We all remember how the Democrats used to scorn the Bush administration for Guantanamo and the CIA’s waterboarding practice – once it was publicly known. It turns out, however, that

A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a CIA briefing in early 2003 in which it was made clear that waterboarding and other harsh techniques were being used in the interrogation of an alleged al-Qaeda operative, according to documents the CIA released to Congress on Thursday.

— The Washington Post

Pelosi herself denies any direct (wtf!?) knowledge of the CIA practice, but, still according to The Post

Michael Sheehy, a top Pelosi aide, was present for a classified briefing that included Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), then the ranking minority member of the House intelligence committee, at which agency officials discussed the use of waterboarding on terrorism suspect Abu Zubaida.

Well waddayaknow… (the posting continues after video clip)

U.S. President Barack Obama (D).

“I can stand here today and say without equivocation or exception that the United States of America does not and will not torture,” president Barack Obama said on his visit to the CIA last April, followed by “Don’t be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we’ve made some mistakes,” Obama told the CIA staff. “That’s how we learn. But the fact that we are willing to acknowledge them and then move forward, that is precisely why I am proud to be president of the United States, and that’s why you should be proud to be members of the CIA.” (The San Francisco Chronicle)

But if he – and other leading Democrats – were aware of CIA torture as early as 2003, 2002, maybe, the Democrat’s Bush criticism over both Guantanamo and the waterboarding practice definitely does sound a little hollow. To say the least.

You may also want to see this, by the way, recently released by Amnesty Int’l:

Scandinavian media coverage:

• – Demokratene var informert om vanntorturen – db.no
• And that’s it – so far

P.S. I apologise if the post appears a little under par, even by my standards, but coherent blogging interrupted by kids, constant domestic chores and work, as is the case with most of my blogging, I’m afraid, is something pretty damned close to impossible. Please bear with me.

Top photo: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D)