Feet To The Fire

Feet to the fire is an ancient Hillbilly phrase -- roughly Xlated as maintaining pressure as a control mechanism in pursuit of designs, goals and targets.

Perhaps best understood as in '...holding someones feet to the fire..."

Like Great Satan's bloodsworn enemies.

The refreshingly unrepentant (and nigh indestructable cardiac wise) VP Cheney was and remains a firm believer that in the new millennium the choice between "...changing they way we live..." or making enemies, enemy enablers, fanboys and actualizers change their way of life -- is a prett easy and fun decision to make.


Even in captivity?

Oui m'seur - especially in captivity!


"If it hadn't been for what we did -- with respect to the terrorist surveillance program, or enhanced interrogation techniques for high-value detainees, the Patriot Act, and so forth -- then we would have been attacked again. ...

"Those policies we put in place, in my opinion, were absolutely crucial to getting us through the last seven-plus years without a major-casualty attack on the U.S."

Concerns about Gitmo Dick and his call for releasing the full meal deal on memos generally were believed to have been concrete evidence that enhanced interrogation tech is a wonderful device -- to be deployed if the need -- or even opportunity -- arise.

Now the memos have been unleashed and the Vulcan VP released his own memo on Monday:

"The documents released Monday clearly demonstrate that the individuals subjected to Enhanced Interrogation Techniques provided the bulk of intelligence we gained about al Qaeda. This intelligence saved lives and prevented terrorist attacks. These detainees also, according to the documents, played a role in nearly every capture of al Qaeda members and associates since 2002. "

"The activities of the CIA in carrying out the policies of the Bush Administration were directly responsible for defeating all efforts by al Qaeda to launch further mass casualty attacks against the United States. The people involved deserve our gratitude. They do not deserve to be the targets of political investigations or prosecutions. "

"President Obama’s decision to allow the Justice Department to investigate and possibly prosecute CIA personnel, and his decision to remove authority for interrogation from the CIA to the White House, serves as a reminder, if any were needed, of why so many Americans have doubts about this Administration’s ability to be responsible for our nation’s security"

Peter Bergen (O! He got game bay bee!!) was kind enough to peruse thru and expertly share some of the totally hot! and delish details:

Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian (oh the irony!) al Qaeda logistical cat -- enabler/actualizer -- still with tons of green years ahead of him -- fell into Great Satan's clutches (in the Land of the Pure -- where else?).

Shot up real good, in critical condition (and one hopes -- excruciating agony), the Abu experiance with feet held to the fire were just getting crunk up.

CIA flew in a hot doc from Johns Hopkins to make sure Abu didn't pass on to the perfumed gardens of paradise.

During FBI's tender treatment phase - Abu gave up tons of goodies about creeps in AQ like Khalid Sheik M'Hommed, Jose Padilla and shared some operational methodology.

After such intell was sweetly extracted and acted upon, CIA stepped in with a foreign torture expert and literally -- in a figuritive way -- held Abu's feet to the fire:

"...and Abu Zubaydah was stripped naked, deprived of sleep, subjected to loud noise and wide variations in temperature, and later waterboarded 83 times..."

Oh Snap! -- Say it ain't so!

And the result was nix, nada -- nothing gleaned from Abu -- compared at least to the fun friendly FBI way.

Same thing with KSM. Nothing really happened until Great Satan held his feet to the fire and even then the intell gleaned was kinda thin and not especially correct

"Of the terrorists, alleged and otherwise, cited by the CIA inspector general as being fingered by KSM during his coercive interrogations, only Ohio truck driver Iyman Faris was an actual al Qaeda foot soldier living in the United States who had serious intention to wreak havoc."

"However, he was not much of a competent terrorist: In 2002 he researched the feasibility of bringing down the Brooklyn Bridge by using a blowtorch, an enterprise akin to demolishing the Empire State Building with a firecracker."

Fair enough. Yet this may miss a crucial point.

Enhanced Interrogation Tech -- or torture is a very cool threat to wedge her way into the hearts and minds of committed Al Qaeda, supporters and fence sitters.

These wicked, wicked -- nasty things -- prove that in war time Great Satan is kinda crazy and unpredictable -- all bets are off if creeps or fanboys fall into Great Satan's sharp and painful clutches -- who knows for how long?!

A wonderful signal to the world!

If terrorists raise their hand against Great Satan - they could end up with their assets on the buck naked pyramid pile.

Or have their feet held to the fire.

Pic - "Titular head of GOP on Nat'l Security"