Pingree (D) on Controversial Torture Report Released Today

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) Said The Torture Report Is Not an Accurate Reflection of Amercian Values Today.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) Said The Torture Report Is Not an “Accurate Reflection of Amercian Values” Today in a Press Release.

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,260)

The fall-out from the release of a 480-page portion of the CIA’s torture report captivated cable news all day long today – releasing comments representing a wide range of views – mostly from Washington, D.C.  The full 6,300-page report, however, is expected to remain classified.

While some of the torture practices were already public, it did reveal additional torture techniques not before acknowledged and considered “barbaric.”  They were purported to have happened between 2002-2009.

The release of this review in helping to defeat terrorism is viewed by some Republicans on the Hill as a political stunt by Democrats that will only cause retribution by enemies around the world. (Senator John McCain (R) differed from the party position.)  Republican Saxby Chandler said it will put others abroad at risk and that torture did produce valuable intelligence.  Valarie Plane disagreed with the Republican line, saying those abroad are already angry with the US and she didn’t anticipate any increased violence against the US.  She disagreed that torture produces more intelligence than not.

It was clear from the report that the CIA went out of its way to mislead President Bush in the White House, Secretary Colin Powell and the public about the true nature of the torture program.  Bob Baer, former CIA agent, said on television that the directive to pursue torture came directly from Vice President Dick Cheney (R).

“This is a brutal report that represents a dark side of the CIA and describes actions that do not reflect American values.  Not only were these techniques wrong, the report shows they were not the most effective ways to gather intelligence,,” said US Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) in a press release.  “It is disturbing to see that the CIA was misleading and dishonest with Congress about their use of torture and even went so far as to break into computers of the Senate Intelligence Committee to prevent the release of this information.”

The Department of Justice said it has no plans to bring a law-suit against the CIA at this time.