A few weeks ago, Obama counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan gave a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that was basically a liberal counterterrorism manifesto. Brennan thoughtfully articulated the Obama strategy for both fighting Al Qaeda and winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world, declaring an end to the Bush administration’s war on terrorism, if not the war against Al Qaeda.
But before he did any of that, he repudiated torture–a significant shift from prior positions he had taken in support of the euphemistically named “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” which derailed his chances of being named head of the CIA last year. The political purpose of the speech, which was widely praised on the left, may have been to pave the way for liberal acceptance of Brennan taking the reins of the newly created interagency interrogation teams. Josh Gerstein reports:
The White House on Tuesday refused to discuss Brennan’s exact role in the new interrogation policy. But a former CIA official familiar with the situation said Brennan — Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser — will head up a National Security Council team overseeing a new Justice Department interrogation corps, specifically chosen to interrogate the most important terror detainees.
The new interrogation unit will be led by the FBI, with the CIA in a supporting role.
Granted, this was just reported yesterday. But so far, there’s nothing even close to resembling the uproar Brennan faced as a prospective candidate for CIA Director last year. And that was probably exactly what the administration had in mind when Brennan gave that speech a few weeks ago. In a practical sense, Brennan has ended up exactly where Obama wanted him all along.
— A. Serwer
