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

[birchtree3]

Good Grief! As if we know as much as Obama does about running this country. Give him some credit.

[birchtree3]

Look. Let's give Obama some credit for knowing what he wants to get done and finding people who know what they're doing to get it done. It sounds like he's not just looking for idealogical clones but people he can work with to improve this country. I am trusting that Obama knows what he is doing. Let's give him a chance here. He's not going to condone torture.

[whit4brains]

WTF? I'm trying really hard to understand some of these choices...­but this one makes no sense!

[sixx]

Put his head under water for ten minutes. If he survives confirm him.

[Chaucea]

Well, this is mighty disturbing!!

For those who also find this choice to be less than, shall we say... "appropriate", you can always give your feedback directly to Obama's team:

"Share your vision for what America can be, where President-Elect Obama should lead this country."

http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision

[Intelligentia]

I am not that alarmed. Why? I'm certain Obama is talking to Powell. No American feels more betrayed by Tenet and the CIA than Powell. The CIA almost destroyed the credibility Powell built over many decades of public service. So, as much as Powell is engaged in this election, I doubt that he will sit back and allow Obama to make a mistake, without intervening, in such as critical appointment as the head of the CIA. Think about this: President Mandela once hired a White bodyguard who was supposed to assassinate him, after Mandela found out that the guy infiltrated for the pupose of killing Mandela. Sometimes, your greatest allies may be those who know the bad guys and how to root them out. A lot of those who supported the administration are looking for an opportiunity to redeem themselves. This guy may be one of those. If he can do the job, and Obama's vetters believe in this guy, I say give him a chance.

[Yermammy]

That's an interesting way of looking at it. I prefer the old way of entering the city and slaying every warrior leader in sight. As a lesson to the lower ranks that it's a new day in the Kingdom.

[gifu]

Yeah , that "old way" has really done the human race well, huh? Yikes.

[altohone]

Ummm... Powell was a willing and knowing participant in a campaign of propaganda easily debunked.

If you trust him beyond his recent work on education, we're in worse shape than I thought.

"Betrayed" is what he did to us... not what was done to him.

[Norge]

Exactly correct altohone.

What Powell showed the world at the UN was that he was not man enough to be his own man and lied,lied,lied to the whole world and found out later he had played the wrong hand.

[Yermammy]

If you like to ture and wir e tap ping, this guy's your man. This is full strength ne ocon.

[Yermammy]

Go to the progressive blogs and find out just how bad this guy is. This is bad. Nothing will change with him at the helm. Torture and Wiretapping will continue.

[haramagoti]

What about a Patrick Fitzgerald?

[miguelobrien]

I don't love Obama no mo. You take over the hood to get rid of the crack hos and dealers and then you put em back in.

Wha fo?

Fo mo.

[Coinyer101]

this could be why wes clark isn't being considered for any posts. he would not tolerate this if he was NSA.

[Coinyer101]

if he picks anyone who supported tortu re, i'm finished supporting him! i dont care who calls me 'change' troll! i'm about fed-up ,already, with these insane cabinet picks. other than a couple of people in the wrong spots, it's just bizzarre.

[rollingdivision]

There are the beginnings of indications many Obama supporters have been had on many of the promises, both explicit and implicit of Obama.

[StillIRise]

Not this Obama supporter! Even now, he's still showing himself to be the brilliant man I voted for. His exceptional ability to rise above the politics as usual of partisanship and personality, and to select the best and brightest and most experienced people to his cabinet, those who will get the job done with his agenda at the forefront, is more reassuring than ever that he will be the kind of president I entrusted him to be with my vote. I am more impressed with him each day, even though he has not yet been inaugurated, and I look forward to his leadership.

He is both explicitly and implicitly the kind of man and leader our nation and the global community needs. His inauguration is going to ROCK THE HOUSE!!!

[Rep0X]

"His exceptional ability to rise above the politics as usual of partisanship and personality, and to select the best and brightest and most experienced people to his cabinet, those who will get the job done with his agenda at the forefront, is more reassuring than ever that he will be the kind of president I entrusted him to be with my vote"

These are talking points. I hear you, now... GET REAL!

The best and the brightest? Most experienced people? Which part of t.or.tu.ree" didn't U read from this?

U ARE a cheerleader, NOT a supporter. Obama campaign was about US, the people. So when U're an Obama supporter, it's the country U support! U are NOT a cheerleader of the PE, if U are a REAL supporter of the Obama campaign (as we were led to believe), but I guess that U've forgotten that already... "WE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR"

[Yermammy]

Gee... I thought you guys were through with blind obedience. I never ever voted for Bush and didn't trust him for one minute. I voted for Barack and my policy will not change. Time to get wiser, because cheerleading is blase.

[duze]

His inauguration is going to be another opportunity for Hillary and Bill to show up and let everyone know who's really in charge of the White House. Believe me when the Clinton's arrive the show will belong to them and they won't hesitate letting everyne know it.
I'll cry for two months, then I'm out. This is an outrage, there is no way to make it right.
Hillary can't wait to come out of the gate. She opposed his policies at every turn. To expect her to travel the world supporting them is wrong.If were lucky congress won't
approve her nomination.

[sixx]

If Mr. Brennan would turn himself in for crimes against the U.S. Constitution, and crimes against humanity, that may disqualify him.

[Bobleblah1]

How's that CHANGE thing coming along?

[goldnchyl]

Let's see ... how about the instant step towards rebuilding our national reputation, here and abroad, just by being elected? Or, the optimism and call to action to the American people which many are answering entusiastically? Or, the focus on working together, putting differences aside, to form a "more perfect union"? Or, the Iraqi government finally signing on to the policy that will put their governance (and finances) back in their hands, and brings our troops home? Or, the positive effect on the markets just today, on the basis of Obama's naming his economic team? Just for starters.

I don't know about you, but I haven't seen anything like this since ... well, ever.

[StillIRise]

You wouldn't see it if it hit you in your face! We have a tendency to blind ourselves to that which we don't want to see!