Gina Haspel, war criminal, Senate hearing to head the CIA

[Solly Mack]

Link to Hearing

For those interested.

[Solly Mack]

1. Burr (R) is telling people to NOT make this about her war crimes.

And for people to to question past presidents instead of her, because she was only following orders and she followed those orders with integrity.

Snort.

[SHRED]

3. Nuremburg defense

[Solly Mack]

4. Yep. Exactly.

[Solly Mack]

2. If the beginning is any indication, that woman's ass crack will be the cleanest ass crack

in the history of ass cracks.

[Calista241]

32. I lol'd.

[Solly Mack]

34. It's funny 'cause it's true. :)

[Solly Mack]

5. We're now being told Haspel, who works for the CIA, was investigated by the CIA and found

to be clean as a whistle.

And she shouldn't be punished for following the orders of a president.

[spanone]

6. K&R...

[Solly Mack]

10. Thanks, spanone.

Long memories can be lonely.

[spanone]

21. what you're doing here is important. Thank You Solly Mack!

[Solly Mack]

7. Heavy pushing on the "first female head" - because her gender identity somehow makes up

for her war crimes?

I'm a female and I don't see how it helps women to name a war criminal as head of the CIA. What? Now both male and female war criminals are equal?

Really?

Really?

[Solly Mack]

8. September 11, 2001 now being evoked. We were scared. We didn't know. We had to do something.

Haspel did her job. Blah, blah, blah.

[Solly Mack]

9. "Mistakes made" (I shit you not)

[Eliot Rosewater]

76. I started to do the research and stopped and will ask you, did she work

in this capacity in the Obama administration or just W?

[Solly Mack]

77. She was a station chief in London and NY for some of the Obama years.

And Director of the National Clandestine Service in 2013.

[Eliot Rosewater]

83. Obviously there are far better candidates.

I suppose the more guilty she is of torture the more Bolton loves her.

[Solly Mack]

85. Trump certainly loves her for the torture.

But let's be honest, if anyone who could get her fired actually objected to torture, she would have been fired, at the very least, long ago.

She deserves to be in prison. Not just her, but certainly her.

[Eliot Rosewater]

87. That is why I asked what I did. The sad and honest truth is

there was probably torture going on illegally during the Obama administration that wasnt cracked down on because these type of people managed to convince the chief that it was necessary OR they simply did it and hid it.

I am thinking if it did continue under Barack he did not know because I know for god damn sure Obama knows as we know torture DOES NOT WORK.

[Solly Mack]

11. Haspel speaking now.

Speaking of the threat of rogue states.... yet a country that tortures IS a rogue state. She won't be commenting on that though.

[Eliot Rosewater]

89. The problem is our country is no longer credible, at all, to any other nation.

Appointing known torturers just makes that worse.

[Solly Mack]

90. It really does make things worse.

It seems a lot of people surrounding the torture the US government committed are more worried about appearances rather than the actual war crimes, so you'd think Haspel getting a promotion would be seen as a bad thing.

But watching the hearing, and from things said over the years, a lot of people enjoy pretending torture isn't torture. So..how could she be guilty of it?

[Solly Mack]

12. She called herself a typical middle-class American.

LMAO

[Solly Mack]

13. I know she's going to be confirmed but her confirmation simply confirms

what I've said since Shrub was president. America doesn't really care that the government committed war crimes. If it did, those war criminals would be in prison and not walking about free and they for damn sure wouldn't be up for promotion.

[gratuitous]

42. That was the original sin of the Obama administration

Even after the examples of Nixon and Reagan-Bush, where crimes went unpunished because of a misguided desire to "move forward," the Obama administration quickly moved to look forward to the future in 2009. So, we get to see the likes of Haspel, Bolton, Yoo, and Rice creep back into the political scene when every one of them should be behind bars.

It's disgusting, demoralizing, and unworthy of a nation that styles itself as a bastion of freedom and liberty.

[Solly Mack]

44. You'll get no arguments from me on that.

[Bluepinky]

66. I was angry that Cheney, Bush and others weren't prosecuted for lying us into a war.

It set our country back by allowing them to get away with it, and now we’re saddled with Trump, who thinks he can do anything.

[Solly Mack]

14. Oh, goody. Yet another "911" reminder - because, you know, that excuses torturing people to death.

And people did die from torture.

[Solly Mack]

15. Dismissing torture as something that happened during a tumultuous time

and, golly gee, we learned lessons on what not to do because, you know, prior to that moment in time, no one knew torture was illegal and inhumane.

[leftstreet]

16. Thanks for bravely watching and updating

She makes me sick

[Solly Mack]

18. I'm fueled by anger. She makes me sick, too. But then so do those kissing her ass.

And pretending that all this was long ago as to not really matter anymore.

[Solly Mack]

17. "Experience has taught us" because they didn't know before they tortured that torture was wrong

and illegal.

[Solly Mack]

19. There will be a closed session after this one. LMAO

It's funny because of all the emphasis being put on transparency and trust.

[Solly Mack]

20. Speaking on the tapes.

Claims fear the tapes would be leaked. Wants us to know she wasn't on the tapes. Wanted to adhere to the law but wanted to protect the guilty (she said the agents involved in the torture)

Claims there was no legal requirement to retain the tapes. ( the General Counsel of the CIA, Scott W. Muller, advised the CIA director, George Tenet, to not destroy the tapes on the CIA's authority..which goes against what she is claiming - and there was also a court order saying to NOT destroy the tapes, as well as the WHY saying not to destroy the tapes)

[Solly Mack]

22. She claims her parents gave her a strong moral compass.

Now she is saying they would comply to the decision the US made to not torture even though she did torture when it was already illegal.

The CAT was under Reagan, so....she lies.

[Solly Mack]

23. Committee member speaking on how "enthusiastic" everyone is about her.

[Solly Mack]

24. Committee member now claiming the "American people will be grateful for your service"

Wanna bet? Some of us actually do have a strong moral compass.

[Solly Mack]

25. I don't know why I'm watching, other than bearing witness. I'm beyond disgusted.

[CrispyQ]

86. I appreciate your report.

It's a nightmare. He should be polling at 12%, not hovering at 40.

[Solly Mack]

88. Thanks, CrispyQ

He shouldn't be in the oval and she should be in prison.

[malaise]

26. I have no time to waste on war criminals

I just want to know who approves her in the end

[Solly Mack]

27. As the war criminals are walking around free and clear and able to get promotions

it might be wise to pay them some attention.

[gademocrat7]

28. Totally agree with you malaise.

[Solly Mack]

29. Refuses to answer the question about torture of al-Nashiri...if she was there. She was, btw.

She was in charge.

Said she'd answer in closed session. (Snort)

[madaboutharry]

30. She seems to have perfected compartmentalization.

She is one of those people who has the ability to put parts of herself in little boxes so that she can convince herself that she isn't responsible for her own behavior and decisions.

People like her are the people who cause pain and misery in the world.

[Solly Mack]

33. Yes! Her answers reflect that perfectly.

[Solly Mack]

31. Rubio, among others, speaking of disagreeing w/ torture as "hindsight"

Because, you know, (again) no one knew before they tortured that torture was illegal, wrong, and bad.

[Solly Mack]

35. 911 (again) Haspel said the CIA believed in their work (torture) and were told torture was legal

even though all our laws said otherwise.

She was being asked if she thought (at the time) if torture should be continued (once she too over a black site (torture site) - and she won't answer directly with a yes or no.

[gratuitous]

46. This is the fly in the ointment

I've heard all my life that folks, particularly in the military, are not required to obey illegal orders. But how is someone supposed to determine an order is illegal? In the heat of a battle, if the commanding officer tells an underling to blow up a building full of civilians and there's a very good strategic reason for doing so, do you think the corporal manning the howitzer is going to say, "Sir, with all due respect, that would be a war crime"? Not on your nelly. But you know who's going to stand for the court martial when the shooting is over.

Here we have a big shot like Haspel torturing prisoners because someone somewhere (and we're not allowed to know who that was because something, something classified, something national security) told her torture was legal. Was she duty bound to disobey an illegal order? If some low-level military person is supposed to know, why isn't Haspel?

[Solly Mack]

48. Oh, she knew. They all knew. They didn't care.

Your point is dead on.

One of the reasons they went for the "few bad apples" BS.

[Solly Mack]

36. Collins acted as if Haspel didn't create the torture program and didn't know about it until

she was "read into it" when taking over a black site then how can she be responsible.

And you can bet your sweet bippy Haspel is letting her.

Haspel won't "judge in hindsight".

[Solly Mack]

37. Many of the people on the senate committee are pushing the bullshit that we only tortured out of

fear, so you can't judge us or blame us...or blame anyone who tortured people.

[Solly Mack]

38. Haspel keeps saying they were told torture was legal so they tortured but then America

decided to not do it anymore because torture is bad so they stopped.

Because - once again - no one knew torture was illegal before Bush (and, in point of fact, was STILL illegal under Bush).

[Solly Mack]

39. The Army Field Manual is being brought up a lot - as the guidelines to follow - BUT - for those with

short memories - that manual was changed under Bush to allow techniques that are torture under the Geneva Conventions, Article 3.

In the Army Field Manual, see Appendix M. Don't have to believe me - research it yourself.

[Solly Mack]

40. OMFSM. This woman is an appalling human.

And this hearing is a farce. All a farce.

Rule of law - a farce

No one is above the law - a farce

America as a champion of human rights - a farce

[Solly Mack]

41. Protester in the chamber being removed - all they did was shout out that Haspel is a torturer

which lets you know truth isn't a part of this hearing.

[Solly Mack]

43. More ass kissing.

[Solly Mack]

45. Now she can't recall (re: tapes)

Being asked about all those who told them not to destroy the tapes...she can't recall.

[Solly Mack]

47. A few of the committee members using the "you don't know because you weren't there" defense

for Haspel and her choosing to torture people.

[Solly Mack]

49. More 911 justification for torture. Committee member sets up question with 911!

Fear, fear, fear!

[Solly Mack]

50. Cotton claiming Haspel is facing false accusations from colleagues and others.

Cotton is a boll weevil.

[Solly Mack]

51. Haspel keeps repeating that the CIA follows the law.

[Solly Mack]

52. Cotton giving the "only following orders" excuse for Haspel

[Solly Mack]

53. Back to the tapes, allowing Haspel to give the party line. (again)

[Solly Mack]

54. Bringing Clinton's name into it as if that means anything.

As in, this person liked Clinton and they said you didn't do anything wrong...so if you did, it's somehow Clinton's fault?

[Solly Mack]

55. I'm sick of hearing about our so-called America values. The US govt. tortured people and they got

away with it.


What does that say about American values?

They got away with torture.

[Bluepinky]

56. What a weasel, won't answer the question whether the interrogation techniques were/are immoral.

I like Kamala Harris’s questions.
Direct and demands a yes or no answer.

[Solly Mack]

65. I know! Easy to answer - but not for her.

[demmiblue]

67. ...

Link to tweet

[Solly Mack]

57. Haspel won't answer if torture is moral or not.

Haspel goes on to say she believes in the ("now" ) higher standards we hold ourselves to - completely ignoring that the US has for years and years made torture illegal.

Those standards were already in place when she chose to torture - she simply chose to ignore them.

[Solly Mack]

58. Asked if torture works, Haspel attempts to differentiate between enhanced interrogation and torture.

[Solly Mack]

59. Cornyn claiming if Obama had nominated Haspel no one would object.

[Solly Mack]

60. Cornyn goes to say Trump is being treated unfairly, as is Haspel.

[Solly Mack]

61. More we reacted from fear, so you can't judge us

[Solly Mack]

62. More 911

[Solly Mack]

63. Constantly saying 911 but then says here we sit many years later feeling all safe and secure

and that 911 is forgotten.

[Solly Mack]

64. I need coffee

[Solly Mack]

68. Asked if she has ever been alone with Trump.

LMAO

Asking if Trump asked for loyalty.

Haspel claims her loyalty is to the Constitution.

[mia]

69. Another protester was just removed.

Roughly, I might add.

[Solly Mack]

70. Oh, stop calling it enhanced interrogation techniques...it was torture!!!

[Solly Mack]

71. More protesters being removed for speaking the truth.

[Solly Mack]

72. Asking if Haspel would be OK with a CIA agent being waterboarded?

Claims she would never support the inhumane treatment of CIA personnel.

And she sees no correlation between her waterboarding/torturing al-Nashiri and a CIA agent being tortured.

[Solly Mack]

73. Coming to the closure of the open session.

[Solly Mack]

74. Committee member asking Haspel to remind people who KSM is

Because we're all too fucking stupid to remember, I guess.

Obvious setup for Haspel to justify torture...which she is doing.

[Solly Mack]

75. I know it has been obvious that I have a bias against war criminals.

I won't be apologizing for that.

And fuck anyone entertaining the notion that I should apologize.

[Solly Mack]

78. "Truth to power" has been a theme for GOP members of committee.

LMAO

[Solly Mack]

79. Also, the GOP is big on the "first woman" angle.

saying, Haspel shouldn't be held accountable for a small piece of agency history.

For those with short memories, the war on terror wasn't the first time the CIA tortured people.

[Solly Mack]

80. All done. For the part they will allow us to see and hear.

Love that transparency they were bragging about earlier!

[Solly Mack]

81. Thank you to everyone for tuning in to my rants. :)

[quartz007]

82. If Sen Manchin votes to confirm her,

she gets confirmed. Sen Paul will be the only republican to vote no. Sen McCain is too sick to vote.

[Solly Mack]

84. Oh, she'll be confirmed.

America has a sickness.