Wyden: NSA contractors involved in torture & interrogations of terror suspects

[grasswire]

Last edited Sat Aug 24, 2013, 05:08 PM - Edit history (1)

edit: there is some question as to whether Wyden was speaking of ALL intelligence agencies or NSA and I have written to the reporter for clarification.

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/08/wyden_blumenauer_say_private_c.html





From the print Oregonian today. I will look for it online and post a link as soon as I can.

Wyden and Congressman Blumenauer spoke at the Portland City Club on Friday. Among Wyden's remarks:

.....In addition, Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said after their appearance at the City Club that the panel is close to releasing a report showing that contractors played a major role in the 'interrogations and torture' of terroism suspects.

When the report is declassified, Wyden added, "people are going to be struck by some of what happened when contractors were conducting interrogations and it will help our reform agenda."

snip

Wyden argued that "inherently governmental functions" such as the interrogation of prisoners should not be left to contractors who don't face the same supervision as government employees.

What the hell has been going on in our names and using our money?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. I'm sure that Obama will demand that the torturers be brought to justice and serve 35 years.

Then again......perhaps not.

[grasswire]

2. tip of the iceberg, we've been told

what's next?

[Hydra]

3. Exactly my thought

Will we be told that the contractors MUST torture in order to keep us safe?

Hard to believe I can seriously contemplate that happening.

[villager]

26. Whatever he says, the unquestioning apologists will defend it to the letter

n/t

[cantbeserious]

32. Remember That Obama Can Always Play His N-Dimensional Chess Card

eom

[winter is coming]

34. ...

[railsback]

4. Here comes Armageddon...

..again...

[indepat]

5. Although NSA contractors purportedly have tortured terror suspects, a crime under international law,

no NSA contractor would ever knowingly cause harm to a citizen through unconstitutional surveillance. Never!

[Supersedeas]

33. Never

[grasswire]

6. So, NSA defenders also defend TORTURE that is unsupervised, by contractors.

That's what it boils down to.

[leveymg]

7. Are we sure he was talking about NSA contractors and not CIA?

We've known about the CIA's use of outsourced interrogation specialists for years. But, NSA has its own Black Sites, now? That would be news.

[grasswire]

8. well, he says that "people will be struck" by the declassified info...

...and that it will help their reform agenda.

[grasswire]

10. I'm going to email the reporter...

....for clarification on this, leveymg.

In addition, I will ask if the whole remarks are available on video or transcript.

[leveymg]

13. Thnx. Let us know.

[leveymg]

29. Article up here:

Looks like he was referring to a different agency. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023528005

[winter is coming]

31. Thanks; I'd be interested in knowing which it is. n/t

[NightWatcher]

14. NSA is signals intel. CIA is human intel. NSA=hacks CIA=interrogation

CIA hires some contractors for fieldwork. I've NEVER heard of an NSA operator conducting interrogations. NSA is the digital information arm of us intel.

[Catherina]

22. It sounds more like DIA or CIA but they're all joined at the hip

Regardless of which agency, this is bad news for the intelligence community.

[Octafish]

9. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to torture the hell out of...

...another people, we are no longer a democracy, nor a republic, nor anything more than a fascist kleptocracy run by kakistocrats for plutocrats.

[grasswire]

12. yeah, and I thought Bushco was the kakistocracy..... nt

[npk]

11. This is just what the GOP has always wanted

Let the private sector handle everything, like torture. Let the private sector do all the dirty work and then the government can honestly state well we didn't approve that, these people did that on their own, with no government protocol to follow and no standards to adhere to. What a brilliant way of keeping your hands clean.

[David Krout]

15. You provide no evidence that Wyden said that nt

[grasswire]

16. I provide you with the text from my newspaper.

When I find a link to the same article online, it will say exactly what I have typed in.

[truedelphi]

17. Here is one source -

One Current Citation is at link, including the photos of the two Dem leaders involved.

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/08/wyden_blumenauer_say_private_c.html

[David Krout]

18. You were possibly right

You should update it with this: In addition, Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said after their appearance that the panel is close to releasing a report showing that contractors played a major role in the "interrogations and torture" of terrorism suspects.

When the report is declassified, Wyden added, "people are going to be struck by some of what happened when contractors were conducting interrogations and it will help our reform agenda."

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/08/wyden_blumenauer_say_private_c.html

Note: It's possible he's talking about any other spy agency (someone mentioned CIA).

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. Contractors like Blackwater/Xe/Academi.

What's to fear?

[Fire Walk With Me]

21. Here's a link:

Wyden, Blumenauer say private contractors play too powerful a role in spy agencies
http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/08/wyden_blumenauer_say_private_c.html

[sabrina 1]

23. Wth indeed. But sssshhhhh! They can't tell us because it's secret and, 'terra' and 'national

security'.

[Puzzledtraveller]

24. Fake dem paulite infiltrator

[99th_Monkey]

25. US Rep. Blumenauer: "The government over-classifies information ...

"The government over-classifies information, he argued, leading to an unnecessarily large security apparatus that has too many weak points"

What^He^Said

[Warren DeMontague]

27. Good, how else are we supposed to know where the pot smokers are buying the dime bags?

[HooptieWagon]

28. In order to make it convienient for the Personality Cult to respond....

I have assembled a list of numbered excuses. Henceforth, they no longer have to go to the trouble of typing out a response....they can merely select their excuse of choice, and refer to it by number.

1) Bush did it first.

2) Obama didn't know.

3) Obama was being blackmailed by the torture contractors.

4) It never happened. Anyone who claims it did is a pole-dancing, box-hoarding, Libertarian.

5) Well, OK...it did happen. But, of the billions of instances of torture, only a few were excessive. Thats a pretty good success rate.

6) How dare you compare Obama torture to Hitler torture. They are not the same. You must be a racist.

[gopiscrap]

30. Private business needs to get the fuck out of this!

[Th1onein]

35. But it was LEGAL, right?

[mick063]

39. The wise men in the long dark robes.

Appointed by the guy that was appointed by Bush.


All very legal.

[gulliver]

36. Wait. Snowden was an NSA contractor.

I sure hope he was not a part of this.

[blackspade]

37. Fuck.

[mick063]

38. The government doesn't own all the digital cameras

Hence, we shouldn't be concerned with the NSA.


Oh wait.......Contracted torture?