Replies to post #417368 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[benzdealeror2]

Obama bows to the King of Saudi Arabia and now the White House denies it.

They prove once again how stupid they think Americans are.

[StephanieVanbryce]

MORE CHANGE - Obama will be the first U.S. president to attend a White House Seder.




Last night, the White House released President Obama’s schedule for the remainder of the week, which included participation in the White House Seder on Thursday:

.....On Thursday, President Obama will participate in an event at the White House where he will discuss the need to enhance the quality of healthcare afforded to members of our Armed Forces and our Veterans. The Press Secretary will brief in the afternoon. President Obama and his family will mark the beginning of Passover with a Seder at the White House with friends and staff.

The Jerusalem Post notes that Thursday’s event is “believed to be the first White House Seder attended by an American president.” Yesterday, Obama also issued an official White House letter with his “warmest wishes to all celebrating the sacred festival of Passover.” “Chag sameach,” he added.


http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1238562942442&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/08/obama-seder/

[StephanieVanbryce]

MORE CHANGE - C.I.A. Closing Secret Overseas Sites for Terror Detainees

By SCOTT SHANE

WASHINGTON -- The Central Intelligence Agency announced on Thursday that it will no longer use contractors to conduct interrogations, and that it is decommissioning the secret overseas sites where for years it held high-level Al Qaeda prisoners.

In a statement to the agency's work force, the director, Leon E. Panetta, said that the secret detention facilities were no longer in operation, but he suggested that security and maintenance have been continued at the sites at taxpayers' expense.

"I have directed our agency personnel to take charge of the decommissioning process, and have further directed that the contracts for site security be promptly terminated," Mr. Panetta said. "It is estimated that our taking over site security will result in savings of up to $4 million."

The C.I.A. has never revealed the location of its overseas facilities, but intelligence officials, aviation records and news reports have placed them in Afghanistan, Thailand, Poland, Romania and Jordan, among other countries. Agency officials have said that fewer than 100 prisoners were held in them over several years.

In his first week in office, President Obama banned coercive interrogation and ordered the closing of the agency's detention program, though the agency can still hold prisoners for short periods.

Mr. Panetta's statement, along with a classified letter about interrogation policy that he sent Thursday to the Senate and House intelligence oversight committees, underscored the new administration's sharp break with one of the most controversial programs of the Bush administration.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/world/10detain.html