The US has stopped running its global network of secret prisons, CIA director Leon Panetta has announced.
“CIA no longer operates detention facilities or black sites,” Mr Panetta said in a letter to staff. Remaining sites would be decommissioned, he said. The “black sites” were used to detain terrorism suspects, some of whom were subjected to interrogation methods described by many as torture.
President Obama vowed to shut down the facilities shortly after taking office.
The Bush administration allowed the CIA to operate secret prisons on the territory of allied countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.
During his first week as president, Mr Obama ordered the closure of the black sites, as well as the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, as part of an overhaul of US detainee policy.
This is a good development, no doubt about it. However, I’m still not convinced that O has the cojones to actually do what is necessary to solve the rampant criminality the last administration spread throughout our society, like a nicely marbled steak. Take, for instance, the aforementioned wiretapping issue. Literally the entire executive boards of most of our phone companies (really, besides Quest, I can’t think of any other innocent players) are guilty of massive FISA violations, which are punishable by 5 years in prison per violation. And they violated these laws millions of times! What he should do, clearly, is have the justice department arrest all of these people and toss them in jail for 5 million years or so, but does he have the gumption? And if he doesn’t, what choice does he have but to continue with the illegal program and try and shield it from discovery?
# 17 James Hill – Owning Greg for Years said, “Damn Greg. Still coming here to get your ass kicked? I’m glad Paddy stuck around to do the deed.”
I don’t deserve any kudos. No more that I would for stepping on an ant…
Ah, today’s winner of the Sore Loser award with Mutual Masturbation cluster are Paddy O’Troll and James Hill! My your mutual delusions always satisfy you. 🙂
So does this mean we’re back to rendition?
# 39 mr show said, “So does this mean we’re back to rendition?”
Yep.
http://telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4425135/Barack-Obama-to-allow-anti-terror-rendition-to-continue.html
We’ll see about that, mr show. Us liberals are already putting pressure on Obama to stop it, just like we pressured Bush. We’re consistent that way.
Of course, the wingnuts are in no position to criticize Obama about this, since they were enthusiastic cheerleaders of torture, extraordinary rendition, and all the other nasty things Bush did.
For them to criticize Obama for doing this would be blatant hypocrisy on their part. Not that it has stopped them before.
How about it, wingnuts? Anyone want to criticize Obama for continuing Bush’s tactics? I’m all ears. 🙂
# 41 Phydeau said, “Anyone want to criticize Obama for continuing Bush’s tactics?”
Sure, I do all the time, same as I did Bush. How about YOU criticize Omama for the same things you criticized Bush for?
I’m waiting…
Paddy O’Troll, being deliberately dense is the lamest of trolls. 0.5 out of 10.
#43 I’m waiting…
Paddy O’Troll, how do you keep an idiot in suspense?
I’ll tell you tomorrow… 🙂
#42,
Yes, I feel exactly the same way about the Obama DOJ filing legal briefs as I feel about the prior Bush admin DOJ filing legal briefs.
But you seem to be implying that there is some crime here…
Could you tell us exactly what the crime is with the Obama DOJ filing a legal brief?
#46 Where did I say that filing a brief is illegal? Please quote me, or, are you lying? Remember, if you want to stop being a loony left winger, refraining from lying is the place to start…
#45 Part of the way insanity is measured is to time how long it takes for a person to reply to simple questions…
#47
If you look here on the last page of this petition, it seems you want to impeach Obama for something or another…
http://ipetitions.com/petition/obamaimpeachment/signatures.html
So clearly you think he commited some crime… Ok, so you don’t think this is a crime, why did you sign that petition?
#49 Adjust your meds. I said show a quote of mine. What drugs do you take on a daily basis?
I believe that Obama has decided to stop using that phrase therefore we can’t be holding any, right?
And of course anyone “visiting” is a “guest” and not a prisoner and if another government is “entertaining” them then we aren’t responsible even if they are only doing so as a favor to us, right?
Does anyone really think people aren’t being held somewhere outside the states because the Fed Gov wants them held?
If so, God bless you because you are truly an innnocent child.
Glad to see President Obama is walking the talk.
While we are again a nation of principles and integrity, it may take years before we again earn the respect and admiration of the world.
# 51 deowll said, “Does anyone really think people aren’t being held somewhere outside the states because the Fed Gov wants them held? ”
Obama has already admitted that he’s having prisoners held in Afghanistan and he’s fighting to keep them from appealing detention in US courts. He doesn’t believe that he has to follow the Constitution, just like Bush…
The whole story is B.S, political smoke and mirrors. The closure of these places has been known as soon as they were outed in the press. The official announcement had to wait till the massive 40 acre detention facility built at Bagram was complete so there was somewhere to move these jokers to.
So secret detention centers closing is true but the renditions will continue.
I had all but forgotten how nice it is to have a grown-up in the White House.
yeah sure, and the CIA stopped running drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.
Who believes these liars anyways? I guess the same fools that fall for the binary left/right nonsense.
It’s about time! Now we go back to what we’ve done since the end of WWII: outsourcing our torture!
Of course, they’ll never tell us where any of these “black” sites were, or who was held in them, or why they had to be held & tortured in those places.
Reminds me of the lie Bush & Co kept repeating when Gitmo was first converted to a prison for “terrorists”, e.g. those being held at Gitmo were “the worst of the worst”.
Of course, we now know the “worst of the worst” were held at the “black” sites, not at Gitmo.
Hopefully the US soldier taking a bullet feels better for the civility.
RBG
Honestly WTF does Leon Panchetta (HAR!) know about national security?
Like Bill Moyers, he always looks perpetually befuddled. This no-nothing amateur is making policy. GREAT!
Mission accomplished Barack!
They said they would keep the sites open ‘temporarily’. So no black sites, just temporary holding facilities.
I think the Obama Administration needs to stop making Bush-bashing the central organizing principle of their government, and focus on governing. Handing out a reset button to the Russians is unprofessional.