Mayer: Top DOJ Lawyers Spoke ‘In Codes’ For Fear Of Being Wiretapped By White House ‘Lunatics’
Mayer: Top DOJ Lawyers Spoke ‘In Codes’ For Fear Of Being Wiretapped By White House ‘Lunatics’
Last night on PBS, Bill Moyers interviewed investigative journalist Jane Mayer and mentioned that in Mayer’s new book, she notes that FBI agents refused to participate in the CIA’s interrogation of terror suspects at Guantánamo Bay because they determined it to be “borderline torture.” Moyers then asked, “Who were some of the other conservative heroes, as you call them, in your book?”
Mayer remembered one top Justice Department lawyer and “very conservative member of this administration” who said that after participating in White House meetings authorizing torture, he believed that “lunatics had taken over the country.”
Mayer said two other top DOJ lawyers had to develop a system of speaking codes because they feared they were being wiretapped while others described an “atmosphere of intimidation,” mainly from Vice President Dick Cheney:
MAYER: There was such an atmosphere of intimidation. … They felt so endangered in some ways that, at one point, two of the top lawyers from the Justice Department developed this system of talking in codes to each other because they thought they might be being wiretapped…by their own government. They felt like they might be kind of weirdly in physical danger. They were actually scared to stand up to Vice President Cheney.
Watch it:
Mayer later said that “there is a paper trail” documenting U.S. torture policies “that goes right to the top of our govenment” and that Congress “is beginning to” get to the truth and “piece it together.”
Mayer added that the truth to the White House policies is “a humungous jigsaw puzzle” because “there are many, many secrets we still don’t know. There are legal memos that nobody’s ever seen.”
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There are legal memos that nobody’s seen…Uh, excuse me, the sender and reciever would of seen them, would they not.?…Time to open a new prison to house all these law breaker’s…..Blessings
July 26th, 2008 at 12:20 pm“…Congress “is beginning to” get to the truth and “piece it together.” “
And when Congress does piece together the truth, does anyone believe that Nancy’s going to change her mind about the impeachment table? Damn, I’m tired of being disappointed in this Congress!
July 26th, 2008 at 12:20 pm…he believed that “lunatics had taken over the country.”
“Lunatic” alludes to something abnormal but the scariest aspect of this entire mess we’re in is that things like warrantless wiretapping and locking people up without charging them or even torturing people are no longer against the norm, they are the law of the land thanks to the Democrats and a hapless media.
These days it’s the ones who stand up for the constitution that are considered “lunatics” from the “fringe left.”
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 26th, 2008 at 12:28 pmMike Gravel smacks Israel in the back of the head
July 26th, 2008 at 12:29 pmMs Mayer is a brave lady. Her insight coincides with yesterday’s interview with former Senator Fritz Hollings of NC who spoke about how the money interests control our government. Money is the be all and end all, the constant quest by our legislators just to win an election. They then are told ‘what’s in the best interest of the country’ by the lobbyists. This buying of America is a major part of the the corruption Ms. Mayer exposes.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:32 pmYea, anyone who criticizes the actions of this administration is a “fringe leftist”. So that would be more than 70% of the population.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:37 pmJack Cloonan, a special agent for the F.B.I.’s Osama bin Laden unit until 2002, told Ms. Mayer that Sept. 11 was “all preventable.” By March 2000, according to the C.I.A.’s inspector general, “50 or 60 individuals” in the agency knew that two Al Qaeda suspects — soon to be hijackers — were in America. But there was no urgency at the top. Thomas Pickard, the acting F.B.I. director in the summer of 2001, told Ms. Mayer that when he expressed his fears about the Qaeda threat to Mr. Ashcroft, the attorney general snapped, “I don’t want to hear about that anymore!”
July 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pmgo FU*K YOURSELF mr cheney.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:41 pmCongress “is beginning to” get to the truth and “piece it together.”
well, if SHE could do it, why not congress???
ok, i guess congress has many other things, in addition to this,
to keep themselves busy…
LIKE BUTTING THEIR HEADS AGAINST THE OBSTRUCTIONIST REPUGLIES.
a.k.a. “a brick wall”…
it’s all coming undone… not any too soon.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:45 pmSo let’s see. They ask for the ability to tap, record, spy on everyone in the name of “security” but they can be twarted by two DOJ people making up their own code.
We are SOOOO screwed as a country.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:49 pmNSA spends quadrillion of dollars to break all sorts of codes with black budgets and all. and these two DOJ guys break the whole thing down with speaking in code.
Who do we believe? Can they be plants becuase they WERE found out and now are being used by the traitor (shoot him on sight) cheney to rile the left up, and get pissed and bloviate about the Congress, so that McPappy, can actually have something to stand on?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:52 pmHmmmm crzier things have been known to happen.
Well they said they were going to go to the dark side and that they were going to torture and trash the fourth amendment. I guess when you are the President and you flat out say:
I’m the government and I’m going to use the phone companies and wiretaps to spy on whomever I want.
then you’re really fu(ked. I’ve said since day one that their lawbreaking has been so flagrant that the congress has simply not known how to react. They still don’t. If Bush/Cheney knows all your secrets your actions are in constant check. This is a complete disgrace. Bush/Cheney turned America into a Banana Republic. What a joke. What a nightmanre.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:52 pmBurning Question - Why does this crap come out only when the ‘informed’ authors have a new book to sell?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:53 pmDear Jane E. Schneider,
Don’t be disappointed. In fact go out and stock up on popcorn; you’ll be glad you did. Nancy and company will definitely hold MORE HEARINGS on something as important as this. And thank God we live in America, because CSPAN will broadcast these hearings live. It’s awesome. You get to watch administration officials either lie in front of Congress, or simply give them the finger by not showing up at all, and be assured that every word of every administration crime or transgression is being carefully written into the Congressional record.
So there you go, great day time viewing! If you are really passionate about stuff like torture, the war, wiretapping Americans, etc. you’ll find this way more engaging than the day time soaps. I’ve learned so much from the various hearings on CSPAN; I can’t even keep track of all the Bush administration crimes anymore.
True, the House of Representatives has abdicated its role of protecting the people from Executive-Branch-Gone-Wild type abuses, but instead they provide some good television viewing.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:53 pmFodl Djipiz ot edvaemmz nz gevjis. Cav O jewi vu ati dufi, us imti O xomm ci ettettopevif cz Lesm Suxi’t nopoupt.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:02 pmMaybe Karl was bugging the office so he could blackmail any dissenters of his Lord and Master W’s plans.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pmScrewBush, I think I’ll skip the popcorn, but if Nancy decides to hold hearings, I’ll be taking some time off to stay home and watch C-SPAN! :)
July 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pmjim 15-
July 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pmis that Klingon?
Jim-
I think you mean “Lesm Suwi”
July 26th, 2008 at 1:21 pmFunny, CSPAN ran most of the day on Bush’s malfeasant administration. It was a House Justice Committee Hearing, yet to be posted on this progessive blog.
Just as John McCain isn’t his own spokesperson, who’s pulling ths strings at TP?
July 26th, 2008 at 1:33 pm” They felt like they might be kind of weirdly in physical danger. They were actually scared to stand up to Vice President Cheney…”
Hmmm… “they were actually scared…”
Soooooo… mebbe it wasn’t an “accident” when “Dick” shot his friend in the face hunting… after all… jes’ sayin’…
July 26th, 2008 at 1:34 pmLittle Freep Goofballs Says:
Jim-
I think you mean “Lesm Suwi”
No way; my decoder has it “Lems Swiu”.:)
¶ AIO
July 26th, 2008 at 1:46 pm” They felt like they might be kind of weirdly in physical danger. They were actually scared to stand up to Vice President Cheney…”
A well-grounded fear; evidence could suddenly be uncovered linking them in some obscure way to a terrorist organization, and Poof! We have two new members in the Gitmo Club.
Or, some dummied-up charges, based on cherry-picked wire-tap information. Talking in code would be evidence of guilt, for loyal Bushies
July 26th, 2008 at 1:53 pm24. Jim, revisionist history is great stuff. Republicans had many opportunities to support Clinton’s anti-terrorism efforts and didn’t. They didn’t want to ’swat at flies’ and accused Clinton of ‘wagging the dog…’ Mistakes happen, but they seem to happen more to the willfully incompetent and belligerent.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:02 pmMr. Wilke:
Did the two Al Qaeda Agents mentioned by Ms. Mayer use their REAL NAMES, when they bought their Airline tickets for Sept. 11th??
July 26th, 2008 at 2:14 pmAIO -
O tvepf cz nz epemztot.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:33 pmInteresting. I heard Mayer last week on NPR in a lengthy interview. She was much more measured and careful on the radio than with Moyer. I wonder if that was because of the venue or just the quality of the interview?
July 26th, 2008 at 2:35 pmJim Wilke,
Would you care to explain how could Pickard possibly have been talking in hindsight when he tried to convey his concerns to Ashcroft, back in 2001, you know, before the 9/11 attacks?
Would you also please explain how hindsight was used in the writing of the memo called “Bin Laden determined to strike in US” that was presented to Rice in 2001, you know, also before the 9/11 attacks?
Thanks.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:37 pmWilke@24
Stop perpetuating that gooper lie. Clinton didn’t give the order because the intelligence folks could not verify it WAS Bin Laden. Now I know neo-cons have no qualms about headlines like “wedding party of forty all killed by missile”, but I appreciate his reticence to roll the dice.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:41 pmImpeach Reid and Pelosi and then get on to the administration
July 26th, 2008 at 2:42 pmAnd yes, this administration’s disastrous policies is what happens when the asylum is run by the inmates.
After all, it is not the first time their collective mental sanity has been called into questions; McGovern already described them as “the crazies” who needed to be kept “at arm’s length”.
At this point, only the mentally handicapped can consider defending this administration’s many crimes (morons like Wilke, Mr. P, Trajan, and the other stooges), and come here to express their undying devotion to their Dear (mis)Leader.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:45 pmANOTHER AMAZING INTERVIEW THAT WILL GO UNNOTICED AND BURIED BY OBAMA’S SPINELESSNESS AND THE DEMOCRAT’S AGENDA TO DESTROY THIS COUNTRY
PROGRESSIVES….GET YOUR REVOLUTION HATS ON
July 26th, 2008 at 2:46 pmClinton also did not want to hand a beehive over to the incoming administration and ceased all new military activity immediately after the Supremes selected W.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:57 pmOf course the people around Cheney were fearful of him. They were afraid that Cheney would invite them on a hunting trip and instead of getting hit in the face with buckshot, they would have head their heads blown off with the use of a high caliber rifle. Unless I’m proved wrong, maybe the buckshot face job was a warning to others.
July 26th, 2008 at 3:15 pmLittle Freep Goofballs Says:
“O tvepf cz nz epemztot.”
That’s what I thought.
¶ AIO
July 26th, 2008 at 3:16 pmWow! “Clinton did it” is introduced in a torture thread?
Inconceivable!
It’s impossible to argue with “logic” like that. Why don’t we dispense with the preliminaries and come to an agreement that Jesus created the Taliban and AQ? Hey, he took the rap for all the world’s sins, so, the blame for “Radical Islam” should be taken in stride.
Now that we know “Jesus did it”, can we begin to deal with current emergencies in real time? Unless one is proposing that Mr. Clinton be granted a third term, or a Cabinet post, he’s irrelevant to any discussion of current events.
July 26th, 2008 at 4:33 pmSo lawyers in the DOJ spoke in code did they? Well the lawyers through being totally political are pretty much responsible for that. They are still there in the DOJ because they were willing to drop kick ethics out the door. They helped to create the climate that was so screwed that they had to speak in code.
I do not feel sorry for them one iota. I feel sorry for us. Sorry that we have no decent Justice Department. No decent Attorney General. We haven’t had a real one in more years then I can count.
Mayer has come to the front to report all this. And she will take a beating from the right of course. Her book is just one of a long line of books. These books written over the years by so many, finally get some attention. Each book gives more and more insight into the depth of lies and corruption that permeates our government from one end to the other. Now perhaps someone else can flush these criminals out of the DOJ and elsewhere. But I don’t hold my breath.
One thing still peaks my curiosity. How much of the wiretapping was done on the Democratic Senators and Congress are responsible for the lack of real action regarding the Whitehouse criminal activities. For some reason it is easier to think blackmail is the reason for Democratic cowardly behavior then just plain power hungry greed. Either way the thing speaks for itself.
July 26th, 2008 at 4:47 pmI believe these are the DoJ attorneys who refused to go along with illegal investigations of Democrats before the 2004 elections and they were fired for political reasons. There is proof of what they were asked to do, and proof of what the others who are still there have done. The tip of the iceberg, I am sure. As long as the DoJ is busy ensuring the Republicans win elections by whatever means necessary (and there have been attempts on people’s lives when bribery and public humiliation didn’t work), they are not doing their jobs. What does this mean for Congress? What does this mean for our civil rights?
The politicization of the DoJ will go down in history as the single most effective weapon in the destruction of our government. The outrageous illegalities going on there make me wonder why they are not all in jail. I find it terribly sad that Mukasey has been appealed to to protect the witness in the GOP IT voting scam, whose wife was allegedly threatened by Rove. Mukasey was no doubt complicit in the threats. Lot of good he’s going to do in terms of protection.
Clinton? Really? Ha ha. You know there’s a guy you might like to talk to who put up two billboards of the twin towers burning and sign warning people to not vote Democratic. Turns out, he wasn’t aware that Bush was in office when 911 happened. If that doesn’t get it for you, you can talk to that screaming moron from talk radio who tried to use the word appeasement to implicate someone, but sadly didn’t know the history behind it. Bad news for the Far Right, shrillness is not an argument winner and it won’t win this election.
July 26th, 2008 at 6:33 pmJim Wilke Says:
7. Badger, hindsight is great stuff. Clinton had the chance to take out Osama years before 9/11 and didn’t. Mistakes happen.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Clinton also tried to do more to fight terrorism and the Republican-controlled Congress would have nothing of it. I invite you to prove me wrong. You all on the Right all talk of how 9/11 was Clinton’s fault, so tell me, smart guy, all that the Repubs in Congress did to fight terrorism from 1992 forward (especially after the election of 1994) and why it was none of their fault. They are, after all, the ones in this government who pass the laws and spend the money.
For the bonus question, I ask you to provide details on what Bush did to go after those responsible for the Cole bombing. I remind you that their identities were not officially known until Bush was in office. For example, did he order any investigations of the act after it was determined who was responsible? I trust you’ll be able to provide links to your sources.
July 26th, 2008 at 6:43 pmBad Eye, NO ONE ever answers that question. NO one.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:28 pmThe press has forgotten it — it’s 8 years old now, no one seems to care.
Pathetic isn’t it?Sometimes I feel to exist this side of a jail cell.
That got garbled when I tried to fix a typo.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:29 pmSometimes I feel we deserve what we get for allowing this GD crime family to exist this side of a jail cell.
Jim Wilke Says:
Clinton had the chance to take out Osama years before 9/11 and didn’t.
Jim,
What you are saying here is a blatantly false characterization of what actually happened. I suggest googling up the transcript of the Frontline documentary on this subject before commenting about it again. Otherwise you appear to be ignorant, or possibly even deceitful.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:32 pm.
WHY IS T.P. NOT COVERING FRIDAYS HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING?
I THOUGHT T.P. SUPPORTED ACCOUNTABILITY?
Look at the “what we’re about” section, more specifically the section titled, “what we’re fighting against”.
WHO WINS WHEN IGNORANCE WINS OUT?
WHO WINS WHEN INFORMATION IS IGNORED?
WHO WINS WHEN BRAIN DEAD SOURCES FAIL A PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT?
WHO WINS WHEN AN INCOMPETENT ESTABLISHMENT IS SHIELDED BY T.P.?
I’ve been an active member of T.P. for some time now and they’ve exposed many injustices in the past, but for them to IGNORE an accounting of the magnitude as those, not glued to T.P. for critical information, witnessed, then I have to have my doubts as to WHO DOES T.P. SERVE?
.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:49 pm.
Yo Jim Wilke,
Aug. 6, 2001
PDB…
Nuff said.
Or do you support incompetence?
I’ll give you your argument. Clinton had a shot and missed…
But the Office was vacated by him and filled by Fuehrer Bush.
Bush knew… and did nothing.
09/11/01 = BUSH’S WATCH!
Torra Bora = BUSH’S WATCH!
Pakistan = BUSH’S WATCH!
Really, I believe you ARE that incompetent…
Prove me wrong!
.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pmMarie,
Agreed.
July 26th, 2008 at 10:14 pmBeginning to put the pieces together? Gee, that blind, deaf, and dumb Congress sure plays a mean pin-ball.
July 27th, 2008 at 12:13 pmI’m with Pete on this, WOW, Clinton did it on a torture thread…..desperation shows.
To the trolls I would like to say that I am really tired of their saying that progressives love terrorists and that is why we are against torture…..Jane said it in her interview…”its because of what it does to us” that we oppose torture.
Progressives want to stop terrorism just as much as any self-rightous righty. We just don’t want to become like them to achieve that goal.
July 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pmPaul W Says:
These days it’s the ones who stand up for the constitution that are considered “lunatics” from the “fringe left.”
So true as George Orwell once said: During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:30 amOnce again these cowards come out and tell the Media that they were intimidated and fearful for their lives but they don`t have the BRASS to stop it because they need a job.These people are pathetic scared little pu$$ies, as usual with the Reich it`s their jobs and money they are concerned about and so they turn the other cheek and let this happen to America,cowards and traitors each and every one of them……..
July 28th, 2008 at 9:10 amIllegal Wiretapping occurred prior to 911.
911=Inside Job - no doubt about that.
Congress and the President nothing nut Corpoarate fascists destined to burn.
Nothing new here.
God Bless America-or not.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pmDam is my typing bad
July 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pmIt’s a two party monoply, plain and simple. Because of how the Cintonites behaved in the White House, it gave the Bushites the pretext to come in with a major draconian aganda. And the democrats in congress who were briefed on many of the Bush decisions just let it happen. It’s almost Nvember 2008 and the democrats are just getting around to Bush’s Abuse of Power? Cmon - it’s collusion, plain and simple. Don’t expect not one Bushie (except Scotter Libby) to go to jail as more of the real dirt comes out.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:47 pmNothing new here. I’m astounded that neither the article, Ms. Mayer or anyone commenting here has mentioned the book “THE TORTURE PAPERS - THE ROAD TO ABU GHRAIB” by a group of legal experts, including Anthony Romero of the ACLU: http://www.cambridge.org/ uk/ catalogue/ catalogue.asp?isbn=0521853249
“The Torture Papers document the so-called ‘torture memos’ and reports which US government officials wrote to prepare the way for, and to document, coercive interrogation and torture in Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and Abu Ghraib. These documents present for the first time a compilation of materials that prior to publication have existed only piecemeal in the public domain. The Bush Administration, concerned about the legality of harsh interrogation techniques, understood the need to establish a legally viable argument to justify such procedures. The memos and reports document the systematic attempt of the US Government to prepare the way for torture techniques and coercive interrogation practices, forbidden under international law, with the express intent of evading legal punishment in the aftermath of any discovery of these practices and policies.
• The only compilation of the so-called ‘torture memos’ and documents written by US officials prior to recent conflicts • Covers torture memos regarding Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and Afghanistan • A contemporary work detailing sensitive issues in the international community
Contents
1. Introduction Anthony Lewis; 2. From fear to torture Karen J. Greenberg; 3. The legal narrative Joshua L. Dratel; 4. Timeline; 5. Missing documents; 6. Biographical sketches; 7. Memoranda.
Reviews
‘The Torture Papers may well be the most important and damning set of documents exposing U.S. government lawlessness ever published. Each page tells the story of U.S. leaders consciously willing to ignore the fundamental protections that guarantee all of us our humanity. I fear for our future. Read these pages and weep for our country, the rule of law and victims of torture everywhere.’ Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights
‘With this superb collection of documents, we can begin to see the contours of our new post 9-11 world: from the reinterpretation of laws and treaties that once seemed immutable, to the pressure on soldiers and CIA officers in the field to set aside old rules in the hunt for useable intelligence. The papers speak for themselves and readers can decide whether the trade offs are worth it or not.’ Dana Priest, National Security Reporter, The Washington Post
‘Not since the Pentagon Papers have we seen such an important set of classified documents as the memoranda, reports and orders on detention and interrogation that began emerging into public view in the United States. Cambridge University press is serving an important need in providing these papers in one authoritative and well-organised collection.’ Mary Ellen O’Connell, William B. Saxbe Designated Professor of Law and Fellow of the Mershon Center for International Security, The Ohio State University
‘This is a commendable, timely, and useful collection of key documents. the material goes far in helping us to understand the logic and advice that led to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. From awful advice spring awful events.’ Phillippe Sands QC is a practising barrister in the Matrix Chambers and a professor of international law at University College London
‘The Torture Papers … provides a damning paper trail … the minutely detailed chronological narrative embodied in this volume … possesses an awful and powerful cumulative weight … the book is necessary, if grueling, reading for anyone interested in understanding the back story to those terrible photos from Saddam Hussein’s former prison, and abuses at other American detention facilities.’ The New York Times
‘… the collection does offer much food for thought, even to the sceptically-minded, and both the editors and CUP deserve praise for bringing it out with such due despatch.‘ Journal of the Commonwealth Lawyer’s Association
‘The Torture Papers is an important publication by Cambridge University Press. It will be an essential reference source for libraries.’ Public Administration today
‘ … most of the legal opinions and policy papers drawn up in the respective departments of the US administration … are systematically and chronologically reproduced … The editors Karen Greenberg and Joshua Dratel have done excellent work by bringing these revealing memoranda and reports together in a systematic manner … The Torture Papers will continue to serve as a double-faced testimony. They show that The Road to Abu Ghraib is a dramatic aberration. The papers also show that the critical role of the media, human rights organizations and professional associations of lawyers and judges is crucial for upholding the rule of law.’ Netherlands International Law Review
July 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm