The Senate Intelligence Committee report criticizing the CIA's use of torture on terror suspects appears to portray America's enemies as victims, says Debra Burlingame, sister of the pilot whose jet was crashed into the Pentagon by al-Qaida hijackers on 9/11.
"The American people … didn't get to see the gruesome details and live through the gruesome details in a way that the families did," Burlingame, sister of Capt. Charles "Chic" Burlingame, said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
"I believe that what the CIA did and other intelligence agencies in the larger intelligence community did to protect this country was not only necessary, it was effective," she said.
"It was absolutely supported by members of Congress who … not only gave it the green light to go forward, but who said, can't you do more?"
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In fact, Burlingame added, there was no one more aggressive than members of Congress in pursuing the terrorist plotters.
"Remember, United Flight 93 was headed right their way, Congress was in session that morning and if United 93 had hit that building they all know they might not be breathing," she said.
Burlingame, co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America and Keep America Safe, added:
"You might remember that in the summer of 2008, the acknowledged future attorney general, Eric Holder, was campaigning for his future boss.
"And he described … the Bush era methods not only as torture, but he promised, in front of a group of liberal lawyers … that there would be a reckoning and they tried very, very hard to make that reckoning come true."
But, she said, the courts have ruled there was no violation of law.