CIA were alarmed by Bush's hypocrisy.

When I came across George Bush's comments on the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, I simply marveled at the hypocrisy of the man. How could he stand there and make such a statement knowing that the United States, under his orders, was actually and actively engaging in the very thing which he was condemning?

But, if I am honest, I thought no more of it than that. It never occurred to me how the CIA would react to Bush making such a statement whilst they knew they were being asked to do the opposite of the sentiments which Bush was expressing.

Turns out they had a lot to say about Bush's hypocrisy:

But inside the Central Intelligence Agency, the statement set off alarms. The agency’s top lawyer, Scott W. Muller, called the White House to complain. The statement by the president could unnerve the C.I.A. interrogators Mr. Bush had authorized to use brutal tactics on members of Al Qaeda, Mr. Muller said, raising fears that political winds could change and make them scapegoats.

White House officials reaffirmed their support for the C.I.A. methods. But the exchange was a harbinger of the conflict between the coercive interrogations and the United States’ historical stance against torture that would deeply divide the Bush administration and ultimately undo the program.

I find that fascinating. We have been told that the Bush methods were not torture and that they had been careful to make sure that they interpreted the law to make sure that their backs were covered; and yet, the moment Bush condemns torture publicly, the CIA complain that he might be laying the ground to make them scapegoats?

One can only conclude from this that the CIA knew that what they were asked to do constituted torture, or why else would they object to the president condemning such a practice?

They knew, despite all the legal shenanigans designed to cover their backs, that the moment the president publicly condemned torture that they were in danger. Which can only mean one thing: they knew that they were torturing people. They didn't buy this bullshit even as they were being ordered to carry it out.

And the thing in this article that I most love is that Condi Rice, through anonymous sources, is managing to have her eventual opposition to what was done duly noted.

That visit to Stanford really has woken Condi up to the anger that is felt on this subject, hasn't it? It didn't take long for her surrogates to quickly get her side of the story into the public domain.

The entire Bush administration appear to be in a panic and willing to stab each other in the eye if they think it will save them.

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Tags: Bush, Cheney, Rice, torture, waterboarding