CIA Whistleblower Gone with the Bathwater

So, let me get this straight, my government secretly set up secret overseas prisons where it would secretly send people it suspected of aggression toward the US and then torture them in secret . . . AND the first official head to roll is that of a whistleblower?

Excuse me for being such an innocent, but this NYT account of Mary O. McCarthy's dismissal is just so emblematic of our country's descent into madness, it makes me ill.

The crime against humanity is brushed aside, filed under business as usual, while the crime of the whistleblower is pursued with great vigor. I can only imagine what other criminal policies will now flourish with current and future employees with a conscience duly chastened by this turn of events.

•  Inspector General's office

  Interesting to note that, if the reports are true, she worked in the Inspector General's office, which among other things, is charged with managing the "whistleblower" function, which in classified programs, is especially important, because the whistleblowers do not have the same protections under the act, as employees of other agencies.

  If so, either she had little confidence that the processes in place to blow the whistle on illegal or improper activities would be effective, or perhaps she tried the process and it failed to correct the illegal acts.  

  Also, in some federal agencies the IG office is often a place to transfer and sideline "troublesome" employees.  

  by Eiron on Sat Apr 22, 2006 at 05:35:55 AM PDT

•  But remember, as a soldier ...

  you are LEGALLY REQUIRED, especially if you are a no-power private or lance corporal, to resist the illegal orders of your superiors - no matter how much crap or dangerous duty they assign you in retaliation.

  This is especially true if the illegal stuff is exposed, otherwise you'll go to prison while your superiors cashier out & go to work for Blackwater.

  These principles were established during the Nuremberg Trials, where Germans were the 'bad guys' & we were the 'good guys' & apply to all countries where 'they' are the bad guys & 'we' are the good guys - but shall be inoperative whenever 'we' are the 'bad guys' & 'they' are the 'good guys', which should never happen in any case, because 'we', as the world's last remaining superpower, define who the 'bad guys' & 'good guys' are.

  If, however, you ARE NOT a soldier, but a civilian employee of a quasi-military government agency, you better just keep your damn mouth shut or we will fucking ruin you.

  (sigh)

  That what we get for living in a Leaderless State

  by sidewinder on Sat Apr 22, 2006 at 05:51:40 AM PDT

•  Legal Defense Fund

  We should rally 'round this brave woman as his cronies did Scooter.  I'd be veerrry interested to hear what she had to say in a magazine or tv interview, now that she's already been outed....

  by serrano on Sat Apr 22, 2006 at 06:42:19 AM PDT