That's news because Preston's nomination had been held up by Senator Mark Udall and became a proxy battle in Congress's struggle with the CIA over a damning 6,000-page report on the agency's torture program. The report, which cost $40 million, apparently provides definitive proof that the torture program was ineffective, even counterproductive, and was deceptively sold to Congress. The condition of Preston's confirmation was answers to questions from Sen. Udall, which were obtained by The New Yorker...
While the Pentagon's new talking head dissembles interest in "greater transparency," Kevin Gosztola at Firedoglake reminds us of the larger issues at stake:
"no persons involved in torture have been held accountable for their involvement. The Justice Department has consciously chosen not to prosecute current and former government officials. Even though the administration issued an Executive Order intended to discontinue the official use of torture or 'enhanced interrogation techniques,' the Obama administration has effectively decriminalized torture. In fact, sleep deprivation and sensory deprivation through drugs that do not cause 'permanent derangement' can still be used against detainees."
