Report on CIA details 'brutal' post-9/11 interrogations

[webfact]

Report on CIA details 'brutal' post-9/11 interrogations

WASHINGTON: -- The CIA carried out "brutal" interrogations of al-Qaeda suspects in the years after the 9/11 attacks on the US, a US Senate report has said.

The summary of the report, compiled by Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the CIA had misled Americans about what it was doing.

The information the CIA collected this way failed to secure information that foiled any threats, the report said.

In a statement, the CIA insisted the interrogations had helped save lives.

"The intelligence gained from the programme was critical to our understanding of al-Qaeda and continues to inform our counterterrorism efforts to this day," director John Brennan said.

However, the CIA also acknowledged mistakes in the programme, especially early on when it was unprepared for the scale of the operation to detain and interrogate prisoners.

The CIA programme - known internally as Rendition, Detention and Interrogation - took place from 2002-07, during the presidency of George W Bush.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30401100


-- BBC 2014-12-10

[Mango Bob]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

[dexterm]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

Apparently not even one life was saved. But at least one prisoner was tortured to death.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cia-torture-report-shows-the-cia-tortured-suspects-at-secret-overseas-sites-for-years-achieved-nothing-from-it-and-lied-about-it-9913901.html

"Regular beatings, slamming detainees against walls, soaking them in cold water, ice baths, extended periods of sleep deprivation – lasting for one month in one case – confining them to small spaces and even threatening them repeatedly with death while in custody, were among the methods used to try to make detainees talk. At least three detainees were told their families would be killed if they didn’t co-operate."

...more disturbing account in the link. The hypocrisy of the home of the brave and land of the free is astounding.

Makes you wonder who the terrorists really are.

Edited December 10, 2014 by dexterm

[zaphod reborn]

No surprise here. The Bush-Cheney administration was lawless. Why hide your torture techniques and try to cover up any investigation into them? Al Qaeda publicizes its beheadings on youtube. No reason for secrecy, unless what was being done violated US laws. International law is irrelevant in the US as the US wisely does not allow the Euros to have jurisdistic supremacy through its weak-kneed international agencies like the UN and ICC.

[bobbin]

It's shameful. I had to stop reading the Guardian report.

The moral high ground well and truly lost......

[Major4608]

It was a tough time for the US. The country was responding to an attack on it's soil. Yes, there was a period when the gloves came off. Many government's around the globe looked the other way during this time.

[Ulysses G.]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

Apparently not even one life was saved.

Au contraire. Thousands of lives were saved and Bin Ladin was caught because of this program. NO current or former CIA officials were interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee for their report - NONE. It is a partisan sham.

The former directors argue that the CIA interrogation program “saved thousands of lives” by helping lead to the capture of top al Qaeda operatives and disrupting their plotting.

"A powerful example of the interrogation program’s importance is the information obtained from Abu Zubaydah, a senior al Qaeda operative, and from Khalid Sheik Muhammed, known as KSM, the 9/11 mastermind,” the former directors write. "We are convinced that both would not have talked absent the interrogation program.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cia-directors-interrogation-program-saved-thousands-lives/story?id=27470215

[dexterm]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

Apparently not even one life was saved.

Au contraire. Thousands of lives were saved and Bin Ladin was caught because of this program. NO current or former CIA officials were interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee for their report - NONE. It is a partisan sham.

The former directors argue that the CIA interrogation program “saved thousands of lives” by helping lead to the capture of top al Qaeda operatives and disrupting their plotting.

"A powerful example of the interrogation program’s importance is the information obtained from Abu Zubaydah, a senior al Qaeda operative, and from Khalid Sheik Muhammed, known as KSM, the 9/11 mastermind,” the former directors write. "We are convinced that both would not have talked absent the interrogation program.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cia-directors-interrogation-program-saved-thousands-lives/story?id=27470215

Well, they would say that wouldn't they.

"The Senate report squarely rebuts CIA claims that the use of such methods generated intelligence that prevented further terrorist attacks and therefore saved lives. Feinstein said its investigators had not found a single case where that was true. Detainees who underwent torture either disclosed nothing, or supplied fabricated information, or revealed information that had been already been discovered through traditional, non-violent interrogation techniques."

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/09/cia-torture-report-released

...well worth a read of the horrific torture used.

And the contractor psychologists who advised on the useless torture techniques have received $81m of taxpayers money to boot.

Edited December 10, 2014 by dexterm

[ezzra]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

[F430murci]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

Apparently not even one life was saved. But at least one prisoner was tortured to death.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cia-torture-report-shows-the-cia-tortured-suspects-at-secret-overseas-sites-for-years-achieved-nothing-from-it-and-lied-about-it-9913901.html

"Regular beatings, slamming detainees against walls, soaking them in cold water, ice baths, extended periods of sleep deprivation lasting for one month in one case confining them to small spaces and even threatening them repeatedly with death while in custody, were among the methods used to try to make detainees talk. At least three detainees were told their families would be killed if they didnt co-operate."

...more disturbing account in the link. The hypocrisy of the home of the brave and land of the free is astounding.

Makes you wonder who the terrorists really are.

That us just bs political double talk that anyone with an ounce of sense could see through, unless they also have an agenda.

Fact is, try as they might, terrorists have been impotent little cowards when it comes to terrorists acts on US soil since US got serious about stopping this nonsense.

You may be right in that we don't need GITMO and CIA tactics anymore. Now we have drones. Much better for handling the problem and keeps US personnel out of harms way.

[Ulysses G.]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

Apparently not even one life was saved.

Au contraire. Thousands of lives were saved and Bin Ladin was caught because of this program. NO current or former CIA officials were interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee for their report - NONE. It is a partisan sham.

The former directors argue that the CIA interrogation program saved thousands of lives by helping lead to the capture of top al Qaeda operatives and disrupting their plotting.

"A powerful example of the interrogation programs importance is the information obtained from Abu Zubaydah, a senior al Qaeda operative, and from Khalid Sheik Muhammed, known as KSM, the 9/11 mastermind, the former directors write. "We are convinced that both would not have talked absent the interrogation program.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cia-directors-interrogation-program-saved-thousands-lives/story?id=27470215

Well, they would say that wouldn't they.

Well of course. It is the truth and there is plenty of evidence on their side - not that the public will see it in this report. NO current or former CIA officials were interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee for their report - NONE. The report is a PARTISAN SHAM.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[dexterm]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

Your post reflects badly on you and maybe attitudes like yours are the reason USA is targeted in the first place.

[F430murci]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

Your post reflects badly on you and maybe attitudes like yours are the reason USA is targeted in the first place.

Jealousy breeds resentment. Resentment breeds hate. Hate breeds terrorism.

All starts with jealousy so unless the US became pathetic like many of the countries that target us, there will always be losers from those countries targeting us.

[Ulysses G.]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

Your post reflects badly on you and maybe attitudes like yours are the reason USA is targeted in the first place.

Why do you constantly make excuses and justifications for terrorists and try to demonize anyone trying to stop them?

[dexterm]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

Your post reflects badly on you and maybe attitudes like yours are the reason USA is targeted in the first place.

Why do you constantly make excuses and justifications for terrorists and try to demonize anyone trying to stop them?

It's a pity that down through the annals of history more people hadn't criticized their government's nefarious actions

Doesn't it bother you at all that the USA, the great champion of freedom and democracy, by using torture is lending itself open to accusations of hypocrisy.

If rednecks on this forum can attempt to spin the report's findings to justify their government's actions, don't you think that the CIA has just given ammunition to the terrorists to do the same to justify theirs.

Using futile torture techniques...Central Intelligence?? Agency...a pretty dumb call IMO.

Edited December 10, 2014 by dexterm

[Ulysses G.]

The terrorists don't NEED any justifications to torture and kill. They do both regularly. Any technique that stops mass murderers from killing another innocent civilian is justified in my book, but it should not publicized. This report is a partisan sham and it should have never been released. It gives ammunition to apologists for radical Islam, who are only too happy to pretend that it is true.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[dexterm]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

Your post reflects badly on you and maybe attitudes like yours are the reason USA is targeted in the first place.

Jealousy breeds resentment. Resentment breeds hate. Hate breeds terrorism.

All starts with jealousy so unless the US became pathetic like many of the countries that target us, there will always be losers from those countries targeting us.

I remember Dubya chanting a similar mantra after 911..."America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world."

The terrorists didn't give a hoot about the American way of life. They attacked because USA was sticking its nose into their way of life.

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory post removed.

[dexterm]

The terrorists don't NEED any justifications to torture and kill. They do both regularly. Any technique that stops mass murderers from killing another innocent civilian is justified in my book, but it should not publicized. This report is a partisan sham and it should have never been released. It gives ammunition to apologists for radical Islam, who are only too happy to pretend that it is true.

So you're saying better to be double hypocrites: bring yourself down to the same moral level as the terrorists by using torture, then hide the fact if you are found out.

[F430murci]

Note to terrorists and would be terrorists.. no body promise you a rose garden, you knew

very well what are the risks associated with those terrorist actives, we see you on Al-Jazeera

looking so smug and macho walking around with the ninja outfits and tone of emmo and guns,

now take it like the piece of crap that you're,

just say thanks to your Allah the Israelis didn't interrogate you...

Your post reflects badly on you and maybe attitudes like yours are the reason USA is targeted in the first place.

Why do you constantly make excuses and justifications for terrorists and try to demonize anyone trying to stop them?

It's a pity that down through the annals of history more people hadn't criticized their government's nefarious actions

Doesn't it bother you at all that the USA, the great champion of freedom and democracy, by using torture is lending itself open to accusations of hypocrisy.

If rednecks on this forum can attempt to spin the report's findings to justify their government's actions, don't you think that the CIA has just given ammunition to the terrorists to do the same to justify theirs.

Using futile torture techniques...Central Intelligence?? Agency...a pretty dumb call IMO.

Torture one scum bag to save a hundred innocent Americans any day of the week. Heck, torture the scum bag terrorist if it will save one innocent US man, woman or child. We need to make the business of terrorism have serious repercussions.

Don't confuse us with other scum bag countries that torture for the sadistic thrill or torturing people. Sure water boarding sucks, but so does acid being thrown on you or being stoned for no reason except jealousy. How about burning people alive in barrels (Syria, Mexico, Guatamala, Columbia) or bearing people with baseball bats but keeping them alive with IVs (Russia). Water boarding seems like a pretty civilized manner if extracting information when you consider examples of real torture.

[NeverSure]

-snip-

Makes you wonder who the terrorists really are.

I think you should ask that question to the thousands of people killed on 9/11 and their families. I'll bet they don't care what happened to detainees. Maybe they are your terrorists.

Or you could ask the scores of people who jumped from the Twin Towers to escape burning to death. Maybe they are the terrorists.

Or maybe it was just the Americans who went all-out after terrorists and still do, who are the terrorists.

I really don't give a shit what you think yesterday, today, or tomorrow. I never will.

9/11. Never forget.

[dexterm]

But if non violent good cop psychological techniques produce better results and actually save American lives, then isn't it pretty dumb to give your enemies further ammunition to justify their attacks on you?

The only reason to persist in torture thereafter is for exactly the same reason as "other scumbag countries" do...because they enjoy it.

[Ulysses G.]

Non-violent good cop psychological techniques DON'T produce better results with hardened terrorists. That is why the CIA used enhanced interrogation on them.

[soalbundy]

Torture degrades both the person being tortured and those who are torturing. Even in the middle ages it was recognized that rarely was the truth extracted by torturing as the person being tortured would say anything to make them stop.

[dexterm]

Neversure,

Maybe Americans need to ask more questions about their government's interference in other countries' affairs rather than blindly supporting it as though they can do no wrong, so that terrorist tragedies such a 911 never occur again.

A case in point with the OP. Many on this forum rather than challenging the CIA's obscene use of torture, are falling over themselves trying to defend it.

Just creates a cycle of violence.

[Ulysses G.]

the person being tortured would say anything to make them stop.

Including telling the truth. Interrogators have questioning techniques that separate the truth from lies.

[Don Aleman]

I applaud the CIA for finally treating these murderers as they treat the world's citizens.

[frollywolly]

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

You can expect US citizens to receive the same treatment in future. Now fully sanctioned by America itself.

[Ulysses G.]

Many on this forum rather than challenging the CIA's obscene use of torture, are falling over themselves trying to defend it.

You are very selective about your outrage. Islamic terrorists targeting innocent civilians never seem to bother you much - only the actions of those trying to defeat them

[JCauto]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

If it smells like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist, torture it as a terrorist. You can always say your sorry later. If one life was saved by doing this I am all for it. Screw the Democratic liberals.

Good thinking! Let's see, if I chop off one of these hydra heads, two more sprout up in its place. I know, let's chop off MORE hydra heads at a faster rate, that will solve the problem!