Trump's pick for new CIA chief dogged by secret prisons

[webfact]

Trump's pick for new CIA chief dogged by secret prisons

By John Walcott and Warren Strobel

 

Gina Haspel, a veteran CIA clandestine officer picked by U.S. President Donald Trump to head the Central Intelligence Agency, is shown in this handout photograph released on March 13, 2018. CIA/Handout via Reuters

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gina Haspel, the veteran CIA undercover officer President Donald Trump picked on Tuesday to head the agency, is supported by many in the U.S. intelligence community but has faced criticism for overseeing a secret CIA prison in Thailand where detainees were tortured.

 

Intelligence officers who served with her, and congressional officials said that in 2002, during Republican President George W. Bush's administration, she was responsible for the secret prison code-named "Cat's Eye." Two suspected members of the al Qaeda militant group were subjected to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques at the facility.

 

Three years later, still during Bush's presidency, she carried out an order to destroy videotapes of the waterboarding, which simulates drowning and is considered a form of torture, according to those people.

 

Haspel is generally held in high regard at the CIA, working as deputy director under Mike Pompeo, whom Trump nominated to be the next secretary of state on Tuesday after firing Rex Tillerson from the post.

 

If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would become the first woman to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. But she could face close scrutiny in her confirmation hearings over her involvement in "black site" facilities, so called because their existence is unacknowledged by the U.S. government.

 

Her nomination faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, which Trump's fellow Republicans control 51-49. She could be opposed by all the Democrats, and some Republicans may also oppose her, including Senator Rand Paul, who has called a news conference on Wednesday to discuss the nomination.

 

"The torture of detainees in U.S. custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history," said Republican Senator John McCain, who was himself tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. "Ms. Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA's interrogation program during the confirmation process."

 

In 2009, days after taking office, Democratic President Barack Obama banned "enhanced interrogation techniques," including waterboarding, and ordered the closure of the secret detention sites.

 

Trump defended the torture of detainees during the 2016 presidential race, saying it "works." He has not taken any action to reverse Obama's policy, but Haspel's nomination will fan concerns.

 

'REOPEN WOUNDS'

 

"This is going to reopen wounds from a decade and more ago, and also invite more oversight of both our analyses and our activities, especially if Gina is confirmed," said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

On Tuesday, some U.S. intelligence officials said reports of her alleged involvement in interrogations involving torture were false. But they did not immediately provide details.

 

They did not dispute her involvement in drafting orders to destroy videotapes of harsh interrogation techniques, which was reported in the book "Hard Measures," by Jose Rodriguez, her boss in the agency at the time, and former CIA spokesman Bill Harlow.

 

A CIA spokesman had no immediate comment.

 

Democrats voiced opposition, including their top person on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, who said senators had "a lot of questions" about Haspel and they "deserved to have those questions answered, in an open hearing setting."

 

Committee Chairman Richard Burr, a Republican, promised to support her nomination and said he was "proud" of her work.

 

If confirmed, Haspel would face immediate tests on policy, said three current intelligence officials. One is whether she and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis can prepare Trump adequately for his planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

A second, they said, is if she can help persuade Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin is an increasingly aggressive adversary, and that failing to confront him would weaken U.S. relations with its closest allies and with the CIA's most valuable partners.

 

"She may face the same tough choice that Tillerson and others have faced: Stick to your convictions or knuckle under to keep your job," a fourth official said.

 

Iran is a third test, those officials said. The U.S. intelligence assessment is that the 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear weapons program is on balance a good one, and that Trump's criticism of it threatens efforts to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions and ties with the other nations that negotiated the pact, China, France, Germany, Britain and Russia.

 

Some current and former CIA officials said they saw some benefit to naming an insider to head the agency.

 

"There is no question that a director leaving after a year is very turbulent for the agency," said former CIA Director Michael Hayden. "That said, leaving Gina and making her the actual director will have a very positive calming influence."

 

Trump told reporters he had worked closely with Haspel and considered her "an outstanding person."

 

Haspel has served in a number of undercover overseas posts, including as chief of the CIA's station in London and its base in New York. Then-CIA Director John Brennan in 2013 named her deputy director of National Clandestine Service, but she was denied a permanent promotion in the face of congressional opposition.

 

Daniel Hoffman, a former three-time station chief for the CIA, praised Haspel and said her nomination sent a powerful message inside the agency because she came up from the lower ranks.

 

"She’s somebody who tries to bring disparate elements together," the kind of collaboration that is important in intelligence work, said Hoffman. "She’s got the highest level of intellectual integrity and honesty."

 

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Mary Milliken, Will Dunham and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-14

[Rhys]

 The camp in Issan?

[faraday]

5 minutes ago, Rhys said:

 The camp in Issan?

What camp?

Where?

[Rhys]

1 minute ago, faraday said:

What camp?

Where?

.... the one with the landing strip...5555

[PhonThong]

"Cats Eye" was closed in 2002

[Boon Mee]

What's not to like about this choice for CIA Chief?

First woman to head that agency so the feminists should be happy?

[boomerangutang]

3 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

What's not to like about this choice for CIA Chief?

First woman to head that agency so the feminists should be happy?

What does it have to do with feminism?  Oh, I get it, because she's a woman, feminists are supposed to be happy.  Women can be as mentally screwed-up as men.  I think any feminist will agree with that.

 

 

[bannork]

Just now, Rhys said:

.... the one with the landing strip...5555

That's the VOA site on the road about 7 km out of Ban Dung on the road to Phen.

[nausea]

She sounds a bit like the character Amanda Waller in the movie Suicide Squad, destroying evidence and all that:

 

 

[William T]

4 hours ago, faraday said:

What camp?

Where?

Utapao Air Base.

Edited March 14, 2018 by William T

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, bannork said:

That's the VOA site on the road about 7 km out of Ban Dung on the road to Phen.

That's what I read and seems quite certain.

In Udon Thani province.

Al-Qaeda terrorists been secretly flown in and interrogated "enhanced".

 

14 minutes ago, William T said:

Utapao Air Base.

Unlikely.

Edited March 14, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Fortean1]

My guess would be the Royal Thai Marine base near U-Tapao.  It was built

by the U.S. Army in the late 1960s, and named Camp Samae San.  When I

tried to visit in 2006, I heard the guard tell my nephew-in-law, a Customs

Policeman, that the base was Top Secret.  A fairly secluded base on the

Gulf of Thailand shore, any number of buildings could serve as a small

prison, and U-Tapao International Airport could bring in CIA prisoners.

 

Terry

a few miles south of Hua Hin

[William T]

6 hours ago, Fortean1 said:

My guess would be the Royal Thai Marine base near U-Tapao.  It was built by the U.S. Army in the late 1960s, and named Camp Samae San.  When I tried to visit in 2006, I heard the guard tell my nephew-in-law, a Customs

Policeman, that the base was Top Secret.  A fairly secluded base on the Gulf of Thailand shore, any number of buildings could serve as a small prison, and U-Tapao International Airport could bring in CIA prisoners.

 

 

And when there was a Cobra Gold exercise, sometimes US Marines would 'build' or take over a base at Samet San and US troops were based there during the exercise.

I seem to remember Samet San was a small island but linked to the mainland.

[Jingthing]

Like her or not, she will get confirmed. She knows the CIA system more than Pompeo ever did (who was more of a "trump" political lackey than a CIA head). 

Edited March 14, 2018 by Jingthing

[dunroaming]

10 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

What does it have to do with feminism?  Oh, I get it, because she's a woman, feminists are supposed to be happy.  Women can be as mentally screwed-up as men.  I think any feminist will agree with that.

 

 

Or ask some of the ex-pats living with their loved ones in Thailand.  They can tell you about mentally screwed up women. 

 

Ilse Koch was a woman too but I doubt many feminists warmed to her. 

Edited March 14, 2018 by dunroaming

[Jingthing]

I actually think more women in powerful positions, good or bad, is part of the feminist agenda. Hopefully more good. If we want gender equality, we have to realize there is good and bad in both genders. I don't know enough about this candidate to really judge. I don't like the torture background but I reckon she is more than qualified, so after all the noise, she will get confirmed. 

 

Of course, it's not that simple, a woman in power that was working against gender equality certainly wouldn't be part of a feminist agenda, but a man working towards that WOULD be!

Edited March 14, 2018 by Jingthing

[wabothai]

And now ladies and gentlemen we welcome GINA THE TORTURER.

[Grouse]

How awful

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Daniel Hoffman, a former three-time station chief for the CIA:
"She’s got the highest level of intellectual integrity and honesty."

 

When she's not involved in the destruction of evidence of the torture of detainees, that is... 

Edited March 14, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Psimbo]

My money has always been on U-Tapao as the Black Site. A constant stream of both civil and military aircraft use the place and occasional rendition flights wouldn't stand out compared to other locations.

 

Everything is self contained and it's a massive place to conceal a small site out of sight and out of mind. No need to raise eyebrows transporting people off base and the risk of compromise through vehicle crashes, etc.

 

Not unusual to see westerners around the place compared to deepest darkest Issan. I would expect there to be a small US liaison team based at Utapao/Sattahip any way, which again adds cover.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, wabothai said:

And now ladies and gentlemen we welcome GINA THE TORTURER.

 

From the photo with the OP, she doesn't exactly LOOK like the type who would herself abuse and torture foreign prisoners.

 

More like the type who would give orders for others to abuse and torture foreign prisoners.

 

But who knows... Looks can be deceiving, especially in the CIA!

 

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Morch]

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

When she's not involved in the destruction of evidence of the torture of detainees, that is... 

 

Yeah, but to be clear - she did not order the destruction nor carried it out.

 

2005 CIA interrogation videotapes destruction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_CIA_interrogation_videotapes_destruction

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Yeah, but to be clear - she did not order the destruction nor carried it out.

 

2005 CIA interrogation videotapes destruction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_CIA_interrogation_videotapes_destruction

Quote

According to Rodriguez's memoir, Gina Haspel was responsible for "draft[ing] a cable" ordering the destruction.^[9]

 

Here's the New York Times summary of her today:

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Morch]

@TallGuyJohninBKK

 

Rodriguez was her superior, and the one who ordered the destruction of the evidence...

I'm not saying she wasn't involved, or defending her actions and choices. Just that in effect, she wasn't (as far as I know) charged with anything. Rodriguez, I think, went for immunity first, admitted later.

 

Considering she managed to pass a confirmation process afterwards, and be appointed to a higher position, I doubt this would be an actual issue. I do expect it to made headlines, though, which isn't too bad by itself.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, Morch said:

@TallGuyJohninBKK

Considering she managed to pass a confirmation process afterwards, and be appointed to a higher position, I doubt this would be an actual issue. I do expect it to made headlines, though, which isn't too bad by itself.

 

Well, it does appear that she's run into confirmation problems before...albeit with a different Senate (from her Wiki page):

 

Quote

 

In 2013, John Brennan, then the director of Central Intelligence, named Haspel as acting Director of the National Clandestine Service, which carries out covert operations around the globe.^[19] However, she was not appointed to the position permanently due to criticism about her involvement in the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation program.^[20] Her permanent appointment was opposed by Dianne Feinstein and others in the Senate.^[16][17]

 

Then later:

Quote

On February 2, 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Haspel Deputy Director of the CIA,^[21] a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

 

[Morch]

17 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Well, it does appear that she's run into confirmation problems before...albeit with a different Senate (from her Wiki page):

 

Then later:

 

 

You are right. I stand corrected. Thanks.