Horrors... Dick Cheney secretly wanted Al Qaeda operatives dead

The nerve of that guy:

A secret Central Intelligence Agency initiative terminated by Director Leon Panetta was an attempt to carry out a 2001 presidential authorization to capture or kill al Qaeda operatives, according to former intelligence officials familiar with the matter.

The precise nature of the highly classified effort isn't clear, and the CIA won't comment on its substance.

According to current and former government officials, the agency spent money on planning and possibly some training. It was acting on a 2001 presidential legal pronouncement, known as a finding, which authorized the CIA to pursue such efforts. The initiative hadn't become fully operational at the time Mr. Panetta ended it.

In 2001, the CIA also examined the subject of targeted assassinations of al Qaeda leaders, according to three former intelligence officials. It appears that those discussions tapered off within six months. It isn't clear whether they were an early part of the CIA initiative that Mr. Panetta stopped.

The revelations about the CIA and its post-9/11 activities have emerged amid a renewed fight between the agency and congressional Democrats. Last week, seven Democratic lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee released a letter that talked about the CIA effort, which they said Mr. Panetta acknowledged hadn't been properly vetted with Congress. CIA officials had brought the matter to Mr. Panetta's attention and had recommended he inform Congress.

The reactions from moonbats has been predictable.  Oh look, here's one:

It is going to take 20 years to undo the mess the collection of Bush Administration craven incompetents left behind. A pox on their houses. A blight on American history.

Still, it must really suck to be a supporter of these buffoons these days and watch all their hard work go down the drain as Obama corrects their thousands of mistakes, one by one.

Someone should interview this Obama psycophant the next time the jihadists hit us.  I pray his lovely wife and his lovely children are not victimized when it happens.  And trust me people, with this bunch in office now, it's just a matter of time.

A matter of time.

And by the way Robert... could you list these thousands of mistakes that Obama is correcting?  Hell... start with 10 of them and work your way up to the first thousand...  cuz we all know in fact that there are lots of policies that Obama has chosen not to... er... correct:

A partial list of Bush policies carried on by Obama.

Despite rhetoric, Obama continues Bush policy on detainees: Indefinite detention, no legal rights
Obama Continues Bush Policy of Deadly Air Strikes in Pakistan
Obama Continues Bush Policy On State Secrets
Obama continues Bush policy of hiding visitors names
Obama Continues Bush Policy on Weapons to Georgia
Obama’s embrace of Bush terrorism policies is celebrated as “Centrism”
Obama continues Bush’s secrecy policy on mysterious IP trade deal
Obama Blames Bush While Adopting his Policies
Obama’s Bank Bailout: Bush’s Plan Resurrected

So Robert... I've listed 9 Bush policies Obama now calls his own... how about you list 9 (on your way to the first thousand) Bush mistakes that he's alleged to have corrected.

We'll wait.

Comments

[Toejam]

Your enemy is your enemy till he's DEAD!

Dick Cheney is a Patriot!

Nancy Pelosi is a pinhead!
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[sheasie]

My questions:

I. Why the need for secrecy ?

Clearly a legal mandate to kill Al-Qaida leaders existed during the "war on terror". I don't understand why Cheney would have needed/wanted to illegally hide it..?! (Unless, of course, Al-Qaida leaders were NOT the ONLY target?)

II. Why involve the CIA ?

America was already at "war" with terrorists (generally). The mandate to kill Al-Qaida leaders was already tasked to the military, was it not ? So why illegally involve a clandestine department within the CIA to do a job that already fell into the (more than capable) hands of America's military forces.... ? (Unless, of course, Al-Qaida leaders were NOT the ONLY target?)

[Mommynator]

sheasie, can you really think of no reasons to keep thing secret and within the CIA?

Well, since you posted respectfully, let me let you in on strategery.

You don't go trying to kill leaders with elephants, neon floats and dancing girls, announcing yourself all the way. They tend to run and hide. Even worse with al-Qaeda, they tend to run and hide behind women, children and the elderly so they can make us look bad when we do take them out and there is collateral damage.

If the CIA had been able to take out those leaders, the whole al-Qaeda movement would have been demoralized and disorganized, thus making our military's job easier and less dangers, with less death and injury.

This from a civilian. I'm sure our military folk on this blog can provide even better reasons.

[tim aka The Godless Heathen]

Short answer-'Rules of Engagement'

http://www.rense.com/general19/kill.htm