🚀 go-pugleaf

http://mwcnews.net/focus/politics/25299-serial-killer-heads-
cia.html

Chalmers Johnson called the CIA the president's private army. 
Imperial Rome had its praetorian guard. It served and protected 
emperors.

CIA rogues work the same way. They do lots more than that. 
Extrajudicial killing is prioritized. Much that goes on is 
secret. Unaccountability keeps Congress and ordinary people 
uninformed.

Johnson said US presidents have "untrammeled control of the 
CIA." It's "probably (their) single most extraordinary power."

It puts them beyond checks and balances. What's constitutionally 
mandated doesn't exist.

CIA originally had five missions. Four dealt with collection, 
coordination and dissemination of intelligence.

The fifth is vague. It lets agency operatives "perform such 
other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the 
national security as the National Security Council may direct."

This mandate turned "CIA into the personal, secret, 
unaccountable army of the president." Doing so prioritizes 
lawless covert operations.

They include overthrowing democratically elected governments, 
assassinating heads of state and key officials, propping up 
friendly despots, snatching individuals for "extraordinary 
rendition," treating them harshly in torture prisons, and using 
drones as instruments of state terror.

CIA is more active than ever, said Johnson. It's mostly a global 
Mafia hit squad. It's incompatible with democracy.

Its "bag of dirty tricks (reflects) a defining characteristic of 
the imperial presidency."

Its "unchecked power" threatens freedom. Its existence 
"shorten(s) the life of the American republic." It "menace(s) 
democratic rule."

On March 8, rogue senators approved John Brennan. They did so 63 
- 34. He's new CIA chief. Voting followed Rand Paul's 
filibuster. After 13 hours, he caved.

He omitted explaining what's most important. He refused to 
condemn drone killing. He ignored Brennan's previous and current 
role. He focused solely on killing Americans. He stressed doing 
it domestically.

He took issue with Attorney General Eric Holder. He wrote Paul. 
He said it's OK to kill Americans domestically under 
"extraordinary" circumstances.

A brief follow-up letter assuaged Paul, saying:

"It has come to my attention that you have now asked an 
additional question: 'Does the President have the authority to 
use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat 
on American soil?' "

"The answer to that question is no."

He lied. So did Press Secretary Jay Carney. He said Obama "has 
not and would not use drone strikes against American citizens on 
American soil."

Targeted assassinations reflect official US policy. They're 
longstanding. They occur worldwide. No one's safe anywhere. 
Heads of state are vulnerable. So are US citizens.

A bathroom break ended Paul's filibuster. Serial killer Brennan 
now heads CIA. He's Obama's maestro of murder. His mandate is 
kill, kill, kill. Expect him to take full advantage. No one's 
safe anywhere.

In January, the New York Daily News headlined "Pull back the 
curtain on drones," saying:

"Brennan, more than any other single official, represents" 
Washington's lethal drone policy.

"No politically appointed official in US history has played such 
a prominent role in killing so many people outside of a war zone 
as John Brennan."

He was heavily involved in Bush/Cheney's torture policy. A 
classified Senate Intelligence Committee report includes lawless 
interrogation practices.

Committee chairwoman Diane Feinstein (D. CA) called it "one of 
the most significant oversight efforts in the history of the 
United States Senate, and by far the most important oversight 
activity ever conducted by this committee."

"The report uncovers startling details about the CIA detention 
and interrogation program and raises critical questions about 
intelligence operations and oversight."

"I�.believe this report will settle the debate once and for all 
over whether our nation should ever employ coercive 
interrogation techniques such as those detailed in this report."

She added that creating "long term, clandestine 'black sites' 
and (using) 'enhanced-interrogation techniques' were terrible 
mistakes."

Neither she nor other congressional members do anything to stop 
them. They continue aggressively under Obama. Feinstein knows 
but won't say.

Straightaway in office, Obama planned to name Brennan CIA head. 
At the time, The New York Times called it "politically 
difficult" to do so.

He chose Leon Panetta and David Petraeus instead. Michael Morell 
twice served as acting head. On March 8,  Brennan took office.

Most Democrats support him. So do some Republicans. 
Congressional profiles in courage are few and far between. 
They're practically non-existent.

Obama said "the the Senate has recognized in John the qualities 
I value so much - his determination to keep America safe, his 
commitment to working with Congress, his ability to build 
relationships with foreign partners, and his fidelity to the 
values that define us as a nation."

He added that CIA's now headed by one of its own. Under Brennan, 
Murder, Inc. elevates to a higher level. He reflects ideological 
extremism. He's comfortable committing state terror.

Appointing him sanitizes crimes of war and against humanity. 
They're too grave to ignore. Committing them is official US 
policy.

Expect drone wars to continue. They'll expand worldwide. So will 
targeted assassinations.

Rule of law principles don't matter. Imperial priorities take 
precedence. Counterterrorism takes no prisoners.

State-sponsored terror's in good hands with John Brennan. Obama 
authorized him to kill.

����