Rep. Schakowsky: CIA Director Panetta "stunned" he was not informed of "secret" program

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/WireStory?id=8050260&page=2

<snip>

Panetta only learned of the existence of the program late last month and told the intelligence committee in a secret meeting on June 24 that he had terminated the program.

Schakowsky described Panetta as "stunned" that he had not been informed of the program for nearly five months into his tenure as director.

She said this is the fourth time that she knows of that the CIA has misled Congress or not informed it in a timely manner, as required by law, since she began serving on the Intelligence Committee two and half years ago.

In 2008, the CIA inspector general revealed that the CIA had lied to Congress about the accidental shoot down of American missionaries over Peru in 2001. In 2007, news reports disclosed that the CIA had secretly destroyed videotapes of interrogations of a terrorist suspect.

She would not describe the other incident.

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Memo to Panetta: If you don't ask they won't tell.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. Second memo to Panetta -

watch your back.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Which is probably why he didn't ask. AKA: CYA

[rocktivity]

8. Third Memo to Panetta: Your ass is supposed to be IN CHARGE

so you'd better either start firing people or step down yourself.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[glitch]

16. I'd like to second this third memo. nt

[gratuitous]

18. Fourth Memo to Panetta

And even if you do ask, be sure you're really really specific. A simple "Anything else I should know?" isn't going to cut it. Even "Did you torture the prisoners?" isn't specific enough. "Did you shove bamboo shoots under Prisoner X's fingernails and then light them on fire?" is getting there, but even that has some wiggle room.

You want answers, be sure your questions are detailed down to the last gnat's eyelash.

[hvn_nbr_2]

19. Fifth memo to Panetta

If they hid it from you and from Congress for this long, what makes you think that telling them to shut it down really shut it down? The only way you'll be sure it's shut down is if you fire everyone that you know was involved, place them all in "interrogative custody," and find out every detail, every person, every asset, every action, every plan.

First memo to self: Fat chance.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

20. Your memo to self is, by far, the more likely outcome.

Plausible deniability + CYA

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. Take off, and nuke em from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

[grantcart]

3. k and r

[rocktivity]

6. Will all the Rethugs who owe Nancy Pelosi an apology please line up on the left?

No pushing, no shoving!


rocktivity

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. Panetta is probably not being told alot of things.

Hopefully Panetta will fire whomever is responsible for his delay in being briefed about the program he terminated.

[mopinko]

11. i agree.

he needs to fire someone and put a picture of their head on a pike in the cafeteria.

[bertman]

9. The "other" incident was when Dick Cheney botched the assassination of Harry Whittington,

87 year-old Texas lawyer and al Qaeda operative who had infiltrated Cheney's inner circle.

[eShirl]

10. wow - something else from the link

-snip-

"The House is expected to take up the 2010 intelligence authorization bill next week. It includes a provision that would require the White House to inform the entire committee about upcoming covert operations rather than just the "Gang of Eight"— the senior members from both parties on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and the Democratic and Republican leaders in both houses.

"The White House this week threatened to veto the final version of the bill if it includes that provision."

-snip-

[glitch]

17. That is a very interesting veto threat. nt

[mopinko]

12. 4th memo to leon

jan is tiny, but she is a bulldog.

[JHB]

13. Note to Leon: that's "shocked, SHOCKED!"...

Get your lines right or you'll never run a Vichy casino.

[dgibby]

14. Who's really in charge of the CIA?

I often wonder who's actually in charge, who the CIA answers to, who can control it. Personally, I have my doubts than any director (or President) has to power to contain such a secretive organization.

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. Of course the President can.

All he has to do is have the FBI arrest the CIA.
Then have the US Marshalls arrest the FBI.
Then have the Secret Service arrest the US Marshalls.

Then start again from scratch.

[never cry wolf]

22. Jan Schakowsky is awesome!

I seriously hope she takes charge