The government’s potential terrorist list includes a stunning 450,000 people. More than the security services can keep track off apparently as it seems one of the Boston Bombing suspects had been included prior to the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Any time there is an intelligence failure the different intelligence agencies quickly blame each other in hopes of avoiding scrutiny. Let the blame game begin. The Central Intelligence Agency is now claiming they pushed to have Tamerlan Tsarnaev added to a terrorism watch list a year before the Boston Marathon Bombing.

An 18-year-old Muslim from Aurora, Illinois, was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on April 19, for allegedly planning to travel to join an al Qaeda group fighting in Syria. The FBI claims he was about to board a plane to Istanbul, Turkey, and from there would join Jabhat al-Nusrah, which has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda,

Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, who is a US citizen, was, according to the Chicago Tribune, “charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a felony offense that could bring 15 years in federal prison.”

A major report on the United States government’s use of torture was released on April 16. The product of a two-year intensive study. It examined discussion involving President George W. Bush and his top advisers after 9/11 and the how they had considered inflicting “pain and torment on detainees” in custody as part of challenging the “global terrorist threat.” It also examined how detainees were treated by President Bill Clinton and how they have been treated under President Barack Obama.

Ten human rights groups have sent a letter to President Barack Obama on “shared concerns” related to the “targeted killing” policies of his administration. The letter also makes recommendations the Obama administration can take to make policies accountable and transparent.

The organizations call for the public disclosure of “targeted killing standards and criteria.” They urge the administration to “ensure that US lethal force operations abroad comply with international law.” They request the administration “enable meaningful congressional oversight and judicial review” and also “ensure effective investigations, tracking and response to civilian harm.”

United States government officials like now-CIA director John Brennan have asserted individuals must be a “legitimate target under the law” in order to be targeted and killed. However, top secret intelligence reports indicate “drone strikes in Pakistan over a four-year period didn’t adhere” to such a standard.

The acting head of the CIA’s clandestine service—the first woman to ever hold the position for any period of time—is being considered for the position. But, as reported, her professional history in the agency includes signing off on the destruction of torture tapes with former CIA Counterterrorism Center head, Jose Rodriguez.

I joined Huffington Post Live for a “Political Junkies” segment hosted by Alyona Minkovski. We discussed how the first woman to be in charge of the CIA’s clandestine service signed off on destruction of the CIA’s torture tapes. We also talked a bit about David Petraeus’ apology for having sexual relations with his biographer, which is really for the media because most of Washington, DC, has moved on.

During this time of rebirth and renewal, these religious leaders remind us that we must strongly consider how our government conducts itself on behalf of our nation at home and abroad.

One week before John Brennan assumed office as CIA director, a woman was put in charge of the CIA’s clandestine service. It was the first time in the history of the agency that a female officer was running the agency. But, according to the Washington Post, the officer was one of two CIA officers, who signed off on the destruction of torture tapes in 2005.

The Post reports the woman served in a senior position at the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center after the September 11th attacks. She was in the chain of command for the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation program (RDI).

The CIA recorded brutal interrogations of prisoners with a video camera in a secret prison in Thailand. Over ninety tapes were ultimately recorded.