Ibn Sheikh al-Libi IDs Others
Andy Worthington reports more details of Ibn Sheikh al-Libi's movement as a detainee. He also considers the reports that al-Libi was forced to personally ID other detainees. Was he one of the people who IDed Hassan Ghul?
Judge Sullivan: Steven Bradbury Not Qualified to Withhold Cheney's Plame Materials
We might yet get to see Cheney's interview in the CIA Leak case.
Froomkin's Sins of the Village
It looks like Froomkin committed the Sin of the Village of making principled criticisms of the President.
Fitzgerald Subpoenas and Server Crashes
Surprise surprise. Microsoft was having problems reconstructing emails just as the White House was replying to Fitzgerald's first batch of subpoenas in February 2004.
In April 2003, after Waterboarding Him 183 Times, the CIA Admitted KSM Was Lying to Them
The CIA wrote an analysis piece three days after the close of the month in which they waterboarded KSM 183 times. In it, they admitted KSM was lying to them.
Holder Refuses to Stand By Statements Saying Violating FISA Breaks the Law
Russ Feingold asked Holder whether he stands by his statements on Bush's illegal wiretap program last year. And Holder squirmed. Visibly.
CIA Now Reviewing OPR Report on Yoo, Bybee, and Bradbury
Eric Holder doesn't think it problematic to give John Rizzo--and others at the CIA who made representations on which OLC wrote opinions authorizing torture--a chance to review the OPR report on those OLC memos.
Dennis Blair's Spokesperson: The Domestic Surveillance Program Violates the Fourth Amendment
The FISCR has said that classified procedures are the only thing that keeps the warrantless wiretap program legal under the Fourth Amendment. But DNI Dennis Blair's spokesperson says those procedures don't work.
Eric Holder Demagogues Hate Crimes
Eric Holder can't seem to do squat for transparency, privacy, accountability or a plethora of other ills carried over from the Bush/Cheney Administration, but he is concerned that we need more hate crimes laws. This is wrong and he should be paying attention to more important goals.
Tenet: "No Papers, No Opinions, No Program"
More details on the CIA IG report--due out, probably in heavily redacted form, on Friday.
Illegal Wiretapping ... Still; Bill Clinton's Email Accessed
Lichtblau and Risen have their quarterly report about how our government is illegal surveilling Americans.
Rove Has a Date with HJC--He Just Doesn't Want to Tell Fox News That
Karl Rove does too have a date with HJC.
If Harriet Can Appear Before HJC, Why Not Rove, Yet?
Three months ago HJC secured an agreement to have Karl Rove give a deposition to the Committee. But that hasn't happened yet.
Al-Nashiri's Swollen Nerves, the CIA's Apology to Abu Zubaydah
As MadDog pointed out, the latest redactions of the CSRT transcripts are up at ACLU.
Transcript of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad’s CSRT (27 page PDF).
Transcript of Al Nashiri’s CSRT (39 page PDF).
Transcript of Abu Zubaydah’s CSRT (30 page PDF)
Transcript of Majid Khan's CSRT (50 page PDF)
I say "latest redactions" because they really haven't declassified that much--just single lines here and there.
The biggest piece of news, IMO, is Rahim al-Nashiri's
Hassan Ghul Timeline
The known dates pertaining to Hassan Ghul's capture and subsequent OLC memos pertaining to his torture.
January 22, 2004: Hassan Ghul detained by Kurds
February 21, 2004: Directorate of Intelligence document, "US Efforts Grinding Down al-Qa'ida," says Ghul was captured while on a mission "to establish contact" with Zarqawi
February 24, 2004:
Russ Feingold Throws Vaughn Walker a Softball
Russ Feingold reminds Obama that he said the warrantless wiretapping program was illegal.
Is Detainee 2 Abu Faraj al-Libbi?
I noticed something about as I've been working on some more Hassan Ghul posts. Abu Faraj al-Libbi--whom the ICRC refers to by his real name, Mustafah Faraj al-Azibi, was captured on May 2, 2005. al-Libbi was alleged to be (more credibly than usual) al Qaeda's then-number 3 when he was captured.
Ending the Gang of Eight
This is welcome news:
In a move that could spark another fight with the GOP over CIA intelligence and secrecy, House Dems are quietly preparing to make major changes to the ways the CIA briefs Congress on covert actions, by broadening the pool of members of Congress who will have access to such private briefings, a source familiar with deliberations says.
The Gray Lady Is A Tramp
Michael Calderone thinks it's news that Obama's Administration is sleeping with the Gray Lady. Doesn't he know that all powerful people sleep with the Gray Lady?