Gibbs: I was told not to acknowledge existence of drone program

[Ban Hammer 14,273]

Robert Gibbs, President Barack Obama's former press secretary, says that he was once instructed by the White House not to acknowledge the administration's use of drones.

"When I went through the process of becoming press secretary, one of the first things they told me was, you're not even to acknowledge the drone program," Gibbs said on MSNBC's "Up With Chris Hayes" on Sunday. "You're not even to discuss that it exists."

Or, to paraphrase an oft-quoted line from David Fincher's 1999 film "Fight Club": The first rule of the drone program is you do not talk about the drone program.

Gibbs, who was recently hired by MSNBC as a contributor, called the proposition "inherently crazy."

"You're being asked a question based on reporting of a program that exists," Gibbs, who served as White House press secretary from 2009 to 2011, said. "So you're the official government spokesperson acting as if the entire program—pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

Obama's former spokesman said that while the administration has recently expressed the need to be more transparent about its use of drones, certain aspects of that program are "highly sensitive" and will likely remain secret.

“I have not talked to him about this, so I want to be careful," Gibbs said, "but I think what the president has seen is, our denial of the existence of the program when it’s obviously happening undermines people’s confidence overall in the decisions that their government makes.”

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[one...two...tree 2,762]

No different from other secret ops. Talking about it would only embolden al qaeda and possible sympathizers around the globe.

[decocker 7,198]

yeah, trying to cover it up has the opposite effect.

[^_^ 5,021]

No different from other secret ops. Talking about it would only embolden al qaeda and possible sympathizers around the globe.

many of whom are right here on this website.

[decocker 7,198]

hi.

[^_^ 5,021]

not u.

[Karee 4,191]

No different from other secret ops. Talking about it would only embolden al qaeda and possible sympathizers around the globe.

Agreed. I don't understand why the public needs to know EVERYTHING the military is doing. Seems counter-productive to me. By that logic we should have published all of our nuclear missile launch sites and launch codes in the daily newspaper during the cold war.

[^_^ 5,021]

Agreed. I don't understand why the public needs to know EVERYTHING the military is doing. Seems counter-productive to me. By that logic we should have published all of our nuclear missile launch sites and launch codes in the daily newspaper during the cold war.

Not just that, we should also publish the identities of the people we want to kill online and make sure our message board warriors agree. Not too many Muslims, not to many Africans, not too many Chinese or Indians or Scandinavians. Not too many men or too many women or too many children, lest we be accused of a war on Africans/Muslims/women/children/Indians.

Our targets should be identified not on the basis of actual threats posed but based on their demographic data. If you're a white middle aged male living in the midwest, guess what? it might be your turn! Didn't do anything? Too bad!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Muslims are the new Christians. All these sofa sergeants can't wait to see robe wearing people around the world dying by remote control. Let the games distract us from all the smoke as economy smolders!

[^_^ 5,021]

Muslims are the new Christians. All these sofa sergeants can't wait to see robe wearing people around the world dying by remote control. Let the games distract us from all the smoke as economy smolders!

the economy is fine.

[decocker 7,198]

By that logic we should have published all of our nuclear missile launch sites and launch codes in the daily newspaper during the cold war.

oh no. not that slippery gd slope again...