Cheney Says Obama Himself Should Declassify CIA Docs

In a speech on Thursday, former Vice President Dick Cheney repeated his call for the CIA to declassify and release interrogation documents, this time pointing his finger directly at President Obama.

"It's worth recalling that ultimate power of declassification belongs to the president himself," Cheney said, during an aggressive speech in which he also said that "brutal methods like water-boarding" were "necessary to keep us safe."

The CIA announced in a press release last week that it was denying Cheney's request.

At today's speech, the former VP said:

"As far as the interrogations are concerned, all that remains an official secret is the information we gained as a result. Some of [Obama's] defenders say the unseen memos are inconclusive, which only raises the question why they won't let the American people decide that for themselves.

I saw that information as vice president, and I reviewed some of it again at the National Archives last month. I've formally asked that it be declassified so the American people can see the intelligence we obtained, the things we learned, and the consequences for national security. And as you may have heard, last week that request was formally rejected.

It's worth recalling that ultimate power of declassification belongs to the President himself. President Obama has used his declassification power to reveal what happened in the interrogation of terrorists. Now let him use that same power to show Americans what did not happen, thanks to the good work of our intelligence officials."

Cheney's speech today was a caustic rebuttal to an earlier speech on anti-terrorism policy given by Obama.

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Comments

[kishmael]

White House denies Cheney endorsed `water boarding' of terror suspects
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=6854

"Human rights groups complained that Cheney's words amounted to an endorsement of a torture technique known as "water boarding," in which the victim, held underwater for an extended period, believes he is about to drown. The White House insisted Cheney was not talking about water boarding but would not explain what he meant."

[tippydog11]

CIA should release all memos of CIA reports to the the public that stated Iraq were not the real terrorist of 911, but Cheney refuse to believe accept trust CIA reports as true in 2001....Did cheney not call CIA Reports were lies.....l­iars...for Cheney did not accept as truth and ran any way to built his case in Iraq to start a war..which till this day even with Cheney torture cannot prove after 8 years all that CIA Reports were wrong..not one...only proofs Cheney ran on false info he got on his own..which proved to Cheney himself were not true..

[blood1]

The point that needs to be remembered is that Cheney only wanted "parts" of these memos released, so that is essentially "cherry picking" those statements that purportedly will support his argument.

In reality, the DOJ should release them and then redact anything that would support Cheney's purported information and say that it is in the national interest...as Cheney did with all of the information stored in his office.

[alreadyfamous]

what really turns my stomach aside from honestly thinking that Cheney is evil, but that he sincerely believes what he ordered was not torture.

secondly i am more and more convinced that it was cheney running the country by fiercely influencing bush. after all our former president could not put a simple sentence together and all but needed speech lessons.

the last eight years was a nightmare and if you have a small sense of humor it was a three ring circus.

cheney has a very sick heart in his chest, it has attacked him several times, i think one of the lasting side effects is that he was left with no room in that damaged heart of his for any humanity or warmer human emotions to be filtered through it, like most people in the same condition.

[Mrphd2b]

The Kingdom of Satan
That the G.O.P. For you,….Grand Old Perpetrators
George W. Bush administration
Bush flunkies, …at work
Pentagon Closes Office Accused of Issuing Propaganda Under Bush

DECEPTION
Knowledge is power, and lies diminish the knowledge of deceived dupes, and therefore diminishes the power of the deceived. Deception obscures the alternatives that people have. It also clouds up various objectives people would work toward. Some people give up certain objectives due to their mis-perceptions that the objective is undesirable or unattainable.

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0802-01.htm



President Obama has attempted to engage in world affairs as well as at home for the American people doing what He thinks is the right thing for America. For the last eight years where were the Republicans leaders,…As American suburbs turn into ghost towns due to an exponential increase in foreclosures, historical US stalwarts such as the car manufacturer GM prepare for a fast "surgical" bankruptcy, and banks and financial institutions such as AIG hang on for dear life at the mercy of federal bailouts and interventionist policies, Obama -- as Superman -- has no slack or learning curve in saving this valuable sinking ship. Although Obama's economic plan includes aggressive measures and all of the diplomatic small people talk about other people, "great people talk about ideas"

[k6007]

"Hey, cheeeney...G. F. Y.!"

[Counterpunch]

Dick has copies of all the files at home all he has to do is hand them to the press.

[judesedit]

He means the ones the CIA didn't destroy. What we need are the whistleblowers that actually did the destroying to speak out.

[Urgent Fury]

And the cow@rd BO won't release them.

He releases memos showing the techniques but not the results.

BO stop hiding.

[maggienash65]

McClatchey Report (probably didn't spell that right) just reported President Bush stopped those memos from coming out because of pending lawsuits. I just read it on this site. So how can President Obama release those memos? Apparently other people have seen the memos and were actually there during the techniques and they disagree there was any benefit. One person gave information before the technique was used on him

[bogues]

Dick Cheney wants the information that was gained by torture to be released. That information is more than likely very sensitive and Cheney knows it. If Cheney had really wanted these documents released, then why in the world did he not ask George Bush to do it before he left office. The presidential campaign dealt directly with the torture issue and Cheney had the bully pulpit while he was VP so it seems strange indeed for him to be on this crusade now, after he left office.

[DailyElitist]

This traitor doesn't get to tell the new administration what to do until he testifies publicly and under oath about the events surrounding 9/11; specifically, as regards the supreme (and likely willful) incompetence of the Bush regime in failing to prevent the attacks.

[lifeagain]

I say let's put this baby to rest. Obama release the documents. Do not remove any entries from it. We know you have done it in the past. If your position is true, you have the sole authority to approve it. Let's see who is telling the truth. Cheney has called you out and your silence is telling.

[dwright]

The only telling part is that the CIA is probably trying to busily prepare some to show as "evidence".

Pick up the book The Price of Loyalty and look at pages 70-76. It is 10 days into the Bush Admin. Jan 30, 2001 and Bush/Cheney/Tenet (CIA)/ Condi/ Rumsfeld are already talking about invading Iraq. Paul O'Neill said that the usually quiet Cheney was animated and waving his arms around all excited just looking at Tenet's grainy surveillance pictures. Colin Powell was stunned.

Everyone in America should read this book - and it is written by a Republican on the inside. This book was in the media for about a minute and they never really talked about the important items like the one above.

[dwright]

Also, lifeagain this was posted below:

The reason Obama can’t release the CIA documents that Cheney keeps ragging him about is that Cheney knows he can't release them:

The executive order that prevents the release of these memos was signed by President Bush in 2003. Cheney knows that. Someone provided a link on another discussion that debunks a ton of the crap that was in Cheney's speech today, including this one.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3237981

[Soulsurfer]

Great link, Thanks. That's actually the story that should be run here.

[tippydog11]

Cheney wants reports from CIA to prove his torture worked.. Well I ask lets get reports from CIA their reports Cheney was wrong with his false reports from his behind the scene men working on the side..from CIA reports....
1. True report from CIA that America was in grave danger of terrorist attack in Aug- ignored---true--911
2. True report from CIA found no link with Iraq and Al Queda---ig­nored--tru­e--have found no link till this day ever.
3. True report from CIA no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq..igno­red...true­..found none till this day...
4. True real terrorist Ben Laden of 911 in Afgan Pakis...ignored... true report..but ran to Iraq instead.
5. True real terrorist in Afgan Pakis...ignored for 6 years put us still in more danger now look in Afgan Pakis..stronger and greater threat then ever before..nucler now and regroup causing more deaths and danger to our soldiers..
6. True torture does not work..the highest terrorist caught --CIA got MORE info from him before torture. After torture he would not talk period.
7. True torture does not work water boarded some 266 times..x 6 times a day..they will die for their God first..it is their strong belief..
8. Gitmo opened with no plans,costing more tax payers dollars.Plus creates more world hate at us and creates more terrorist then Gitmo detaines

[Rickfors]

Saw him on CNN.
He looked nervous,
and frightened
breathing problems were evident.
Looked like he was reading a speech written by someone
other than himself.
If he had written what he was speaking about,
he would have known most of it by memory,
instead of looking down and reading it most
of the time.

[Theo67]

If Cheney was really interested in protecting this country, he would have had a private meeting with President Obama first - especially since this President challenges himself to speak with people who disagree with him. If he was really interested in protecting this country, he wouldn't be announcing from a loudspeaker that this country is vulnerable (in his opinion), and that Americans are quivering in fear, scared of the boogeyman. If this President was really interested in protecting this country, he wouldn't have ignored the 9/11 warnings, and he wouldn't have tortured prisoners for personal gain. He's just not credible - never has been.

[mamala4]

Cheney is a nasty bitter man who has been wrong time after time, when he hasn't been simply dishonest. A draft dodging chicken hawk of the worst kind. He is busy trying to cover up the fact that he almost singlehandedly got us into a war through lies and deceit -- a war that destroyed the Iraq-Iran balance of power, thereby unleashing Iran and putting this country's security interests at risk 1,000 times more than from any Gitmo prisoner -- most of whom are at most foot soldiers who were replaced the day after we grabbed them.

[macs3rd]

I agree with Theos' comment that Dick Cheney is not credible, which is putting it mildly. He and the policies of fear that he and the Bush Administration used to "protect" us,made ouur country a bigger target than before 9/11. They even recruited their own terrorists by the immoral" pre-emptive "invasion of Iraq.
Why was an repudiated ex VicePresident given network time to follow the President. If a Democratic Ex was doing this , Republicans would jump all over him. The Networks should be ashamed for their double standard in this situation.

[NWBrunette]

You're a citizen now Dick (I'm being generous). What you want Obama to do pretty much merits being wrapped in a tissue.