John Brennan, Torture-Tainted CIA Prospect, Alarms Obama Supporters

Marc Ambinder reported Thursday evening that former National Counterrorism Center head John Brennan is Barack Obama's "favorite to be nominated director of the Central Intelligence Agency." According to Ambinder's sources, Brennan has been vetted and even begun recruiting his team.

The news has alarmed Obama supporters who remember Brennan best for his role in both faulty pre-war intelligence and agreement with Vice President Dick Cheney on torture.

Glenn Greenwald writes, "I'm both entirely unsurprised and basically undisturbed by the fact that Obama's most significant appointments thus far are composed largely of standard Washington establishment figures and pro-Iraq-War hawks." But Brennan is "a different matter."

To appoint someone as CIA Director or Director of National Intelligence who was one of George Tenet's closest aides when The Dark Side of the last eight years was conceived and implemented, and who, to this day, continues to defend and support policies such as "enhanced interrogation techniques" and rendition (to say nothing of telecom immunity and warrantless eavesdropping), is to cross multiple lines that no Obama supporter should sanction. Truly turning a page on the grotesque abuses of the last eight years requires both symbolism (closing Guantanamo) and substantive policy changes (compelling adherence to the Army Field Manual, ensuring due process rights for all detainees, ending rendition, restoring safeguards on surveillance powers). Appointing John Brennan to a position of high authority would be to affirm and embrace, not repudiate, the darkest aspects of the last eight years.

Andrew Sullivan, in a post titled "No Way. No How. No Brennan," adds:

[T]he Republican, former chief-of-staff for George Tenet (who authorized war crimes as CIA head), admirer of Dick Cheney, CEO of the company one of whose contract employees improperly accessed Obama's and McCain's passports, and defender of renditions and "enhanced interrogations" is still Obama's front-runner pick to head the CIA. No, I'm not making this up. ...

Brennan was complicit and naive in the run-up to the Iraq war. And Obama wants to reward him? Brennan is also a believer in Cheney's term "the dark side," wishing merely to have some limits within it. He clearly has a mindset that has far more in common with the war crimes of his former boss than with the clear, and indisputable beliefs of the Obama movement.

...

The least we know is that Brennan is ambivalent about [torture]. Ambivalence on this matter is unacceptable. We haven't fought for decency and reform and a return to American values for so long to be turned back now. We didn't work our butts off to elect Obama only to get Bush another four years at CIA. If Brennan emerges as the pick, those of us against the continuation of war crimes and the prosecution of war criminals will have to oppose him strenuously in the nomination process. We will, in fact, have to go to war with Obama before he even takes office.

Melvin Goodman, a retired CIA intelligence analyst, lambasted Obama in the Baltimore Sun for relying on "discredited cronies" like Brennan.

Blogger and lawyer Anonymous Liberal says he shares their concerns, but he doesn't think the possibility is quite so dire. He points out that Brennan's actual involvement in illegal Bush-era programs is unclear, and that intelligence agencies don't set policy.

Every illegal program and policy during the Bush administration emanated from the White House and was given legal imprimatur by the Justice Department. Regardless of what John Brennan personally thinks about surveillance, torture, rendition, etc., he will only be able to do what the White House and the DOJ authorize him to do. That's why Eric Holder's nomination is reassuring. And if Obama really wants to reassure people like myself, he'll appoint someone with Holder's expressed views (perhaps Marty Lederman?) to head up the OLC.

So long story short, while some of Brennan's expressed views are troubling, his appointment may be more about operational competence than policy or ideology.

Comments

[lmnop13]

Has S arah Pali n infiltrated this blog?! What do we really KNOW about Obama? Who is THIS guy? Who's he pallin around with now?
These people can't even cite any sources. The man recused himself from being under any consideration for the post. Obama isn't even president yet.
Maybe he will refund you all your money, yard signs, bumper stickers, campaign time.
I know I would.

[LaLaverne]

Our president is not our leader, he is our representative. I don't feel represented by all these Bushlites/ Clintonistas and if i wanted to be, i would've voted for them.

Obama, WTF?

[MrPragmatic]

Uh no, actually your senator and congress person is your representative in the federal government. The president has executive power and is elected to be not only a leader, but THE leader. If you don't like the job he is doing you can fire him after four years.

[rabprevent]

Can you all relax for a second. At the end of the day, does all this mean that he will listen to everything that he is advised to do? the answer is not likely so quit being restless, the man is not in charge of anything yet!

give the new president a chance to put things together and judge him on his actions after he takes office not on what some of you think he should do or whom he should select vs. anything that he has done!

[Montanan4Obama]

As I said the left will be far more critical of Obama than the right. Obama has yet to even take office and the progressives are sniffing for blood. Beware of your own expectations, they can be dangerous and disappointing.

[loveobamas]

i know it's crazy:(

[DinSea]

Just because we have all these blogs on which to post our opinions, what suddenly makes us political pundits & experts? Good grief! Let's all take a deep breath and let Obama do his job.

[GeorgeP922]

You obviously are new here.
I would suggest looking at the past two years, the blogosphere has been a major player the last 4 years.
If it wasn't for us, Joe might still be stealing the title of Democrat, or Obama might still be a Senator.

Also look at TODAY's article, Brenan caved and left. case closed.

[waitforme]

I am deeply tired of 'Let's let Obama do whatever he wants to do.'

First, Obama, himself, has said, with Roosevelt, 'MAKE me go in the direction you want me to go'. Second, Obama is emminently influencable, certainly by such as Rubin and Summers; now, hopefully, and it seems, by some of us who are scandalized by some nominations which have been in the past hawkish, pro-regulation, etc. What did we ever do without blogs?

Thank you, Mr. Brennan, for stepping out of the list.

[GeorgeP922]

Ladies and Gentleman, WE GOT HIM!

Don't think for a second that are position is any less powerful, we just took a war mongerer out of consideration!

Thanks for reading Brenan, I give you credit for that.

[jigisup]

Just because some "REPORTER" said he was being considered, doesn't mean he was being considered.
Now take a deep breath and start thinking for yourselves. If you voted for Obama, there must have been a reason. Now use your reason and don't believe everything you read.
I would think any blog written with the un-named source would give everyone a moment to pause!

[PalmG]

Sorry, why would Obama even think of hiring this guy? I think, as a continuation of his "transparent government" theme he touted during his campaign, he should provide on his website--personally written by him--an explanation of each and every one of his choices. Give an HONEST assessment of why he's chosen all these Bush-lite folks including Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel,and half of his staff thus far. He should address the concerns from those who PUT HIM IN OFFICE and explain how he came to the conclusion that these people are the best people to carry out the vision he SAID he believed in while running. I think his supporters are owed an explanation now. There's too much that's not adding up. Every single person who volunteered and voted for this man should be up in arms. We need to nip this in the bud now--BEFORE he takes office. This country has already wasted eight years allowing someone to be a dictator, swallowing all his b.s. hook, line, and sinker. We cannot afford another presidency like that. We have to take control of our country again.

[BygonesGone]

What have we done? Who exactly have we voted into office? Am I the only one that now feels that I don't know anything about Barack Obama?

Lord help us all.

[GeorgeP922]

Can an Admin close this thread, or move the article of the FP, Brenan recused himself.

[johnsopinion]

When I first heard about Obama, it was all over the place "I voted against the war
in Iraq. I was one of the few who did."

Everywhere I looked this is what I read.

HEY! I like this guy! He's against War!!! Hooray! I started mentioning his name to
close friends as a possible good president, finally! And more 'together' than the
'little guy who also ran.'

Digging a little deeper, I found out that he wasn't so much against wars as just
against wars in the wrong places! -- my first "Woah! Go back over there and get
n line, fella."
My wake-up call to politicians telling us what we want to hear to get elected and afterwards its business as usual.

It was Ayn Rand who said 'If you want to know what a person believes, watch what
they do.'

I'm waiting....... and watching.

[hotstuff]

bygonesgone, your a strange read! But I got reason to believe that you didn't vote Obama!

[jonjon66]

yo Obama, "you gots to chill", your elected now, quit cavaing into this invisible middle, the road that HRC took and you called her, rightfully "Bush-lite"...your gonna start running out of chances with these ultra conventional choices,especially in security.

[macmac001]

If this is true, my vote and contributions(while unemployed) to Obama's campaign would be one of my greatest regrets ever, second only to my first marriage.

[bluemike]

I talked people into voting for Obama. I had bumper stickers and the yard sign - the first of both in my neighborhood. I am beginning to believe this guy is controlled or a bit shy of a full glass..

[zookie]

Cannot believe this. Surely, Obama can't be serious about this extraordinarily bad choice. Where is the man I voted for? What happened to the fulfillment of the promising rhetoric we heard so often, so loudly shouted?
Does the Manchurian candidate come to mind? 2012 cannot come soon enough for me.

[goldnchyl]

I'd hate for you be my supporter, fair-weather, friend. I find it hard to believe you ever supported O. What a wimp you're being.

[aznurse]

You are new here. The only comments you've posted are negative towards obama.
somethins fishy.

[TheBlackCat]

I am not concerned about Hillary for SOS, or some of the other cabinet potential members. This however, is a very disturbing choice for head of the CIA. I just can't see any justification for it.

[mcantwell]

When is Marc Ambinder going to Name his sources? I have yet to see or hear Brennon's name being mentioned from the Obama transition team, or by the MSM News stations.

[Jamesdean]

This is just a start. wait and watch.

[vippy]

Well, if it is true then I believe we have been had - more of the same. And this then must be all true.
http://www.worldreports.org/news

[duze]

This keep my opponents close rhetoric is wrong. No matter what Obama may feel is right for the country, they have their own agenda.