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Homeland Security Nominee Withdraws Amid Questions About Torture
June 06, 2009 7:24 AM
President Obama's nominee to be U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis withdrew his name from consideration Friday after it became clear lawmakers would question his involvement in interrogation and detainee policies under President George W. Bush.
Philip Mudd, currently a top official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said he was bowing out because he knew "this position will require the full cooperation with Congress and I believe that if I continue to move forward I will become a distraction to the President and his vital agenda."
Democrats on Capitol Hill had signaled their intention to probe Mudd's knowledge of and role in approving brutal interrogation techniques -- some of which qualify under international law as torture -- used by CIA officials against detainees.
From 2003 through 2005, Mudd was Deputy Director of the Director of Central Intelligence National Counterterrorism Center. He joined the agency in 1985.
Mudd is the second potential Obama administration official to opt out of what was looking to be a grueling confirmatiom process because of ties to Bush-era interrogation policies. President Obama was considering the nomination of intelligence official John Brennan as CIA director when, in November, Brennan withdrew his name from consideration after liberal commentators assailed him as a defender of the Bush administration's counterterrorism programs. Brennan serves as the White House homeland security czar, a position not needing Senate confirmation.
“The President believes that Phil Mudd would have been an excellent Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis but understands his personal decision and the choice he has made," said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro in a statement: "It is with sadness and regret that the President accepted Phil’s withdrawal from consideration as Phil once again demonstrated his duty to country above all things.”
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis continues to be led by Bart Johnson, President Obama's nominee to serve as the DHS Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis
- jpt
June 6, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (19)
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" some of which qualify under international law as torture"
Opinion, not fact. So how do you sway opinion? Put it in the news every day and call it torture. Obviously both senate and house intelligence committees, Democrats and Republicans, didn't believe it was torture 7 years ago. One party has changed it's tune which certainly doesn't scream politically motivated or anything.
Posted by: KR | Jun 8, 2009 9:56:18 AM
Democrats on Capitol Hill had signaled their intention to probe Mudd's knowledge of and role in approving brutal interrogation techniques -- some of which qualify under international law as torture -- used by CIA officials against detainees. *** When Phil Mudd withdrew his nomination, it meant he does not have to reveal any of the interrogation techniques that were used that helped stop the terroist plots against the United States. Smart Guy.
Posted by: d | Jun 7, 2009 8:52:32 PM
Bub,
He is who we thought he was...
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | Jun 7, 2009 10:00:14 AM
Moran says whut?
Posted by: Kazimir Strassman | Jun 7, 2009 8:59:07 AM
By now it should be obvious to everyone who's paying attention that Obama is a center-right, free-market fundamentalist neocon in the same mold as Clinton, Emmanuel, and Hoyer.
He has abandoned the union activists (who helped get him elected) by turning away from labor law reform. He is illegally pressuring the DOJ to not investigate the previous administration's myriad criminal acts, and he continues to appoint monsters like McChrystal & this guy, Phil Mudd, to national security posts.
If only the silly people accusing Obama of having socialist tendencies were right, I wouldn't be so disappointed in this President.
We needed another FDR, & we got another Clinton.
Posted by: Bub | Jun 7, 2009 1:59:21 AM
"It's Bush's fault."
Not any more.
Posted by: Realist | Jun 7, 2009 1:46:34 AM
Why step down? None of the other losers in the current administration did!
Posted by: JustMe | Jun 6, 2009 9:40:23 PM
The torture carried out is illegal under current US LAW. It just shows no one in the White House wants to deal with this or the illegal renditions. It also shows that being Democrat or Republican makes little difference when it comes to crime. Another similarity for you all they both never mention the Israeli nuclear weapon arsenal yet ask everyone else to disarm Hmmm?
Posted by: ae911 | Jun 6, 2009 9:25:15 PM
Tapper,
Kudos on using the right word (torture) in both the headline and the story. You win some rare points for accurate, straightforward journalism.
Posted by: Karen M | Jun 6, 2009 8:54:35 PM
It's Bush's fault.
Posted by: SChaos1701 | Jun 6, 2009 6:13:27 PM
This way Phil Mudd doesn't have to divulge any of the techniques for extracting information from the terrorist. If he had accepted the position he would have to go before Congress to be approved and you bet you bottom dollar that they would ask nothing but questions about these techniques.
Posted by: d | Jun 6, 2009 6:05:59 PM
His name is Mudd.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | Jun 6, 2009 3:12:43 PM
Do you think Janeane Garafalo would work as homeland security chief? She seems to fit all the democratic criteria. She is certainly against torture and has all the experience of working on the show "24". HA,HA!!!
Posted by: Bud | Jun 6, 2009 12:55:46 PM
Graner is in prison writing his book ----"THE BUCK STOPS HERE".
.
Posted by: Old_Red | Jun 6, 2009 11:33:47 AM
I think the main problem might have been he actually filed his taxes correctly every year and would never fit in with the criminal element that comprises Barry's cabinet and administration. Talk about being a Washington outsider!
Posted by: Nancy Dickinson | Jun 6, 2009 10:54:28 AM
Another one bites the dust!
Maybe he doesn't consider himself "criminal"enough to hold the office.
It didn't bother TurboTax Geitner now , did it?
Posted by: American Infidel | Jun 6, 2009 10:47:03 AM
I can't believe this guy has to step down when all the Dems who were briefed about the programs stay on.
He's not going to get his job because Nancy Pelosi and other Congressional/Senate Democrats were too scared int 2002-2008 to tell their far left supporters that they knew what Bush was doing, and hadn't seen anything wrong with it.
Posted by: MayBee | Jun 6, 2009 10:44:14 AM
Another non-vetted political appointment. It seems like this must be a record for any president. my gosh!
Posted by: Curtis Desilets | Jun 6, 2009 9:58:58 AM
"I will become a distraction to the President and his vital agenda."
LOL yeah his agenda to of Marxism is about right.
Posted by: regulas | Jun 6, 2009 8:00:22 AM
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