was all a ruse, even here on FR.


19 posted on 05/02/2018 9:38:21 AM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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To: rlmorel

No, we were not. Who gets to invade the U.S. for supplying them in the first place?


20 posted on 05/02/2018 9:53:26 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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