[Peace-discuss] [Fwd: [ronpaul-269] Fw: FBI Torture Cover-Up?]
E. Wayne Johnson
ewj at pigs.ag
Wed Apr 23 19:30:32 CDT 2008
I received this from one of the members of the Ron Paul Meetup network
and thought
it might be of some interest here.
Wayne
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ronpaul-269] Fw: FBI Torture Cover-Up?
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:42:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Paula Anderson-Ferg <pfanderson6 at msn.com>
Reply-To: ronpaul-269 at meetup.com
To: ronpaul-269 at meetup.com
I am forwarding this in case anyone else is interested in contacting our
local news media or congressmen. Two weeks is little time to find
information that could be crucial to the hearing the Judiciary Committee
will hold but this could be a chance to try to make a difference so I
thought I wouold pass it along.
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Congressman Robert Wexler <mailto:contact at wexlerforcongress.com>
*To:* pfanderson6 at msn.com <mailto:pfanderson6 at msn.com>
*Sent:* Wednesday, April 23, 2008 4:23 PM
*Subject:* FBI Torture Cover-Up?
Dear Paula,
This morning, during a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, I
questioned FBI Director Robert Mueller on his agency's response to
claims - made by his own FBI agents - that the CIA was torturing
prisoners. I wanted to find out why, if the FBI's own agents had
alleged illegal actions were taking place, there was no investigation
into the CIA's illegal and immoral practices.
*Mueller's responses, which I would like you to read below, create new
concerns and call for further investigation in the days ahead.*
I believe Mr. Mueller owes more to Congress and the American people than
the half-answers he gave in his testimony today.
*I would urge you to contact the editors and news departments of your
local media and ask them to look into the responses below. * It is
critical that this discussion takes place beyond emails and blogs – and
is covered by the mainstream media.
In two weeks the Judiciary Committee will be holding hearings to
investigate the fact that the highest levels of the Bush Administration
sanctioned and ordered the torture of prisoners in United States
custody. This is intolerable and we must vigorously oppose this policy
that demeans our nation and offends our conscience.
Please read the below transcript of my exchange with Mr. Muller.
This is a deeply troubling interchange which should be alarming to all
Americans.
*Congressman Robert Wexler
*
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----------------------------
(TRANSCRIPT:)
*Robert Wexler*: Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Director, in January of
2006, the New York Times reported that the NSA wireless wiretapping
program had produced thousands of leads each month that the FBI had to
track down, but that no Al-Qaeda networks were discovered. During a July
17, 2007 briefing, FBI deputy director John Pistole indicated that the
FBI was not aware of any Al-Qaeda sleeper cells operating in the United
States. In August of 2007 Congress passed the Protect America Act,
giving the intelligence community greater access to electronic
communications coming into and out of the United States. I have two
questions in this regard.
*RW:* Has the FBI found any sleeper cells yet? One…
*RW: *Two. Has the NSA’s wireless wiretapping programs either before the
Protect America Act or after led to the prosecution and conviction of
any terrorists in the United States?
*Robert Mueller: *Well, as to your first question as to whether we have
found affiliates or, as you would call them, cells of Al-Qaeda in the
United States, yes we have. Again, I cannot get into it in public
session, but I would say yes we have. With regard to the relationship of
a particular case or individual to the terrorist surveillance program,
again that is something that would have to be covered in a closed session.
*RW: *Alright, Mr. Director. An LA Times article from October, 2007
quotes one senior federal enforcement official as saying quote “the CIA
determined they were going to torture people, and we made the decision
not to be involved” end quote. The article goes on to say that some FBI
officials went to you and that you quote “pulled many of the agents back
from playing even a supporting role in the investigations to avoid
exposing them to legal jeopardy” end quote.
*RW:* My question Mr. Director, I congratulate you for pulling the FBI
agents back, but why did you not take more substantial steps to stop the
interrogation techniques that your own FBI agents were telling you were
illegal? Why did you not initiate criminal investigations when your
agents told you the CIA and the Department of Defense were engaging in
illegal interrogation techniques, and rather than simply pulling your
agents out, shouldn’t you have directed them to prevent any illegal
interrogations from taking place?
*RM:* I can go so far sir as to tell you that a protocol in the FBI is
not to use coercion in any of our interrogations or our questioning and
we have abided by our protocol.
*RW:* I appreciate that. What is the protocol say when the FBI knows
that the CIA is engaging or the Department of Defense is engaging in an
illegal technique? What does the protocol say in that circumstance?
*RM:* We would bring it up to appropriate authorities and determine
whether the techniques were legal or illegal.
*RW: *Did you bring it up to appropriate authorities?
*RM:* All I can tell you is that we followed our own protocols
*RW:* So you can’t tell us whether you brought it; when your own FBI
agents came to you and said the CIA is doing something illegal which
caused you to say don’t you get involved; you can’t tell us whether you
then went to whatever authority?
*RM:* I’ll tell you we followed our own protocols.
*RW: *And what was the result?
*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.
*RM: *I’ve told you what our protocol was, and I’ve indicated that we’ve
adhered to our protocol throughout.
*RW:* My time is up. Thank you very much Mr. Director.
Paid for by "Wexler for Congress"
PO Box 810669
Boca Raton, FL 33481
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