House majority leader wants Nanci Pelosi investigated for torture memos

The House Majority leader,Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md, has agreed to investigate what briefings Nanci Pelosi received from the CIA relating to waterboarding and other interrogation tactics. Nanci Pelosi has denied she was briefed about the enhanced interrogation techniques. She has said, "We were not — I repeat — were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used." However, released CIA memos indicate she had more information than she has admitted. This has caused Nanci Pelosi to make numerous conflicting follow up statements. AP via Google Hosted News is reporting:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House majority leader reluctantly agreed Tuesday that congressional hearings should investigate Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that she wasn't informed, more than six years ago, that harsh interrogation methods were used on an al-Qaida leader.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., called Republican challenges to Pelosi's assertion a diversion from the real question of whether the Bush administration tortured terrorist suspects. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the controversy should be resolved.

Democrats will hold a series of hearings on Justice Department memos released last month that justified rough tactics against detainees, including waterboarding — simulated drowning — and sleep deprivation.

While Democrats want the hearings to focus on what they call torture, Republicans have tried to turn the issue to their advantage by complaining that Pelosi and other Democrats knew of the tactics but didn't protest. Pelosi was briefed in 2002 while on the House Intelligence Committee.

Here is Pelosi's last sputtering statement on the briefings she received.

Hillary Clinton calls Dick Cheney an "unreliable source"

At a Congressional hearing today Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked about former Vice-President Dick Cheney's request for release of more documents relating to the success of CIA interrogation methods. Hillary responded: "He's not a reliable source."
Video via CNN.

Democratic strategist says Cheney needs to shut up

Democratic strategist, Steve Murphy, said Dick Cheney needs to shut up. He accused Cheney of political motives and not pursuing what is best for America. Dick Cheney has been on a campaign to warn Obama is making the country more vulnerable to attack by pulling back on Bush's policies. How can asking for the release of documents proving what we did worked be considered political and not in the best interests of America? The truth should always be welcome, if national security is not put at risk. Progressives don't want the truth because the truth conflicts with their world view and political agenda. Steve Murphy's statement is outrageous.

Advice to Dick Cheney (video via YouTube)

CIA's interrogation techniques prevented the "Second Wave" of attacks in the US

Released Justice Dept. memos show that the CIA's interrogation techniques prevented the "Second Wave" of attacks in the US. According to the leaked memos, the CIA believes that it would have been unable to obtain critical information from numerous detainees, including [Khalid Sheik Mohammed] and Abu Zubaydah, without these enhanced techniques." This information included plans for Al Qaeda to take down the tallest building(the Library Tower) on the West Coast in a second wave attack. This information was buried in the released memos and ignored by the Main Stream Media until now. The Washington Post reported,

Specifically, interrogation with enhanced techniques "led to the discovery of a KSM plot, the 'Second Wave,' 'to use East Asian operatives to crash a hijacked airliner into' a building in Los Angeles." KSM later acknowledged before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay that the target was the Library Tower, the tallest building on the West Coast. The memo explains that "information obtained from KSM also led to the capture of Riduan bin Isomuddin, better known as Hambali, and the discovery of the Guraba Cell, a 17-member Jemmah Islamiyah cell tasked with executing the 'Second Wave.' " In other words, without enhanced interrogations, there could be a hole in the ground in Los Angeles to match the one in New York.