Hicks For Congress Opposes Haspel For Director Of CIA

QUEENS, N.Y. - March 13, 2018 - PRLog -- President Trump today nominated deputy CIA director Gina Haspel to be the next DCIA, or Director of Central Intelligence. Haspell has made her career as a torturer. Torture is outlawed by the the 8th Amendment of the Bill of Rights, a protection against "cruel and unusual punishment."

Sander Hicks is running for US Congress to stand up for the civil liberties that have been under attack since 9/11, by a Federal war state out of control. Haspel played a leading role in running a US torture site abroad, a secret prison in Thailand that tortured two terrorism suspects. That torture took place within the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" program, in which suspected terrorists are sent to US allies, and interrogated in "black sites." For example, Abu Zubayda, under Haspel, was waterboarded 83 times in one month and had his head slammed into walls. He was deprived of sleep, and kept in a coffin-like box. Interrogators later decided he didn't have any useful information.

My campaign and I are shocked that thus far there has been little opposition party resistance to Haspel's nomination. This path Democratic and GOP legislators have put our country on heralds the revival of the torture program in this country. Our nation can not support "enhanced interrogation" or appoint to high office any persons with a history of engaging in this criminal behavior. Torture is a war crime, and any American officials supporting or implementing programs of torture should be subject to trial for those crimes.

The 14 Democrats in the Senate who are working with Trump to confirm Gina Haspel for CIA director must be held accountable.  Trump is a dangerous sociopath.

We are especially disappointed with NY Senator Chuck Schumer's lack of leadership on this issue.  Senator Schumer's tireless efforts to create security for Israel are put in jeopardy by allowing our nation to once again engage in violent interrogation tactics, which catalyze radicalization in the Middle East. For these reasons, supporting Haspel's nomination is contradictory to US security interests.  We must appoint candidates to office who espouse our democratic values.

I offer this alternative: an American leader who has demonstrated the importance of acting heroically in the face of danger, and that understands necessity to restrain power and to ensure power is used responsibly. Former Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK) would make a much better nomination for the role of CIA director.  Gravel recently helped Congress release the "28 Pages" in Summer of 2016, and read the "Pentagon Papers" into the Congressional Record in the late 60's.

Hicks for Congress stands for intelligence agency reform, CIA overhaul, and the end of torture. All Deep State crimes need to be investigated. We the People must re-assert our control over the government agencies we pay for. www.hicksforcongress.com