Bush's Watchdog for Intelligence Kept Quiet for 5 1/2 Years

Bush's Watchdog for Intelligence Kept Quiet for 5 1/2 Years

www.sfgate.com

Washington -- An independent oversight board created to identify intelligence abuses after the CIA scandals of the 1970s did not send any reports to the attorney general of legal violations during the first 5 1/2 years of the Bush administration's counterterrorism effort, the Justice Department has told Congress.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.washingtonpost.com
www.chicagotribune.com
www.chron.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Report finds 'gaping hole' at Homeland Security
Panel Demands Records on Tillman's Death
Fight over White House subpoenas rises

Additional highlights from WP source:

The President's Intelligence Oversight Board -- the principal civilian watchdog of the intelligence community -- is obligated under a 26-year-old executive order to tell the attorney general and the president about any intelligence activities it believes "may be unlawful." The board was vacant for the first two years of the Bush administration.

This reminds me of the 'gaping hole' at the Department of Homeland Security.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) added: "It is deeply disturbing that this administration seems to spend so much of its energy and resources trying to find ways to ignore any check and balance on its authority and avoid accountability to Congress and the American public."

Yes, correct. I think that sums it up.

This is just more on that very long list.
I'd like to hear what ya'll have to say.

www.sfgate.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Does this really surprise you?

It is much easier for a criminal to act when there is no form of 'law' enforcement around. He/she can behave however they wish without fear of punishment.

Bush happens to have a ton of power as well, that definitely doesn't help his condition much.

'Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

Well he pretty much became an absolute dictator, so what does that make Cheney? His high consul puppet master?

Who is really running the show here (I know off topic, but still a valid question I think)?


It is much easier to commit broad criminal felonies when an oversight committee really has no oversight into your behavior.

If you planned on committing highly illegal behavior, would you want a panel around to whistleblow your first attempt at making it rich (and whatever else goes on behind closed doors that would get them thrown in jail)?


Enough is enough, send these traitors to Guantanamo!

White House officials declined to discuss the board's interactions with President Bush, and said its members could not be interviewed for this report.

Doesn't that pretty much eliminate any possibility of determining wrongdoing? Either way, I don't know why that board is much more trustworthy than the administration.

The board now in place is led by former Bush economic adviser Stephen Friedman. It includes Don Evans, friend of the president and a former Commerce secretary, former Adm. David Jeremiah and lawyer Arthur Culvahouse.

Who needs a stinky congress!!!!!

Bush doesn't need a stinky congress, he fighting a war and by god he will do it with congress or not congress

biggie smalls,
Doesn't surprise me at all...
Can't wait to see what news comes out tomorrow.

Or wait.. yuefo has something,
and yes, its more unsurprising news..

People do desperate things under pressure.






[edit on 7/15/2007 by aecreate]

Well, since it's against the law to eliminate that particluar "check & balance" I would think it's the Attorney General's duty to start pressing charges. In fact, it may even be a good idea to replace that Attorney General first because he had been ignoring the flagrant disobedience commited against that particular "law of accountability" for 5-1/2 years. Well, wouldn't ignoring that violation for 5-1/2 years constitute indictment for "aiding & abetting" or "accessory to" those who broke the law in the first place?

Apparently, Gonzales was aware of the alleged FBI violations...As indicated in another thread here at ATS: Gonzales was told of FBI violations.


[edit on 16-7-2007 by MidnightDStroyer]

I got confused with the acronyms flying around...



at the opening it's stated that the group is an "Independent Oversight Board"

and next it tells us this IOB is a 'Presidential'....advisory board...

so I looked up the Execuitive Order 12863, creating this group/entity
charged with the order to look over the shoulder of all intel agencies in the U.S.

see; www.loyola.edu...




the 'Independent'- Oversight-Board,
is far from being Independent,

a current President, has the power to 'appoint' whomever he chooses
to fill those 16 positions....over time, as the seats are staggered in varied year terms & seccessions,
a President will stack the 'Board' with his ideological followers.

The term Independent is in the Title only & has no actual descriptive meaning,
just more 'Illusion' by the elites is what it boils down to.



[edit on 16-7-2007 by St Udio]

Even if this was a Federal board, you've got to ask youself some hard questions. Why hav they not fulfilled their mandate and function?

Well, somewhere around here at ATS (I don't have an exact link right now; it may even be in this thread), it was mentioned in a linked article that the Board was empty of personnel for the first two years of the Bush Administration...I think that would be a good reason, don't you, Justin?

[edit on 16-7-2007 by MidnightDStroyer]

I have looked for teh item you metnioned, but I can't find it. has anyone else found it?

MidnightDStroyer & Justin Oldham, is this what you're looking for?:

The President's Intelligence Oversight Board -- the principal civilian watchdog of the intelligence community -- is obligated under a 26-year-old executive order to tell the attorney general and the president about any intelligence activities it believes "may be unlawful." The board was vacant for the first two years of the Bush administration.

Check out my second post in this thread,
I got that information from the Washington Post source,
if both of you are still talking about the 2-year vacancy.

Originally posted by aecreate

The President's Intelligence Oversight Board is obligated under a 26-year-old executive order to tell the attorney general and the president about any intelligence activities it believes "may be unlawful."

Washington Post source,

Thank you aecreate for the source.

I think the more important fact is that the board tells the President or Attorney General (Bush and Gonzalez) who happen to both be corrupt puppets.

That doesn't sound like much oversight to me.

'Hey George, we just wanted to tell you that we could trace your link to Al Aqaeda. Maybe next time you'll cover your tracks a little better.'

'Yes SIR! I'll let the AlCIAda know.'

That would be the aminal. For those of you who are NOT taking heart medication, I have made a new podcast that you might like, in light of these most recent events.