So far, there are possible early signs of a future internal conflict within the administration of United States President Barack Obama. It would seem that Obama’s Attorney General and National Intel choices have a slight difference of view. However, the smallest things leave the bigger explosions.
Back in 2008, one of the biggest issues was “waterboarding” which is a form of simulated drowning. Back in March, House Democrats were unable to override then-US President George W. Bush’s veto on the anti-torture bill. With the Obama administration, the issue of waterboarding could be a hot button topic.
The Senate confirmation vote of Eric Holder, Obama’s choice for Attorney General, is put on hold for at least a week. Days before Obama’s confirmation, Holder went before the Senate Judiciary Committee. When asked about waterboarding, Holder said that it was torture.
However, Obama’s National Intel choice, Retired Admiral Dennis Blair says differently. However, it is unknown whether or not Blair sees it as torture. Blair did say that no waterboarding will happen under his command.
“There will be no waterboarding on my watch. There will be no torture on my watch,” Blair had said at the nomination hearing. He is hesitant to call waterboarding a form of torture out of fear of putting agents in legal jeopardy.
Will this cause an internal conflict? We will have to wait to find out. On one hand, Blair did not call it torture. On the other hand, Blair said that there will be neither torture nor waterboarding on his watch.