It turns out that last week’s pitiful attempt by Congressional Democrats to politically cover for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s blatant lies about not being briefed on waterboarding was their not being briefed on an unimplemented, post-9/11 plan to “assassinate” Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda’s leadership. The only things more ridiculous than Democrats in Congress being up in arms over this are 1) Barack Obama said both last year and this that he would do the same thing, he’d “take them out,” and 2) C.I.A. Director Leon Panetta ended the program:
The Wall Street Journal reports:
A secret Central Intelligence Agency initiative terminated by Director Leon Panetta was an attempt to carry out a 2001 presidential authorization to capture or kill al Qaeda operatives, according to former intelligence officials familiar with the matter.
The precise nature of the highly classified effort isn’t clear, and the CIA won’t comment on its substance.
According to current and former government officials, the agency spent money on planning and possibly some training. It was acting on a 2001 presidential legal pronouncement, known as a finding, which authorized the CIA to pursue such efforts. The initiative hadn’t become fully operational at the time Mr. Panetta ended it.
In 2001, the CIA also examined the subject of targeted assassinations of al Qaeda leaders, according to three former intelligence officials. It appears that those discussions tapered off within six months. It isn’t clear whether they were an early part of the CIA initiative that Mr. Panetta stopped.
The revelations about the CIA and its post-9/11 activities have emerged amid a renewed fight between the agency and congressional Democrats. Last week, seven Democratic lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee released a letter that talked about the CIA effort, which they said Mr. Panetta acknowledged hadn’t been properly vetted with Congress. CIA officials had brought the matter to Mr. Panetta’s attention and had recommended he inform Congress.
Neither Mr. Panetta nor the lawmakers provided details. Mr. Panetta quashed the CIA effort after learning about it June 23.
The battle is part of a long-running tug of war between the executive branch and the legislature about how to oversee the activities of the country’s intelligence services and how extensively the CIA should brief Congress. In recent years, in the light of revelations over CIA secret prisons and harsh interrogation techniques, Congress has pushed for greater oversight. The Obama administration, much like its predecessor, is resisting any moves in that direction.
Most recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a dispute over what she knew about the use of waterboarding in interrogating terror suspects, has accused the agency of lying to lawmakers about its operations.
Republicans on the panel say that the CIA effort didn’t advance to a point where Congress clearly should have been notified.
CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said the agency “has not commented on the substance of the effort.” He added that “a candid dialogue with Congress is very important to this director and this agency.”
One former senior intelligence official said the program was an attempt “to achieve a capacity to carry out something that was directed in the finding,” meaning it was looking for ways to capture or kill al Qaeda chieftains.
The official noted that Congress had long been briefed on the finding, and that the CIA effort wasn’t so much a program as “many ideas suggested over the course of years.” It hadn’t come close to fruition, he added.
Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said little had been spent on the efforts — closer to $1 million than $50 million. “The idea for this kind of program was tossed around in fits and starts,” he said.
By the way (and don’t tell the Congressional Democrats), since taking office, President Obama has repeatedly attacked al Qaeda’s leadership in Pakistan using Hellfire missiles launched from C.I.A.-directed USAF drone aircraft. List courtesy of the Long War Journal:
US attacks inside Pakistan during 2009:
• 13 Taliban fighters killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan – July 3, 2009
• Scores of Taliban killed in second US strike in South Waziristan – June 23, 2009
• Six killed in US Predator attack in South Waziristan – June 23, 2009
• US strikes target Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan – June 18, 2009
• US kills five in South Waziristan strike – June 14, 2009
• US strikes Taliban, al Qaeda in North Waziristan – May 16, 2009
• US strikes again in South Waziristan – May 12, 2009
• US strike targets Baitullah Mehsud territory in South Waziristan – May 9, 2009
• US strike kills 10 Taliban in South Waziristan – April 29, 2009
• US airstrike targets Taliban training camp in South Waziristan – April 19, 2009
• US Predator kills four in South Waziristan strike – April 8, 2009
• US strikes Haqqani Network in North Waziristan – April 4, 2009
• US launches first strike in Arakzai tribal agency – April 1, 2009
• Latest US strike targets al Qaeda safe house in North Waziristan – March 26, 2009
• US airstrike kills 8 in Baitullah Mehsud’s hometown – March 25, 2009
• US launches second strike outside of Pakistan’s tribal areas – March 15, 2009
• US missile strike in Kurram agency kills 14 – March 12, 2009
• US airstrike kills 8 in South Waziristan – March 1, 2009
• US airstrike in Pakistan’s Kurram tribal agency kills 30 -Feb. 16, 2009
• US Predator strike in South Waziristan kills 25 – Feb. 14, 2009
• US strikes al Qaeda in North and South Waziristan – Jan. 23, 2009
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