Bushite and Liar Heads CIA
How much lying can the head of the CIA, Michael Hayden, inflict on the American people and their representatives and the rest of the world? Plenty.
When he was head of the NSA he lied to Congress in 2002 about surveillance in the US post 9-11 and broke the law.
Nonetheless, Hayden, a Bushite, was confirmed by the Senate in a Bush rubber stamp Republican controlled Congress.
Now this via the International Herald Tribune, "In tones freighted with frustration, the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, told the House of Commons on Thursday that the United States had confirmed using a U.S.-run airfield on the British-ruled island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for the refueling of two American rendition flights carrying terrorist suspects in 2002. The American acknowledgment of the flights, each carrying a single detainee, contradicted previous U.S. assurances that no such flights had landed on British territory or passed through British airspace.
"Miliband's statement prompted angry protests from members of Parliament and from British-based human rights groups that had contended for years that Britain had been a knowing or unknowing partner in the Bush administration's use of rendition flights."
And from the Associated Press, "CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledged Thursday that two rendition flights carrying terror suspects refueled on British territory, despite repeated U.S. assurances that none of the secret flights since the Sept. 11 attacks had used British airspace or soil.
"Hayden told agency employees that information previously provided to the British 'turned out to be wrong.'
"Gordon Johndroe, National Security Council spokesman for President Bush, said the incident was 'unfortunate' but will not damage U.S.-British cooperation."
Well, Gordon, the Brits don't seem to be such happy campers.
" 'It is unfortunate that this was not known, and it was unfortunate it happened without us knowing that it had happened,' he said, adding that Britain would press for procedures to ensure that the breach could not happen again. 'We share the disappointment that everybody has about what's happened.'
"Brown, never an enthusiast during the Blair years about Britain's military commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also been working to redefine Britain's relations with the United States, replacing the cozy relationship Blair had with President George W. Bush with a more wary and assertive stance."
The Brits are in high dudgeon about being lied to and all Hayden has to say is "oops!"
By the way, Mike, quit wearing your uniform. You head a civilian agency. Which is another problem with Bush intelligence agency appointees: too many military officials are in charge of civilian agencies.
In a 12/10/07 posting "Is Mike 'Pinocchio' McConnell Bush's Minion In An Imperial Kingdom?" I wrote, "Under the Bush administration, there are too many military men heading intelligence agencies, for example, McConnell, the DNI, Michael Hayden at the CIA; more than at any time since WWII. Their loyalties seem to lie with King George and not the Constitution."
When he was head of the NSA he lied to Congress in 2002 about surveillance in the US post 9-11 and broke the law.
Nonetheless, Hayden, a Bushite, was confirmed by the Senate in a Bush rubber stamp Republican controlled Congress.
Now this via the International Herald Tribune, "In tones freighted with frustration, the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, told the House of Commons on Thursday that the United States had confirmed using a U.S.-run airfield on the British-ruled island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for the refueling of two American rendition flights carrying terrorist suspects in 2002. The American acknowledgment of the flights, each carrying a single detainee, contradicted previous U.S. assurances that no such flights had landed on British territory or passed through British airspace.
"Miliband's statement prompted angry protests from members of Parliament and from British-based human rights groups that had contended for years that Britain had been a knowing or unknowing partner in the Bush administration's use of rendition flights."
And from the Associated Press, "CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledged Thursday that two rendition flights carrying terror suspects refueled on British territory, despite repeated U.S. assurances that none of the secret flights since the Sept. 11 attacks had used British airspace or soil.
"Hayden told agency employees that information previously provided to the British 'turned out to be wrong.'
"Gordon Johndroe, National Security Council spokesman for President Bush, said the incident was 'unfortunate' but will not damage U.S.-British cooperation."
Well, Gordon, the Brits don't seem to be such happy campers.
As the IHT reports, "Prime Minister Gordon Brown, visiting Brussels, spoke in similarly chagrined terms.
" 'It is unfortunate that this was not known, and it was unfortunate it happened without us knowing that it had happened,' he said, adding that Britain would press for procedures to ensure that the breach could not happen again. 'We share the disappointment that everybody has about what's happened.'
"Brown, never an enthusiast during the Blair years about Britain's military commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also been working to redefine Britain's relations with the United States, replacing the cozy relationship Blair had with President George W. Bush with a more wary and assertive stance."
The Brits are in high dudgeon about being lied to and all Hayden has to say is "oops!"
By the way, Mike, quit wearing your uniform. You head a civilian agency. Which is another problem with Bush intelligence agency appointees: too many military officials are in charge of civilian agencies.
In a 12/10/07 posting "Is Mike 'Pinocchio' McConnell Bush's Minion In An Imperial Kingdom?" I wrote, "Under the Bush administration, there are too many military men heading intelligence agencies, for example, McConnell, the DNI, Michael Hayden at the CIA; more than at any time since WWII. Their loyalties seem to lie with King George and not the Constitution."
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