Security Before Politics  —  Since leaving my post as CIA director almost three years ago, I have remained largely silent on the public stage.  I am speaking out now because I feel our government has crossed the red line between properly protecting our national security and trying to gain partisan political advantage.

My Allegedly Vengeful Heart  —  In an unprecedented, shocking development, David Broder is against any sort of accountability for what he refers to as “torture”: … I normally think that there's a presumption in favor of enforcing the law, and that people who think it should be ignored have the burden of proof.

Jay Bybee's anonymous friends claim Bybee regrets his role in approving torture.  —  The Washington Post interviews a number of friends and colleagues of Jay Bybee, who anonymously tell the paper that the judge regrets writing the torture memos: … “On the primary memo …

Swine Flu May Be Named Event of ‘International Concern’ by WHO  —  The World Health Organization is set to declare the deadly swine flu virus outbreak in Mexico and the U.S. a global concern, potentially prompting travel restrictions, said a person familiar with the matter.

CIA official: no proof harsh techniques stopped terror attacks  —  WASHINGTON — The CIA inspector general in 2004 found that there was no conclusive proof that waterboarding or other harsh interrogation techniques helped the Bush administration thwart any “specific imminent attacks,” …

Pakistani military, Taliban maneuver for position in northwest  —  Click map for full view.  Taliban presence, in the Islamabad region.  Information on Taliban presence obtained from open source and derived by The Long War Journal based on the presence of Taliban shadow governments, levels of fighting, and reports from the region.

Telling the Truth  —  Let the hearings begin!  —  Some Democrats, from the White House on down, are pushing the idea of a “truth commission,” à la South Africa, to deal with the “harsh measures” used by the Bush administration in interrogating al Qaeda detainees.  Good.  Let's have lots of truthtelling.

A Papaya Grows in Holyoke  —  “Tell him what happened with the sign,” Daniel Ross said to Angel Ortiz at the gate to Nuestras Raíces farm, 30 acres of vegetables, animals, and flowers on the banks of the Connecticut River in Holyoke, Massachusetts.  Ortiz, a strapping but shy 18-year-old …

House Heavyweight Feels Threat to Power  —  WASHINGTON — So powerful was Representative John P. Murtha at one time that he used to put up billboards in his Western Pennsylvania district declaring that “the P is for Power.”  Few in Congress dared disagree: he doled out or withheld billions …

Clinton, in Iraq, Blames ‘Rejectionists’ for Violence  —  BAGHDAD — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived here Saturday morning for a one-day visit, delivering an American show of support for Iraq as it battles a sudden eruption of violence, in the wake of suicide bombings …

The Obama prosecutions of 2013/17:  —  Hypothesize that the Obama administration, or perhaps foreign/international courts, prosecute and convict various officials of the Bush administration.  Further assume that the new President who takes office in 2013 or 2017 has promised …

Local Wars  —  David Kilcullen is a former officer in the Australian Army, a strategist and a scholar.  He is also an expert on counterinsurgency, or how to combat a rebellion, and one of the few brave souls who had the ear of people in the Bush White House and advised against the invasion of Iraq.

Founding Bloggers v. CNN: counternotice submitted; countdown to re-posting — or a lawsuit  —  Founding Bloggers, the conservative web site that had its video critical of CNN's reporting on a Chicago “tea party” removed by YouTube after the cable network sent a DMCA takedown notice, is not backing down.