[Infowarrior] - Blair Pledges New Approach to Counterterrorism

[Richard Forno]

January 23, 2009
Blair Pledges New Approach to Counterterrorism
By SCOTT SHANE
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/us/politics/23blaircnd.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

WASHINGTON — Dennis C. Blair, the retired admiral who is President  
Obama’s choice as the nation’s top intelligence official, pledged in  
testimony to be delivered on Thursday that he would require  
counterterrorism programs to operate “in a manner consistent with our  
nation’s values, consistent with our Constitution and consistent with  
the rule of law.”

Mr. Blair appeared to drawing a sharp contrast with Bush  
administration policies. He indirectly criticized the eavesdropping  
without warrants by the National Security Agency and harsh  
interrogation methods used by the Central Intelligence Agency during  
the Bush presidency.

“The intelligence agencies of the United States must respect the  
privacy and civil liberties of the American people, and they must  
adhere to the rule of law,” Mr. Blair said in testimony prepared for  
his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee,  
scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Addressing complaints that the intelligence agencies have evaded  
Congressional oversight and skirted the law, Mr. Blair promised a  
different approach.

“I do not and will not support any surveillance activities that  
circumvent established processes for their lawful authorization,” he  
said in the testimony. “I believe in the importance of independent  
monitoring, including by Congress, to prevent abuses and protect civil  
liberties.”

In an unusual comment from a man who will head the most secret  
agencies of government, he said, “There is a need for transparency and  
accountability in a mission where most work necessarily remains hidden  
from public view.” He said that if confirmed, he would “communicate  
frequently and candidly with the oversight committees, and as much as  
possible with the American people.”

On the issue of detainee treatment, perhaps the most divisive security  
issue since 2001, Mr. Blair called torture “not moral, legal or  
effective” and said any interrogation program would have to comply  
with the Geneva Conventions, the Convention against Torture and the  
Constitution.

Mr. Blair is a sixth-generation Naval officer whose last job in the  
military was to command all American forces in the Pacific. Though not  
a career intelligence professional, he served for two years as a  
senior C.I.A. official. He referred indirectly to the flawed  
intelligence before the Iraq war, when the Bush White House pressed  
the agencies for information on the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.

“There is an obligation to speak truth to power,” he said, adding that  
he would honestly present “unpleasant” facts to the president.

He said he would seek an “extremely important balance” for the 16  
intelligence agencies, which employ about 100,000 people, suggesting  
that he would emphasize the soft power of diplomacy and economic  
development as well as the tougher counterterrorism efforts that got  
most attention under President Bush.

He said that in addition to backing the military and intelligence  
operatives in hunting down terrorists, the agencies should support  
“policymakers who are looking for opportunities to engage and work  
with Arab and Muslim leaders who are striving for a progressive and  
peaceful future for their religion and their countries.”