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Edward Snowden Hits Out At CIA Director Gina Haspel
2019-01-18
[Newsweek] Whistleblower Edward Snowden hit out at Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel on Thursday, questioning how the CIA chief was able to get "promoted" despite overseeing the country's torture program.

Speaking at a conference on "National Security Whistleblowing and Government Secrecy" in London, U.K. via videolink, the National Security agency whistleblower, who fled to Russia from the U.S. in 2013, said America's "culture of impunity" has "corrupted not just our system of intelligence, but really, our system of government."

Snowden, who copied and leaked highly classified information from the NSA in 2013, exposing a number of global surveillance programs run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance, said Americans should question how Haspel could get promoted to the top job in the CIA.

"People just want to get ahead... They want to be the best," Snowden said. "So what does it tell them when they see that you can literally torture people and you will be promoted rather than prosecuted?"

It was a concern shared by many Democrats and watchdog groups after President Donald Trump decided to nominate Haspel for the top CIA job.
Posted by:Besoeker

#10  Rambler,
"Torture" is a loaded word. American's are not in favor of "torture". Nor are they in favor of beating your wife/husband/child.

Waterboarding is uncomfortable. Al-Qaeda types are trained to resist until "torture", after which it is OK to talk.

ManySome people are just ignorant.
Posted by: Fat Bob Glaise8594   2019-01-18 14:34  

#9  "Snowden, who copied and leaked highly classified information from the NSA "

Put it in plain English - SPIED FOR THE RUSSIANS
Posted by: Glolush Whusotch4899   2019-01-18 14:02  

#8  There is a difference between torture for torture's sake and enhanced interrogation.
Read Lee Ellis's book "Leading with Honor". He was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton (John McCain's roommate). The stuff the POWs went through was TORTURE.
Some people think we should only interrogate terrorists over warm milk and cookies (or tea if they're vegan).
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2019-01-18 13:44  

#7  Jeebus, Herb, your Virtue Signalling bled all over my screen. We should let you personally visit to "deal" with these people
Posted by: Frank G   2019-01-18 11:40  

#6  So..... Dronezapping terrorists in automobiles (The Other passengers shoulda known better!) is A-Okayâ„¢ for some people, but Waterboarding is the Ultimate Evilâ„¢ Like "Running a death camp like Auschwitz of Treblinka!!!1!!"

Gotcha. You are either a One Issue Fanaticâ„¢ or are just looking for a partisan political issue to wound your political foes with.
Posted by: magpie   2019-01-18 11:09  

#5  Re #4. Yes. After the failed sheriff candidate in NC joking about it being "Okay" to go the cold dead hands route with gun owners, all gummint functionaries should understand everything is "on the table" under certain circumstances.

For all other terrorists, it should be on the table whether they understand it or not...
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-01-18 10:08  

#4  > "I'd rather deal with terrorists than torture people".

I'm not saying it's particularly good or effective, it's just that people are OK with it because they think it will work. Personally I have no problems with using violence on those who would initiate violence on me. Both terrorists and the states employees.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2019-01-18 06:07  

#3  I'd rather deal with terrorists than torture people. I can't believe people are onboard with these warmonger neo-cons and the deep state. WTF?

If the intelligence community wasn't committing multiple felonies every day, Snowden wouldn't have had anything to expose.
Posted by: Herb McCoy   2019-01-18 03:50  

#2  Fast Eddie speaking to us from his Kremlin funded safe house.
Posted by: Besoeker   2019-01-18 02:09  

#1  Because people suspect torturing terrorists extracts useful information and has a deterrent effect?

Because the perfect is the enemy of the good enough.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2019-01-18 02:02  

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