emptywheel

Haspel: told that I was interrogation experts designed it, that President approved it. If we had real oversight, Collins's f-up would be to ask if/when she read finding and OLC memos.

Here's a question that should be asked, but won't be: would she go along with rendering detainees to coutries that do torture?

[A strong moral compass says it's cool to render detainees to torturers, yaknow]

Haspel answers categorically that she will not let CIA get back in interrogation business. This is a dumb line of questioning, since she will also be asked to do other things that are inappropriate, like spying on Americans.

Heinrich: Where was that moral compass? Haspel: When you're out in the trenches, and they say the President says they're relying on you to prevent another attack.

Haspel points to leaks of IDs, and says someone was found guilty of unauthorized leak. She's referring to Kiriakou, and events that happened years later.

Haspel: I know we keep a very complete record in my cable traffic. Again, if that's true, than the CIA has no business complaining that SSCI relies on it to do torture report.

King tries to ask whether she was in supervisory role over torture leading up to CoS role. She declines to answer publicly. Instead talks about having Rizzo changing story.

King: Were the lawyers copied on the cable? Haspel tries to dodge.

Haspel just suggested that it would be okay to have D/CIA approval for tape destruction even if WH lawyers were opposed.

While Lankford filibusters, here's what Wyden has made clear: When CIA got torture reapproved in 2005, Haspel supported it. That's important for many reasons, including that CIA continued to lie to DOJ to get it reapproved.

Haspel says CIA has modest program to stop drugs flows. This has to be classified.

Manchin must be a yes vote: his first question is an invitation to talk 9/11. She says it was very important to ID who did it. Earlier in the hearing she said she knew right away it was OBL.

Manchin says we've never repeated internment of Japanese -- the Muslims rounded up after 9/11 and Latinx citizens held as undocumented people might dispute that.

Side note: Can we talk about PRB process behind Rizzo's book that purportedly approved it w/false accusation about Haspel?

Haspel basically just confirmed that she'd do anything OLC approved.

Cotton's a flaming douchebag, but his line of questioning is right on: Dems confirmed Brennan w/his torture background.

Cotton apparently doesn't know that video recordings of court hearings are permitted in many jurisdictions

Harris: This hearing not about incredible sacrifice of CIA. It's about your stuiablity to lead CIA.

Harris: Do you believe techniques were immoral? Haspel won't answer.

Harris: Given appearance of conflict, will you recuse yourself from declassificataion? Haspel won't commit to it

Harris: Do you agree that Director Coats should have authority? Haspel doesn't answer.

Harris: Does torture work? Haspel: We got valuable intel. Harris: Is that a yes?

Cornyn cites Ben Wittes to support case that Haspel would easily have been confirmed if Obama nominated her.

Cornyn also set up Haspel to talk abt AQ's nuke/BW program.

Haspel telling story of Jennifer Matthews' death. Some of the details she just included probably classified.

Reed: Have you ever been alone w/President? She doesn't answer.

Haspel refuses to answer whether she'd inform if POTUS asks for vow of loyalty.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern now being arrested

Reed asks if she'd consider waterboarding a CIA officer to be immoral. She refuses to answer, but suggests she would find it immoral.