AP: Secret Prisons and Harsh Interrogation Techniques Worked; Will TV Nets Report?

By Tom Blumer | May 02, 2011 | 16:43

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Update (17:38 EDT on May 4): Rush Limbaugh mentioned this post on his May 3 program. You can listen to that by clicking here.

Well, this should be interesting.

The AP is reporting (preserved here in case the report devolves, as such things very often do) that "secret prisons" and "harsh interrogation techniques" were involved in getting the "first strands of information" that ultimately led to Sunday operation which killed 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden.

It's only a three-paragrapher, so it follows in full (for fair use and discussion purposes). Get a load of the final paragraph:

Uh, guys and gals, I would say that this won't "reignite" the debate. It ends the debate.

I wonder how long this information will last before it hits the cutting-room floor at the AP, and whether it will make any of the leftist TV and cable networks' new reports tonight?

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Thinking we already know the

Submitted by creekrat on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 4:48pm.

Thinking we already know the answer to the last question !

Not only will the MSM not

Submitted by Beukeboom on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 4:48pm.

Not only will the MSM not report it as such but liberal talking heads like those at MSNBC will try to spin it into a positive even after they made it such a negative issue for years.

MSNBC:

Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 4:53pm.

100% probability Tingles will have to have his johnson duct-taped to his thigh tonight.

SoL

Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 9:00pm.

So, Matthews' right leg wasn't propped up on an ottoman tonight? :)

Let's make the 2012 campaign: "The War on Error"

But...

Submitted by paragrouper on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 5:00pm.

...that would mean the techniques that were used were, "effective."

I think the MSM will bury this one at sea.

First, water boarding is not

Submitted by stratman on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 6:01pm.

First, water boarding is not the harshest interrogation technique used by US military personnel in history. Talk to veterans of WWII and Vietnam for other harsh techniques employed. The Civil War was no picnic for prisoners either. Pretending war is surgical and plays by some sort of Marquess of Queensberry rules is fantastical thinking that leads to more deaths and potential failure.

Second, without enhanced interrogation of KSM, we would not have known the couriers' name, who eventually lead us to OBL. Water boarding worked to get this and other critical data from the murderous thug KSM.

Bush's prosecution of the Global War On Terror was and is correct. The killing of OBL is proof positive... again.

What he said....

Submitted by JoiseyJ on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 11:27am.

I was about to make the same observation. One has to wonder where these voices of record come up with their "facts". Perhaps it just feels good to write it. so it doesn't matter if it's actually true.

Stupid is as stupid does...

JoiseyJ: Welcome to

Submitted by stratman on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 1:11pm.

JoiseyJ:

Welcome to NewsBusters!

I'm glad we got him

Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 6:10pm.

And when I say "we", I mean the professionals in the CIA and JSOC units. That being said, it seems clear that had someone with Obama's policies regarding treatment of enemy combatants been in charge during the first full decade of this conflict, we would not have had yesterday's achievement.

In fact, it's likely that some of those captured during the first phases of the operation would have been "lawyered up" and we would have gotten little to nothing from them. Many may even have already served their time here in the US and been released, or returned to their native country for a show trial and possible acquittal.

It's also likely that had the Clinton-era policies remained in effect, sharing of intelligence even among our own would have been barred by the Gorelick wall. Fortunately, the Bush Presidency changed all of that.

The discussion should not only be the fact that "enhanced interrogations" proved both valuable and fruitful, but that the complete redesign of our intelligence gathering and analysis processes immediately after the 9/11 attacks paved the way for yesterday's success. Obama should be mindful of that going forward. I suspect that he is.

Yesterday was a very good day for US forces; we should remember lessons learned and not return to the ways of failure simply because of ideological pressures by people who will not, and likely cannot understand their detriment. If there is one thing to praise the administration on it is their willingness --even after all the political rhetoric-- to ultimately embrace the policies of the Bush administration in this arena. I commend them on that.

And thank you President Bush for your steadfast and unwavering resolve even in the face of overwhelming political pressure. You sir, deserve our undying gratitude. A lesser man would have folded -- or hid behind his wife.

Well, I'm not holding my breath.

Submitted by Phryj1 on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 6:55pm.

After all, it's a really inconvenient fact that completely devastates the anti-interrogation crowd's case. The news media tends to downplay that sort of thing.

Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.

Bin Laden is dead.

Submitted by E.S.Blofeld on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 7:18pm.

Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't. The question is what took so long? KSM and the other dude gave up the name when Bush was Prez...why did it take so long? 2 plus years into Obama Admin and finally we kill OBL. I wish KSM was fish food too.

Ernst

"Isn't it pretty to think that way?"-EH

Question-

Submitted by Ashrak on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 9:22pm.

Has the AP ever termed an Osama tape "propaganda" before?

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials believe Osama bin Laden made a propaganda recording shortly before his death and expect that tape to surface soon.

That an individual right exists requires that some policy positions be removed from the table of debate.

Transcript:DOD Background: operations Involving Osama Bin Laden

Submitted by Gary Hall on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 1:51am.

Everyone here should find this transcript interesting. Compliments of Michael Yon.

DOD Background: operations Involving Osama Bin Laden

(;~> gary

I fished around on the site and even did a search on "NewsBusters," and didn't see anything.

Matt Sheffield just sent me the audio file and text

Submitted by Tom Blumer on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 11:00am.

Thanks again for mentioning it.

I heard it too, Tom

Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 11:05am.

...maybe if you search on his site for "cache", that's a pretty unique search string.

NB is getting mentioned more often these days, and rightly so. You all do a yeoman's job, and it's always fun for us to hear you mentioned elsewhere.

Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)

I did that search just now ...

Submitted by Tom Blumer on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 11:23am.

... and I'm thinking that either Rush's search isn't working, or that it doesn't like my Safari.

Thanks for the nice words.

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