Obama Open to Interrogations Probe

(NEWSER) - On foreign policy, it’s “so far, so good” for President Obama’s first 100 days, writes Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal. (Domestically, “there are only so many ways to say ‘Oy.’”) But the torture debate appeared to catch the White House off-guard: "It was flat-footed, confusing." And releasing the memos probably forced the exhumation of an issue Obama reportedly—and wisely—wanted to keep buried. It should stay that way, Noonan argues. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama made a dangerous mistake in yesterday releasing Justice Department memos about interrogation techniques from 2005, say former Attorney General Michael Mukasey and former CIA Director Michael Hayden. By releasing the details of these methods, Obama is eliminating a crucial intelligence tool—not just for his own administration but forever, the two argue in an outraged Wall Street Journal op ed. They'll be ruined for future presidents, as well, because our enemies will know their precise limits. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has ordered the creation of an elite squad that will take over terror interrogations from the CIA, senior officials tell the Washington Post. Dubbed the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, or HIG, the unit will be housed with the FBI, but overseen by the White House through the National Security Council. Its director will likely come from the FBI, but the deputy could come from the CIA. More»

Speaker puts herself at center of storm over Bush policies

(NEWSER) - Whether by accident or design, Nancy Pelosi has turned the debate on the Bush administration's anti-terror program into a high-stakes game of brinksmanship, Dan Balz writes in the Washington Post. Pelosi's declaration yesterday that the CIA lied to Congress amounts to "a declaration of war," Balz writes, setting the stage for a long battle certain to claim political casualties. More»

Republicans say speaker knew; hope to quiet Dems on matter

(NEWSER) - As calls continue for an investigation of Bush administration officials over torture, Republicans think they may have an ace in the hole: Nancy Pelosi, they say, knew waterboarding had taken place but didn’t try to stop it. Some Republicans think threatening the House Speaker will make her and fellow Democrats reluctant to press the issue, Politico reports. More»