RM: We followed our own protocols. We followed our protocols. We did not use coercion. We did not participate in any instance where coercion was used to my knowledge.
RW: Did the CIA use techniques that were illegal?
RM: I can’t comment on what has been done by another agency and under what authorities the other agency may have taken actions.
RW: Why can’t you comment on the actions of another agency?
RM: I leave that up to the other agency to answer questions with regard to the actions taken by that agency and the legal authorities that may apply to them.
RW: Are you the chief legal law enforcement agency in the United States?
RM: I am the Director of the FBI.
RW: And you do not have authority with respect to any other governmental agency in the United States? Is that what you’re saying?
RM: My authority is given to me to investigate. Yes we do.
RW: Did somebody take away that authority with respect to the CIA?
RM: Nobody has taken away the authority. I can tell you what our protocol was, and how we followed that protocol.
RW: Did anybody take away the authority with respect to the Department of Defense?
RM: I’m not certain what you mean.
RW: Your authority to investigate an illegal torture technique.
RM: There has to be a legal basis for us to investigate, and generally that legal basis is given to us by the Department of Justice. Any interpretations of the laws given to us by the Department of Justice…. (talking over each other)
RW: But apparently your own agents made a determination that the actions by the CIA and the Department of Defense were illegal, so much so that you authorized, ordered, your agents not to participate. But that’s it.
I agree with everything that has been said so far (now that's really going out on a limb?). My only regret is that when Wexler's 15 seconds was up, the NEXT representative to question Mueller should have continued the same line of questioning.
How else will we ever get any answers if we don't even ask the questions that need answering? It's time that we DEMAND answers, instead of letting the little "do-boys" in this administration get off the hook with their nonanswers that are cloaked in doublespeak. They offer our congressman and women to provide private backroom explanations and justifications for their clandestine illegal actions.
Never mind the idea that providing a candid explanation for what they've done and what they continue to do might present a further threat to national security, the threat is to our national integrity.
Yes, I am sure the reason Mueller danced around Wexler's questions was because he wanted to spare us all the humility of learning the real answers. Keep up the great work in pursuing truth and justice and upholding the ideals and values of our great country, Bob! (You know which one.)
by
Kris Malmquist (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 39 diaries, 101 comments)
on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 3:35:43 AM
5 comments
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