Nancy Pelosi vs. the CIA
The House Speaker accuses the CIA of lying, in an escalating battle over detainee torture
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just “upped the ante,” said Jay Newton-Small in Time, “in the high-stakes spat over who knew what (and when)” about the Bush-era use of waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Pelosi, who backs a torture truth commission, called the CIA “a bald-faced liar” for saying it told her in September 2002 that it was waterboarding prisoners. This “storm” could drown her, her party’s agenda, and/or the CIA.
My money is on the CIA winning this one, said Ed Morrissey in Hot Air. Pelosi just “dared the CIA to leak” its detailed briefing notes from September 2002—assuming they’re not lost, “they’ll be hitting a newstand within a few days.” Besides, her story has “a couple of problems,” including the fact that her memories conflict with those of colleagues who attended the same or similar CIA briefings in that period.
“Before you get too harsh on Pelosi,” said John Cole in Balloon Juice, let’s look at what her colleagues said. GOP Sen. Richard Shelby’s story is “very similar” to Pelosi’s, and—worse for the CIA—ex-Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) says the CIA’s notes are wrong about at least two briefings it claims he attended. Graham is famous for obsessively keeping a “journal of EVERYTHING he has done for the past 50 years.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Even if Nancy Pelosi's story is true, and she didn’t know about the torture until early 2003, said Tom Head in About.com, she should still step down as House speaker. The GOP is “understandably delighted” that it can now spread some of the blame to a Democrat. Even though Pelosi was not in a position to prevent the torture, she should have objected to its possible use.
Pelosi’s story is so twisted, said The Wall Street Journal in an editorial, that it earned “mockery even from Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.” (watch Stewart discuss Pelosi and torture on "The Daily Show") But we’ll give her a pass if she and her fellow Democrats drop this nonsense about prosecuting Bush officials for actions taken in the “horrific” aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published