Panetta: Time To Move On

[carincross]

In this morning's WaPo CIA director Leon Panetta says Congress's investigations into the CIA and its activities are making us less safe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

"The time has come for both Democrats and Republicans to take a deep breath and recognize the reality of what happened after Sept. 11, 2001. The question is not the sincerity or the patriotism of those who were dealing with the aftermath of Sept. 11. The country was frightened, and political leaders were trying to respond as best they could. Judgments were made. Some of them were wrong. But that should not taint those public servants who did their duty pursuant to the legal guidance provided. The last election made clear that the public wanted to move in a new direction.

Intelligence can be a valuable weapon, but it is not one we should use on each other. As the president has said, this is not a time for retribution. Debates over who knew what when -- or what happened seven years ago -- miss a larger, more important point: We are a nation at war in a dangerous world, and good intelligence is vital to us all. That is where our focus should be. The CIA has plenty of tools to fight al-Qaeda and its allies. Unlike the effort I canceled in June, our present tools are effective, we use them aggressively to go after our enemies, and Congress has been briefed on them."

In May Constitutional scholar and conservative lawyer Bruce Fein told Paul Jay in a video interview that people who are members of a Republic accept certain risks. The danger is that the government will constantly talk about security without admitting that we are moving toward a Police State.
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&t...

I thought that no one, not even the CIA, was above the law!

[katandmoon]

1. What a steaming pile.

[IndianaGreen]

8. ...of shit

I finished the sentence for you.

Leon Panetta, had he been German, would have justified Hitler's passing of the Enabling Act on the pretext that Germans were frightened after the burning of the Reichstag.

[Wapsie B]

2. A real Democrat would never say such a thing.

There are laws in this country and when they are broken there needs to be consequences. If people do not have to answer for their actions the entire system is one sick joke.

[ensho]

3. slap Panetta's mouth

the neo cons need prosecuted and imprisoned for their crimes against the american people, Iraq and all over the world

which includes the neo cons at the CIA and Pentagon

[Botany]

4. The last election made clear that the public wanted to move in a new direction.

and we want the people who lied us into a war punished too.

BTW "they" use 9/11 as cover for their crimes and the first wire taps were Feb. 2001 long before 9/11.

[Wilms]

5. Put this on the Greatest page for all to see.

Can we be done with the Clinton entourage already?

[grasswire]

6. so they wiretapped Panetta?

Is that the hidden message here?

Capitulation? Or Collaboration?

I feel sick.

[IndianaGreen]

9. It reeks of appeasement and collaboration with Bush's crimes

Panetta personifies the Vichy Democrats.

[laststeamtrain]

7. It's like one of those puzzle drawings: How many lies do you see in this paragraph?

How many lies do you see in this paragraph?

"The time has come for both Democrats and Republicans to take a deep breath and recognize the reality of what happened after Sept. 11, 2001. The question is not the sincerity or the patriotism of those who were dealing with the aftermath of Sept. 11. The country was frightened, and political leaders were trying to respond as best they could. Judgments were made. Some of them were wrong. But that should not taint those public servants who did their duty pursuant to the legal guidance provided. The last election made clear that the public wanted to move in a new direction."

Leon my ass. More like a pussy cat.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[rosesaylavee]

11. I'll move on once the Rule of Law is re-established.

Thanks for nothing Leon.

[Wilms]

12. Panetta’s Pathetic Attempt to Get Lawmakers to Ignore CIA Crimes

Panetta’s Pathetic Attempt to Get Lawmakers to Ignore CIA Crimes
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6203452

[felinetta]

13. Panetta, the truth will prevail. The pedophile priests in the end didn't get away with their crimes.

Rep Holt wants deeper investigation of anthrax. Many quesions
scream for the truth.It seems logical that Bush Adm was behind
the anthrax scare. If it was a foreign terrorist, why wouldn't
they have sent it to  the powers in office to try to undermine
them and the country?  It doesn't make sense to send it to
Leahy and Daschle, Democrats who were not in charge.  And
don't forget the Bush Adm. tried to strong arm these two
democrats into not having a 9/11 commission. What kind of
garbage was that. What kind of a government would try to
thwart an investigation perpetrated on its citizens of this
magnitude?  And why did Dick and commander bunny pants have to
get questioned together and NOT, I repeat, NOT under oath.

[felinetta]

14. Why are Cheney and Commander Bunny Pants so revered? They're public servants not deities.

[Canuckistanian]

15. Makes you wonder who's REALLY in charge

What possible benefit is it to Leon Panetta to protect Cheney & company? Qui bono?

[grasswire]

16. he stays alive?

No one should ever assume that downed planes, anthrax, etc. weren't just kneecapping.

[Skittles]

26. he's doing what Obama wants

"looking forward"

[leveymg]

17. Leon: recognize the reality of what happened ON Sept. 11, 2001

The Agency got played and fell on its sword for the Bush-Cheney gang. Again.

One of the first things that the incoming Bush regime did in early 2001 was to "out" the work of the CIA Counter-Proliferation Division (CPD) and the Counter-Terrorism Center (CTC). They set about systematically gutting the Agency of its independent powers to surveil the Saudis. In the last weeks before 9/11, Tenet ran all over the country trying to talk Dubya into rolling up the al-Qaeda cells many knew were preparing attacks on high-visibility American targets in New York and DC. But, for some reason -- that's not yet been explained -- Dubya refused to issue the arrest order. So, 3000 innocents died, and the CIA got blamed. Bush-Cheney then launched a three-trillion dollar optional war that wiped out the Treasury. How many CIA careers did the Bush-Cheney cabal destroy to push the Iraq WMD fraud on the public? How many CIA, DIA and FBI counter-terrorism officers ended up blaming themselves, and resigned in silent shame? Many, too many. Bush and Cheney played the CIA, and the rest of the community and the country, for suckers.

Poppy Bush also played the Agency, when he used CIA cover to help the Saudis set up BCCI and the Safari Club deal -- in exchange for petrodollars, Poppy let the Saudis set up their own global covert operations and nuclear capability through the Pakistanis. The end result was that the Bush clan, bankrolled by the bin Ladens and bin Mahfouz deep pockets, criminalized U.S. intelligence. They ripped off the American Savings & Loan industry, put AQ Khan into business, and helped Osama bin Laden run al-Qaeda operatives around the world. The network continued to run terrorists in and out of the U.S. under CIA cover, even after the terrorist attacks of 1993, 1998 and March 2000. Poppy Bush made Osama bin Laden's men untouchable.

Prescott Bush started this family tradition of using American intelligence as a private fiefdom. In the early 1930s, he was a key figure in the Wall Street cabal that financed the rise of the German far-right, rearmed Germany, and tried to overthrow FDR. At the end of World War Two, OSS and CIC X2 helped evacuate Nazi figures and Nazi loot from Europe through the "rat-lines." According to James Jesus Angleton, at the founding of the CIA "40 friends" of Allen Dulles didn't have to submit to polygraphs. From the very beginning, the Bush family have played the Agency, and the rest of the country, for suckers.

When is this someone at CIA finally going to put a stop to this treason, Leon? You and Obama have the power. Use it or lose it.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[daggahead]

19. WTF? Does he own Haliburton stock? n/t

[Uncle Joe]

20. Your Washington Post link states it is unable to locate the page; edit to add

so does the other link.

[TankLV]

21. Must be getting close to the TRUTH - can't have THAT now, can we!!!

FUCK YOU Panchetta - you've been a DISASTER since your appointment...

can you spell "sell out" Panchetta?!!!

[bertman]

22. There's a reason Panetta was selected for the job. Now we know. Same. Old. Shit.

[Politicalboi]

23. 9/11 is their excuse for EVERYTHING

They all broke the law because they were "scared". Bullshit! Find the truth to 9/11 and all this shit goes down the toilet like it should.

So the next time I see a high speed pursuit, I should have sympahty for the raging maniac behind the wheel because he is scared and doesn't know what to do. And at the end of the chase we should all just get along and let him go. No hard feelings.

[Senator]

24. It's OK, Because Panetta's "Just Following Orders" From Obama

It is he who needs to "take a deep breath and recognize the reality" that aiding, abetting, harboring, and http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE53H1Y020090418">immunizing torturers and war criminals is not the "new direction" the public wanted.

Nor is Mr. Panetta's "kinder, gentler" fear mongering efforts -- clearly intended to terrorize the public into complacency about our status as a War Criminal Nation.

The question is certainly "the sincerity or the patriotism" of those who refuse(d) to abide by and enforce the laws and treaty obligations our greater generations fought and died to forge.

That is the far "larger, more important point."

--

[Skittles]

25. correct, it's more "look forward" garbage

:puke:

[Daveparts still]

27. Of Course They Do

"The CIA has plenty of tools to fight al-Qaeda and its allies."

The CIA created al-Qaeda

[DCKit]

30. The shock doctine and resulting conflicts generate far more $$$$ for the MIC...

and keep fascists in power.

If the Cocaine Import Agency still has those tools, they're rusting to pieces in the shed.

[GeorgeGist]

28. POGO

[bemildred]

29. Mr Panetta is free to move on any time he likes.

I'm sure a better replacement can be found.

[OwnedByFerrets]

31. Above the law, unless you are a peon.