It's Weasel Time...

Oh boy, here we go...

The notoriously right-wing Washington Post details the turning of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Agent of change? Waterboarding. So much for the "it doesn't work" narrative:

After enduring the CIA's harshest interrogation methods and spending more than a year in the agency's secret prisons, Khalid Sheik Mohammed stood before U.S. intelligence officers in a makeshift lecture hall, leading what they called "terrorist tutorials."

.....

Speaking in English, Mohammed "seemed to relish the opportunity, sometimes for hours on end, to discuss the inner workings of al-Qaeda and the group's plans, ideology and operatives," said one of two sources who described the sessions, speaking on the condition of anonymity because much information about detainee confinement remains classified. "He'd even use a chalkboard at times."

These scenes provide previously unpublicized details about the transformation of the man known to U.S. officials as KSM from an avowed and truculent enemy of the United States into what the CIA called its "preeminent source" on al-Qaeda. This reversal occurred after Mohammed was subjected to simulated drowning and prolonged sleep deprivation, among other harsh interrogation techniques.

"KSM, an accomplished resistor, provided only a few intelligence reports prior to the use of the waterboard, and analysis of that information revealed that much of it was outdated, inaccurate or incomplete," according to newly unclassified portions of a 2004 report by the CIA's then-inspector general released Monday by the Justice Department.

Any guess as to what the first word out of Eric Holder's mouth the next time he sees Barack Obama?

Try "Oops".

Actually, the real fun over the next week or so is going to watch Barack Obama equivocate, backtrack, walk-back and do the ol' dodge-'n-weave. Given the utter spinelessness of Obama's original press release regarding Holder's half-assed torture investigation:

The President has said repeatedly that he wants to look forward, not back, and the President agrees with the Attorney General that those who acted in good faith and within the scope of legal guidance should not be prosecuted.  Ultimately, determinations about whether someone broke the law are made independently by the Attorney General.

It seems difficult to imagine Barack Obama putting up a spirited defense of Holder or the investigation. And a spirited defense is probably exactly what will be needed, because this article is exactly the sort of club Dick Cheney, Peter King and much of the VRWC has been waiting for.

Expect the White House to be in full weasel mode by Monday.

In any event, this couldn't have come at a better time for President Obama. I'm sure he and Holder coordinated the announcement of the investigation with the thought of giving everyone some time to cool down while Obama was incommunicado. So much for that bit of super-genius thinking.

Good luck on selling heath care, er, insurance, er, whatever the fuck it is today reform next week, Mr. President.

Comments

[JeffS]

Interesting that the WaPo published this. It's almost like the CIA has friends inside that paper. Or maybe dirt on them.

[Uncle Fester]

Takes a real man to spit in the CIA's face, eh?

Anybody see any potential problems with it?

Bueller?

Hello?

[richard mcenroe]

For his next trick, Holder will indict the 4th ID and the 3rd Armored divisions...

[Guesst]

So one of the only three people to be waterboarded is a confined success story.

[Uncle Fester]

Well, Guesst, let's go back to my question several posts back - why are we taking prisoners?