Spencer Ackerman reports that when asked during a Senate hearing whether waterboarding is torture, only days after Attorney General designate Eric Holder answered in the affirmative, Director of National Intelligence designate Dennis Blair refused to answer:
Blair just refused to answer a very easy question, asked by Sen. Levin: Is waterboarding torture? "I would say that there wil be no waterboarding on my watch, there will be no torture on my watch."
C'mon, a stunned Levin said. Blair: "I'm very much aware there were dedicated officers in the intelligence service who thought they were carrying out activities thought were authorized at the highest levels... I don't intend to reopen those cases of those officers who acted within their duties. I'm hesitant..." He doesn't want to call his intelligence officials torturers, but, you know, still. Waterboarding is is clearly torture.
I'm not sure what to say about this, I just think it should be noted.
-- A. Serwer
