So It Begins: White House Says Obama Critics Are Helping Al-Qaeda
In an oped in USA Today, John Brennan — Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism — responds to critics of the Obama administration’s counterterrorism policies by saying “Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda.”
Brennan writes that, “Terrorists are not 100-feet tall. Nor do they deserve the abject fear they seek to instill.”
In the oped, titled “‘We need no lectures’: Administration disrupts terrorists’ plots, takes fight to them abroad,” Brennan writes that politics “should never get in the way of national security. But too many in Washington are now misrepresenting the facts to score political points, instead of coming together to keep us safe.”
The administration op-ed is in response to a USA Today editorial entitled “National security team fails to inspire confidence; Officials’ handling of Christmas Day attack looks like amateur hour.”
Brennan provides a detailed defense of the administration’s handling of failed Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab whom, he says, was “thoroughly interrogated and provided important information.”
He suggests that many critics are hypocritical and clueless.
The most important breakthrough in the interrogation occurred “after Abdulmutallab was read his rights, which the FBI made standard policy under Michael Mukasey, President Bush’s attorney general,” he writes, noting that failed shoe bomber Richard Reid “was read his Miranda rights five minutes after being taken off a plane he tried to blow up. The same people who criticize the president today were silent back then.”
Brennan said anyone who wants to change the policy would be casting aside lessons learned “in waging this war” on extremists.
“Terrorists such as Jose Padilla and Saleh al-Mari did not cooperate when transferred to military custody, which can harden one’s determination to resist cooperation,” he writes.
He calls it “naive to think that transferring Abdulmutallab to military custody would have caused an outpouring of information. There is little difference between military and civilian custody, other than an interrogator with a uniform. The suspect gets access to a lawyer, and interrogation rules are nearly identical.”
Moreover, Brennan says, hundreds of terrorists have been convicted in criminal courts while only three have been convicted in the military tribunal system.
The former CIA official also asserts that the Obama administration is doing a better job than the Bush administration did in taking the fight to al Qaeda. “This administration’s efforts have disrupted dozens of terrorist plots against the homeland and been responsible for killing and capturing hundreds of hard-core terrorists, including senior leaders in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond — far more than in 2008.”
“We need no lectures about the fact that this nation is at war,” he says.
USA Today’s editorial writers see it all a bit differently, of course, writing that though “the Obama administration’s national security officials have struggled to assure the public that they know exactly what they’re doing,” they are so far “achieving the opposite, and they’re needlessly adding some jitters in the process.”
The editorial writers fault the Obama administration for announcing “last week that an attack by al-Qaeda is likely in the next three to six months. The warning is bound to frighten the public, with no obvious benefit beyond the ability to say ‘I told you so.’”
They also refer to National Intelligence Director Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.) as having “had a ‘Duh!’ moment” for acknowledging that “authorities fumbled the initial questioning of Abdulmutallab by failing to call in the high-value interrogation group, which was created to question terrorism suspects. Refreshingly candid, yes, but not a statement that inspires confidence. Especially when the same day, at another Senate hearing, FBI Director Robert Mueller testified that the high-value unit was still in its ‘formation stages’ and that ‘there was no time’ to get it to Detroit.”
USA Today’s editorial writers say that when senior administration officials revealed Abdulmutallab’s cooperation with authorities, “the news pretty much negate(d) earlier claims that no intelligence was lost when Abdulmutallab was prematurely read his rights.”
- jpt
UPDATE: Missouri Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in response to the Brennan op-ed: “The only one making this political is the White House. The Administration must do better, because trying to pass the buck for their dangerous decisions and divulging sensitive information to al Qaeda is not an effective terror-fighting strategy.”
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We don’t need no lectures about being at war?!! Someone send the POTUS that memo - I think it got shit-canned.
This coming from an administration that perfected this technique.
Minor correction…
…”This coming from A POLITICAL PARTY that perfected this technique.”
“Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering….” Won’t be long before criticism of this adminstration will be labeled “unpatriotic” and “treason” and needed to be “dealt with harshly.”
I don’t put anything past these bastards.
yep, I can see them coming after their so called critics that they can identify, which is why the DHS released their report on possible persons that can become classified as terrorists or have the potential to be and good ole rahm having the power to detain those without question, this has all been set up from the beginning.
-aTb
Did you see the Audi commercial?
the guys in green can easily be Obomb-bots civilian security force more powerful than the military.
Treason?
Unpatriotic?
Incandecent light bulb?
It all means the same to them.
In other words… proud, loyal Americans are now “enemy combatants” for questioning weak, panty-waist policies? So I assume Gitmo has found a new purpose under this administration.
After the last 13 months of attacks, attempted attacks, deliberate security compromises, deliberately forced, forced vulnerabilities to include intelligence and immigration matters, this is nothing but a bullshit, bold faced bullshit reverse psychology Kremlinesque lie from the chief liar himself.
He certainly must think we are stupid as he continues thus well orchestrated set-up which now to me appears the continuance of the Clinton years.
This shit is being done deliberately.
I refuse to listen to that lapdog Brennan anymore either-that coniliatory, please-believe me Mommy tone of that subtle whine of his voice which continues to be someone who is caught in the middle and refuses to be a man and stand up and stop it.
All this from an administration who has had nothing to say about the deliberate-delibate compromise of classified interrogation techniques-and the delibertae publication of the related documents-and I do not give a DAMN how redacted they were or were not, during war time ???????????????????????????
Then we have this huge issue about telling the enemy that the little underwar bastard is telling us more information-that little factoid alone is operational in nature and classified heavily I am sure.
Anyone righteously concerned about that?
Don’t expect the alleged Attorney General to do anything, things are going well according to the plan and precisely why he was picked for Attorney General.
Just listen to what is being and said and how it is being said. Then look at the results.
This administration is dangerous.
They are also still bringing fellow travelers like Van Jones on board, for instance:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/zoi-goes-to-dc.php
Kathy Zoi shows up in this video, fantasizing about window replacement ‘SWAT teams’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvCZBKxP4TY
Here is the pearl of great price right here from Kit Bond and I just read it. “…The Administration must do better, because trying to pass the buck for their dangerous decisions and divulging sensitive information to al Qaeda is not an effective terror-fighting strategy…”
Look at that again “…their dangerous decisions and divulging sensitive information to al Qaeda…”
I’m shocked that someone is actually tracking!!!!!!! That information being passed is starting to accumulate to me, It is indeed espionage in war time on its face.
Notice Brennan didn’t say dick about that.
Whats the matter lib’s
Screaming “RACISM 
” getting old 
As far as criticisim “Helping Al-Qaeda” I think barry is doing a fine job all by himself.
The left is just like that sore loser that use to live in your neighborhood…you know the one…as soon as things stopped going their way, because their own lack of ability, they first blamed others for their misfortune, then attempted to change the rules of the game, and then took their ball and went home.
Also isnt it funny how when they were critical of President Bush it was “Patriotic”, now criticism is giving aide to the enemy (this would be the “changing of the rules during the game”, we’ve already passed “blaming others”)
Mr.Brennen when you state that critics are ’serving the interests of al qaeda” you are stating that we (critics) are traitors. That is, the American People who are overwhelmingly opposed to your administration’s handling of the war effort, are traitors. So, therefore, to advocate the unconditional destruction of a known and open enemy is treason in your mind. And the appeasement, payoff, capitulation and surrender, the announcing of the date, time, strength of deployment, and the open date of withdrawl, along with the implementation of extreme limitations on the rules of engagement, and the threat to permit the infiltration of open homosexuality into the ranks is patriotic in your mind. If that is so, then call me TRAITOR! for when given the opportunity, under the preservation of what was the constitution, I will kill you with pride and favor. God save the republic, death to the Statist enemies of freedom!
Pol-fish: Outstanding points, and it’s just as easy to see and conclude.
Thay had no problem besmirching Bush and defaming his character for eight years cleaning up the mess from the constant enemy attacks during the 1990s their party tacitly allowed to go unconfronted.
This administration is doing things deliberately and I for one deeply question their patriotism.
Well said, Sir. I concur.
The left and all of their associated filth tried to run GWB into the ground for YEARS over the war on terror, and to them it was entirely patriotic to question the GWB administration (remember the Hillary rant). Yet now, WE who question and condemn the obambi wrecking crew on its pathetic and dangerous handling of the war on terror are “serving the interests of al qaeda”…
Leftism = blatant hypocrisy at its finest 
Outstanding reply and one I also feel deeply inside. Remember Hillary’s “Suspension of disbelief”? Remember how they all treated Petraeus on C-SPAN?
Agreed.
Of course if we don’t support the terrorist then we must be helping the terrorist
Can;t we just memorialize the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and just line these stupid traitors up and blast away? Before they hand over the keys to the USA?
Oh, and this clown didn’t speak up with his Dem cronies were bashing Bush constantly when our men were in combat in Iraq??? FUCK HIM!!!
Hey, in the adminstration’s defense, Obamalamadingdong and his crew ARE experts on helping Al-Qaeda, so they should know…
So let’s see if we can get this straight. What the Democrats are saying can be stated as follows:
When Democrats try to cause us to lose a war in which our military is engaged, that is patriotic dissent. When Republicans and conservatives tell the Obama Administration to get serious and fight al Qaeda as a war to win, that is helping al Qaeda and being unpatriotic.
Yeah, right. What a load of nonsense spelled with four letters starting with “sh” and ending with “it.”
I am so confused. Here is John Brennan telling me that it is treasonous to point out that the emperor wears no clothes. ON the other hand he is telling me “You vill belief me und der Boss und you vill like it!”
I think he could help straighten this mess out for the public if he would publicly salute the Joker with “Seig Heil, Wuss!” and be done with it.
After all, the beginning of healing starts with facing the truth. And these guys need a lot of healing or truth, or something……I am so confused.
There is no healing for this administration and it’s continuous bombardment of the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights and sanity. The sole purpose of the administration and all the Marxist followers is the subjugation of the American people and the downfall of the last bastion of freedom on this planet. They will work all angles - legislatively, judicially and criminally to achieve their goal.
Brennan is just another mouthpiece for this effort, just as are Pelosi, Reid, Stern, Gibbs and the cast of thousands - maybe millions.
Barry and His ‘crew’ are full of shit.
But hey, when the #1 gun sales team in America speaks, I listen.
And plan accordingly.