House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) denied Thursday her leadership has been threatened over questions about the extent of her knowledge of the CIA's interrogation tactics for terrorist detainees.
Pelosi told CNBC in an interview to air tonight that the situation has "absolutely not" hurt her leadership after having asserted earlier today that the CIA had lied to Congress in its briefings.
"But, you know, the Republicans are having their fun," Pelosi said before blaming the GOP for developing the very policies on which the speaker has denied being briefed beyond a single meeting in 2002.
"They conceived, developed and implemented techniques that were counter to our beliefs as a country," Pelosi said.
"Karl Rove is going to say what Karl Rove has said, so why even go there?" she asked, referencing the former Bush political guru's suggestion that Pelosi had been an "accomplice to torture."
She also downplayed comedian Jon Stewart's grilling of Congress on the issue on the "Daily Show."
"Jon Stewart, I'm a big fan, I watch him every night and mocking Congress is just stock and trade of what many of those shows do," Pelosi said.
The release of photos of detainee abuse at the hands of the U.S. military would serve little purpose and potentially endanger American troops, President Obama said Wednesday.
Obama said the photos were part of a closed investigation into abuses and are "not particularly sensational" in nature.
"It's therefore my belief that the publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals," Obama said during an availability this afternoon in which he also spoke about the ongoing situation in Sri Lanka. "In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger."
The president reversed course on the release of the photos today, leaving it having to explain its decision to backtrack on the photos.
Former British Prime Minister and Middle Eastern peace envoy Tony Blair will testify Thursday on Capitol Hill about the peace process.
Blair will testify Thursday afternoon before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is holding a hearing on the status of the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians.
"Since ending his decade of service as Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair has continued to lead on global challenges from development in Africa to interfaith tolerance to climate change," Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) said in a statement about the hearing. "Tony Blair left office and volunteered for another tough assignment: Middle East Quartet Representative. I look forward to hearing his thoughts on the prospects for peace in the Middle East."
Blair left office in 2007 after more than 10 years as prime minister, during which he forged a close alliance with two U.S. presidents, especially George W. Bush, with whom he helped initiate the ongoing military engagement in Iraq.
He was named envoy to the Middle East by the U.S., United Nations, European Union, and Russia shortly after leaving office.
The Obama administration on Wednesday endorsed the House version of the 2009 war emergency funding, thanking lawmakers for not including "earmarks."
The statement of administration policy issued by the Office of Management and Budget comes as a surprise particularly after House appropriators added about $13 billion to the White House's $83.4 billion request.
Among the additions are funds for more Boeing C-17s, Lockheed Martin C-130Js and General Dynamics' Stryker combat vehicles-all money that the Obama administration did not request.
But the need to fund operations in Afghanistan and the new strategy in that region, as well as the conflict Iraq may be overshadowing what normally would be considered parochial interests.
"We face a security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that demands urgent attention. The Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda continues to operate from its safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border," the OMB said in its statement. "The administration urges the Congress to move expeditiously to approve this funding to help the people of Iraq take responsibility for their own future and work to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
The statement goes on to say that, "the Administration appreciates that no earmarks are included in the bill, and that emergency funding was limited to non-recurring costs such as wildland fire management and the influenza outbreak."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made a surprise trip to Iraq this weekend, meeting with the country's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and other top officials.
Pelosi talked about the progress made in laying the groundwork for the eventual, announced withdrawal of troops by the summer of next year.
"If we are going to have a diminished physical military presence, we are have to have a strong intelligence presence," Pelosi said, according to the Associated Press. "We are aware that there are problems, but both the Iraqi government and parliament are trying to make use of the partnership between us and the United States in order to solve problems."
Pelosi has been a longtime critic of the war in Iraq, as well as critical of the so-called "surge" of troops several years ago widely credited with turning the tide in the war.
A prominent Muslim opposition group in Egypt dismissed President Obama's planned speech in Egypt as a play to support Israel.
"The U.S. administration is trying to use each of these countries individually to serve the American agenda and American interests, in addition to securing, promoting, protecting and guaranteeing the superiority of the Zionist entity [Israel]," Muslim Brotherhood deputy leader Mohamed Habib told Reuters.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni group based throughout the Middle East seeking to institute Islamic governments. Particularly prominent in Egypt, its members have often been targeted by members of the ruling government.
President Obama had committed to making a speech in a major Islamic city as part of his presidential campaign.
Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Kit Bond (R-Mo.) questioned the wisdom of President Obama's decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in the Republican weekly radio address.
"While President Obama has no plan for what to do with these killers, he has pledged to close the terrorist-detention facility in January to fulfill a campaign promise," Bond said.
President Obama will deliver his long-promised speech in a major Arab city during a trip to Egypt, the White House announced Friday.
Obama will deliver a speech on June 4th in Egypt, though the location and details haven't been finalized, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced during the daily briefing.
"The speech will be about America's relations with the Muslim world," Gibbs said.
"I think, obviously, it's a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world," Gibbs explained. "And I think it will be a terrific opportunity for the president to address and discuss our relationship with the Muslim world."
Gibbs said the White House selected the country, but didn't directly answer a question in regards to whether or not the Obama administration considers Egypt a democratic nation.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
