Friday, January 09, 2009

Obama Announces His Intelligence Team Video

The United States does not torture. We will abide by Geneva Conventions. Ladies and gentlemen, we have intelligence!

Obama announces intelligence head, Leon Panetta and retired Adm. Dennis Blair as director of national intelligence. Other intelligence officials:
I will also rely on the talent and expertise of several distinguished public servants with substantial intelligence experience. The current DNI, Mike McConnell, will continue to offer his counsel through my foreign intelligence advisory board. The National Counterterrorism Center, the hub of our efforts to prevent attacks and root out terrorist networks will continue to benefit from the leadership of Michael Leiter.

And I am pleased to announce that John Brennan, a close adviser, CIA veteran, and former leader of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be my homeland security adviser and deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism serving with the rank of assistant to the president. John has the experience, vision, and integrity to advance America’s security.


Transcript
CQ Politics: By tapping Leon Panetta to be CIA chief, Barack Obama sent a clear signal: no to torture. A year ago, Panetta wrote an article declaring, "We cannot and we must not use torture under any circumstances." And he included waterboarding--which the CIA has used---as torture. In fact, Obama's reported first choice for the CIA job, John Brennan, a career CIA official, had had his chances scuttled after bloggers and others griped that he had been soft, if not supportive, when it came to torture and CIA renditions.
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