Torture Still Doesn't Work

This is part of the letter that CIA director Leon Panetta sent to Sen. John McCain. Panetta told McCain that torture was not the deciding factor in the gathering of intelligence of Osama bin Laden's location. Panetta told McCain that some detainees tortured did give intelligence relating to bin Laden's whereabouts. Other detainees that were tortured repeatedly lied to interogators. Panetta concluded that torture did not play a role in providing Osama bin Laden's whereabouts.

"Nearly 10 years of intensive intelligence work led the CIA to conclude that Bin Ladin was likely hiding at the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. There was no one 'essential and indispensible' [sic] key piece of information that led us to this conclusion. Rather, the intelligence picture was developed via painstaking collection and analysis. Multiple streams of intelligence — including from detainees, but also from multiple other sources — led CIA analysts to conclude that Bin Ladin was at this compound. Some of the detainees who provided useful information about the facilitator/courier's role had been subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques. Whether those techniques were the 'only timely and effective way' to obtain such information is a matter of debate and cannot be established definitively. What is definitive is that that information was only a part of multiple streams of intelligence that led us to Bin Ladin.

"Let me further point out that we first learned about the facilitator/courier's nom de guerre from a detainee not in CIA custody in 2002. It is also important to note that some detainees who were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques attempted to provide false or misleading information about the facilitator/courier. These attempts to falsify the facilitator/courier's role were alerting.

"In the end, no detainee in CIA custody revealed the facilitator/courier's full true name or specific whereabouts. This information was discovered through other intelligence means."

Obama White House Announcement Live Blogging

Obama is suppose to major a major national security announcement at 10:45 tonight. There is a rumor that Osama bin Laden is dead. CNN brought Wolf Blitzer in on a Sunday night to cover the story. Something is up.

Keith Urbahn, Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's former Chief of Staff, tweeted this.

So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn.

Urbahn did a follow tweet saying it could be a rumor.

This is big. David Corn tweeted this.

Daily Beast is running story that Osama bin Laden is dead.

MSNBC: Pres. will speak about a "grave, serious CIA operations overseas."

Marc Ambinder has good sources in the White House.

Two senior administration officials say that the President will announce that Osama Bin Laden is dead.

This is good news if it is true. I be more than happy to see the bastard dead.

Talking Points Memo confirms bin Laden is dead. Meanwhile, Obama has still not made a statement.

Blast from the Past President Bush telling White House press corp he doesn't spend much time worrying about bin Laden.



Showtime: Obama comes on an hour late. Obama say bin Laden is dead.

Obama says he told CIA director Leon Panetta that killing or capturing Osama bin Laden is priority number 1.

Bin Laden was killed in a gun fight with CIA paramilitary forces.

Bin Laden killed in Pakistan.

Obama: "Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims."

Obama striking the proper serious tone and didn't use fear-mongering against Muslims. Republican presidential candidates must be shitting themselves.

I great moment from Obama's speech.

"Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth and power, but because of who we are."

Leon Panetta To Head CIA

I don't see Leon Panetta being nominated as CIA Director. Obama could have picked someon like Bob Kerrey, the former Goveror and Senator of Nebraska. I read Panetta's name and literally laughed. MSNBC pundit Chuck Todd believed Diane Feinstein made it clear she would not back Panetta's nomination.

“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director. I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif., who will chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 111th Congress, in a written statement. “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”

The Obama people selected Panetta without running it by the Chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee. Are these people batshit insane? Panetta has admirable qualities. His resume isn't going to convince the Senate he should be the next CIA Director.

Update: Ben Smith reports the inside mood of the CIA is against Panetta becoming director. It doesn't take a magic 8 ball to see the Panetta nomination was a bad idea.