Senate Republicans: Did Panetta's Oversee Clinton-Era Extraordinary Rendition?

President-elect Barack Obama's choice for CIA director, Leon Panetta, served as White House chief of staff during the time the Clinton administration accelerated a practice of kidnapping terrorist suspects and sending them to countries with records of torturing prisoners, human rights organizations and former U.S. officials say.

Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will question Mr. Panetta, chief of staff for President Clinton from 1994 to 1997, about what, if any, role he played in shaping the policy known as "extraordinary rendition," a Republican aide on the committee said. Mr. Panetta's confirmation hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27. The aide asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[drock973]

Who else remembers all the outrage during the 90s when the Clinton administration did this?

[cornagainstsorcery]

They're trying to divide the left. Good luck with that. We're night likely to forget the past 8 years any time soon.

[in4success]

no -- they're setting up a soft landing for bush/cheney.

[anopenmind]

GOP still hung up on the Clinton Era!!! Move on guys unless you want the Dems hanging on the failures of the Bush Administration for the next 16 years! They just don't get it yet do they!

[astral66]

What a bunch of pathetic hypocrites.

[zippy2112]

Obama should have picked Sandy Berger for this job.

[DontJustFollow]

LOL !!! Sandy gets an A for effort but a F for execution - - -

this is something SNL should look at - -- Clinton: Sandy go to the top secret archives and steal these documents for me. Berger: why? Clinton: Because they will make me look like I was paying more attention to an intern than national security. Berger: OK, how do I get them out? Clinton: I don't care !!! Stuff them in your pants and socks if you have to. Berger: What if I get caught? Clinton: Tell them you lost them - don't worry nothing will happen. I will fix it so Cheney will get blamed - - - I don't know who is dumber interns or the democratic base. Berger: OK what ever you say Mr. President - should I send in the next intern now?

[bygollymissmolly]

And you should get some therapy before your head explodes.

[zippy2112]

Sandy has experience needed for this kind of work, plus he has worked with the Clintons so he will probably get a job somewhere on the obama team.

[drock973]

Agreed. He already knows how to kid nap top-secret documents.

[jayjaga]

GOP senators have become national laughin stock for their hypocrisy.

[rasit]

It is so pathetic to see the same people, who stood by 'their man' with all secret dealings and didn't say a word, have suddenly become champions of Righteousness....So phony,,,and IT SHOWS.....

[DontJustFollow]

interesting take on it - I got the impression they were exposing the hypocrisy of some democrats.

I didn't read anything that said the republicans were against the practice, only that they had questions about Clinton and Panetta also being involved.

Point out the hypocrisy again, I completely missed it. I think more likely they are just pointing out the hypocrisy of the democrats comdeming Bush and Cheney and then supporting an Obama nomination that did the same thing - - -

What do you think?

[jayjaga]

GOP senators are like the biblical Pharisees who only remove the mote in other people's eyes without removing the plant in their own eyes.

[Sumocat]

Clearly we must fashion a fictional chimera to head the CIA. Someone with top-level security clearance, tremendous organizational skills, intelligence experience, and no connection with the White House, the CIA, or any federal intelligence agencies in the past 16 years.

[rasit]

WATERBOARDERS talking about Extraordinary Rendition?? And after how many years?? And why now??

Answer: Obstructionism and Foot dragging, great traits of Republicans...

Keep it up guys, the Dems. will have a Filibuster Proof Senate in 2010, for sure.....

[VikingQuest]

Since the "Extraordinary Renditions" are secret . . . how do you know that waterboarding wasn't a part of the kidnapping and transportation to a country that allows such a thing?

[Chapmanp2]

Bottom line... We're all guilty. We're all guilty of allowing the things that have happened to happen. If nothing else we're guilty of gross apathy. We allowed our government to be hijacked by a seemingly criminal cabal & not stopping them. Any other Country in the world you'd see mass protesting around the issues that have gotten away from US. Here they simply refuse to televise the revolution so it's as if it never happened. I don't know the answers but I certainly hope things get better...

[PATina]

So true. And things will get better when we become better. When we get serious about our politics and politicians... we'll get better. I think it's funny that every four years (at least) we go through the same type of confirmation hearings... and every time... the side who is getting confirmed gets upset about their people getting questioned. It's how we do things people... a part of our Constitutional duties. And to be honest... compared to the Clinton confirmation hearings... these have been a walk in the park.

[bygollymissmolly]

Somebody left the word "irony" out of the Republican dictionary.

[1dogs2]

They are genetically incapable of understanding irony. And hypocrisy.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Well, kind of OT, but I thought I'd mention what I've observed about GOPers on message boards over the years.

They really don't get dry humor and/or satire. They just don't get it.

[crazylady]

Like I say, they'll all do the right thing to protect our families. He knows the priorities and that's why Obama picked him. Keep us safe, we don't need to know the details.
Cheers!!!

[VikingQuest]

So are you on board with Democrats torturing while saying prosecute Bush for the same thing?

[crazylady]

As the "Final Option", a president must make a decision to protect the citizens of the United States. If he or she didn't, they failed us.

[DontJustFollow]

waterboarding (which is non lethal) encouraged Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to release facts that saved possibly thousands of American lives.

how many people could honestly say they would rather their family be blown up or drown in the river than have a known terr0rist waterboarded - - -

the sad thing is that so many Americans have died all over the world because terr0rists know Americans will not harm them if captured...

[noozone]

"We don't need to know the details" is an attitude that kills democracy.

I believe that Obama is going to address these issues the way that I want them to, but I'm going to pay attention to his actions.

Remember, it WAS Bill Clinton that first authorized "Extraordinary Rendition" with the aim of kidnapping people so they could be tortured by a "friendly" third party: if you hate Bush for doing it, you have to have a problem with Clinton too.

Hopefully the Obama version of "Extraordinary Rendition" will result in people being brought to justice instead.

[VikingQuest]

Interesting what is coming to light when you open the door and want to know answers isn't it . . .

The Clinton admin was involved with many of the same things as Bush yet the media kept it silent therefore nobody knew.

Does it raise anyone's eyebrows that nearly all of Obama's picks are former Clinton people?

[harriscrl3]

It doesnt bother me because if the fault lies with Clinton then its Clinton's policies. Obama's policies are No torture no rendition. He is upfront and clear about it. Was Clinton upfront and clear? I dont know but I doubt it. A President sets the tone of his administration. Bush set the tone of his. Clinton set the tone of his but for some reason people seem to think that Obama can't set the tone of his. That Clinton people will set it. I find that insulting. And if you ask me judging from his past campaign if anyone is adept at setting the tone of his organization its Obama.

Carol

[Maezeppa]

The media treated Clinton with an astonishing savagery, continually making scandals out of entirely harmless events.

There is no evidence Clinton ordered extrordinarly renditions. There is no evidence Mr. Panetta ever advocated or participated in anything like that. When and if any evidence is produced I will evaluate based on the facts. As to Obama's choices, they are astute and my eyebrows are where they ought to be.

[VikingQuest]

"There is no evidence Clinton ordered extrordinarly renditions"

Just how we want it and I believe this has been common practice for quite some time. A good example would be Dems knowing what we were doing long ago and never objecting until it became politically correct to do so.

[VikingQuest]

FYI, evidence is where and how you decide to look at it.

Dems usually trust the ACLU don't they? Read up on it then:

"The current policy traces its roots to the administration of former President Bill Clinton. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, however, what had been a limited program expanded dramatically, with some experts estimating that 150 foreign nationals have been victims of rendition in the last few years alone."

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/extraordinaryrendition/22203res20051206.html

[noozone]

Maezeppa, spend a few minutes reviewing this time line, as put together by Frontline...

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/rendition701/timeline/timeline_1.html

Bill Clinton DID order this program to be used more during his tenure than it had during the two previous administrations and the historical record is as clear as it can be about a "secret" program.

[Petey131]

"Viking Quest" I nominate you for the U.S. Emperor since you have all the answers!

[bygollymissmolly]

Nope. Clinton "rendered" people by snatching them off the street and then covertly bringing them back to the USA. There is zero proof that he ever rendered anyone to another country and/or approved of torture. That is the practice that was born of the lack of soul with the Bush Republicans in power.

As far as Obama's picks being former "Clinton people", perhaps you can tell us where else he could get anyone with experience in Washington? How about he pull people from either Bush presidency? Or, I guess he could get people from Carter's presidency, but they are all way too old to be of much use.

[Grunty1]

HA! A Republican complaining about their own policies.

Is projection the only weapon you guys have?

[harriscrl3]

Amazing isnt it they are grilling Obama's picks on policies that they supported for the last 8 years. They have no shame

Carol

[VikingQuest]

If they want to say they are against torture don't you think it is a good question to say why are you against it is Bush does it but for it if Clinton does it?

[noozone]

No, they have no shame at all and we should all get used to a complete about-face on any issue, especially those dealing with security and the powers of the Executive Branch.

[VikingQuest]

It obviously isn't thier policy if they are just continuing from Clinton is it?

Politicans are talking out of both sides of their mouths and you know it, they are saying they are against torture while allowing it. The Bush admin let a bunch of them in on it long ago and didn't become a story until the media decided it should be.

If they want to keep digging they aren't going to have a partisan issue because this is what we do to terrorists.

It's called having your cake and eating it too.

[drock973]

How is a practice started by Clinton a Republican policy?

[VikingQuest]

LOL . . . .

Leon Panetta, served as White House chief of staff during the time the Clinton administration accelerated a practice of kidnapping terrorist suspects and sending them to countries with records of torturing prisoners, human rights organizations and former U.S. officials say.