Posted on 03/16/2018 12:22:10 AM PDT by lowbuck
Rand Paul launched a typically obnoxious attack on Gina Haspel today. Here is one account:
“To really appoint the head cheerleader for waterboarding to be head of the CIA? How can you trust somebody who did that to be in charge of the CIA,” Paul wondered, adding, “To read of her glee during the waterboarding is just absolutely appalling.”
Paul was referring to an account of a waterboarding session with suspected al Qaeda lieutenant Abu Zubaydah, who was subjected to so-called enhanced interrogation techniques now widely considered to be torture. ., .
The problem is that this conduct appears to be misattributed to Haspel. A U.S. intelligence official provided this statement:
Senator Paul’s claims today about Gina Haspel are not only inaccurate, but contradicted by the very source materials he relied on. The Senator quotes liberally from page 263 of James Mitchell’s book “Enhanced Interrogation” in describing the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah in claiming that Ms. Haspel was the CIA Chief of Base who was present and expressing joy at this interrogation. A reading of the same page demonstrates that the Chief of Base present and quoted during this event was a man, not Gina Haspel. This is just one of many false claims about Ms. Haspel being peddled by the uninformed. . . snip
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
With the MSM and talking heads in TDS spin mode toward President Trumps’ nominee to head the CIA the news is full of stories about how she is unfit because she was in charge when torture was used (Find out what you get subjected which you go through survival school. Big deal!)
This article, where ProPublica says "Never mind, we were wrong, err erred, oh we mean mistaken", is well worth the read at this link: https://www.propublica.org/article/cia-cables-detail-its-new-deputy-directors-role-in-torture
Most of the "breathless" reporting has so many "he said", "it was reported", “our source who must remain anonymous tells us”. . . I think you can take a report on "death by climate change" and substitute Gina Haspel's name and the article would read the same.
What the folks in Washington have to answer for now is why do they now take the side of the head chopping Al Qaeda jihadists called “rebels” in Syria?
The “War on Terror” has evolved into the “War with Terror”.
He does not need to apologize. He has strong feelings, well found feelings about her being unfit to serve in the position.
He would have to apologize if he felt as he does and did not say anything, or said it in less than direct terms.
Either way, we need some fresh blood in the mix. The statescraft (and I use the term very loosely) of the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama years has not been working out well for us.
related to the headline:
Correction: Trump’s Pick to Head CIA Did Not Oversee Waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah
ProPublica erred when it reported in 2017 that Gina Haspel was in charge of a secret prison in Thailand during the infamous interrogation of an al-Qaida suspect.
by Raymond Bonner, special to ProPublica March 15, 6:38 p.m. EDT
https://www.propublica.org/article/cia-cables-detail-its-new-deputy-directors-role-in-torture
also picked up by MSN:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/propublica-issues-serious-correction-to-report-on-trump-cia-director-nominee/ar-BBKhblH?ocid=spartanntp
don’t miss post 5
Of course he does. For repeating an easily provable lie. He's a Senator and should know better before he opens his big yap.
Help The Donald drain the swamp or get out of the way, Rand.
He accused her of doing something that she clearly did not do. He criticized her character based on something she did not do. I’d say that warrants an apology.
Everyone owes everyone an apology.
So if I publicly denounce you for doing something you demonstrably did not do, something I should have known you did not do, that’s ok?
What, she didn’t order anyone to do the waterboarding thing? I’m so confused!
Try reading the article.
So so sorry my FRiend.
Rich Leowry is an apologist for torture. Rand Paul is correct. Haspel must not be confirmed. She is a twisted sadist and unAmerican. No torture, not now, not ever.
I’d already read several that said otherwise. The dissonance and wasted time from reading so many articles are getting tiresome.
You’re right. I should have avoided both reading another article on one issue and/or commenting on it.
So I’ll back up and say that it’s better to avoid reading so many conflicting political articles in order to avoid a heart attack.
It’s time to do something healthier. And oh, yeah...keep it simple. Appoint a man to that position! It’s a man’s job.
I’m really sorry, linear. Please accept my apology...along with a red pill!
Hire the man!
Are you simple? Rich Lowry might be a GOPe fag, but the simple truth is that Gina Haspel did NOT run a black op site that tortured people. A man did, and unless Gina is a transtesticle, she is a woman.
Rand Paul repeated an easily provable lie, either out of ignorance, stupidity, or some political motive.
He not only owes Gina an apology, but he owes me, you and all patriots one as well.
The Donald is reshuffling the deck in order to drain the swamp and pubic head Rand is gumming up the works with his showboating. The NSA, Military Intelligence, and Trump allies are at war with the CIA, the intelligence arm of the Deep State.
This it not tiddlywinks, goodman. Expand your thinking and get in the game.
p.s. Read the article.
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