Panetta: Enhanced interrogation did not lead to bin Laden

Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday that "We could have gotten bin Laden without" enhanced interrogation techniques, despite the implication in the film "Zero Dark Thirty" that the techniques, called torture by opponents, played a pivotal role in finding bin Laden.

"First of all, it's a movie," Panetta said on NBC's "Meet the Press". "Let's remember that."

Saying he "lived the real story," Panetta added that "in order to put the puzzle of intelligence together that led us to bin Laden, there was a lot of intelligence. There were a lot of pieces out there that were part of that puzzle."

Panetta went on to say that there was at least some truth to the notion that enhanced interrogation was part of the hunt for bin Laden.

"Yes, some of it came from some of the tactics that were used at that time, interrogation tactics that were used," he admitted. "But the fact is we put together most of that intelligence without having to resort to that."

NBC's Chuck Todd followed up: "And you think you could have gotten it without any?"

Panetta replied: "I think we could have gotten bin Laden without that."

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Panetta's argument largely mirrors a similar point he made in May 2011, shortly after the raid that led to bin Laden's death, in a letter to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"Nearly 10 years of intensive intelligence work led the CIA to conclude that Bin Laden was likely hiding at the compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan," wrote Panetta, then head of the CIA. "There was no one 'essential and indispensible' key piece of information that led us to this conclusion."

"Some of the detainees who provided useful information...had been subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques," he continued. "Whether those techniques were the 'only timely and effective way' to obtain such information is a matter of debate and cannot be established definitively."

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"Zero Dark Thirty" has been nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film is a heavily researched, though fictitious, chronicle of the search for Osama bin Laden that resulted in his capture and execution by U.S. forces in May 2011.

[eroteme2]

Our new enhanced inerrogations will go something like this: Questioning a terrorist who was found with bombs in his shoes and bombs strapped to his chest, our interrogator will ask, "Do you have anything to tell us about your terrorist activities?" The terrorist will reply, "No." Our interrogator will then say, "Well thanks anyway, just thought I'd ask."

[nearl451]

The hawkish Panetta is 100% correct on this issue.

It is a natural human tendency to attempt to justify questionable actions by claiming they are more effective than they actually are.

Fact is that alot of professional CIA interrogators did alot of good work before "for profit" corporations sold the Bush Administration and CIA leadership on these techniques. The net benefit afterwards wll be debated for decades.

[aliasooze]

He disarmed our marines in Afghanistan. Outgoing? Only MSM would see this character as outgoing.
Those that support the "enhanced interrogation" should check the FBI list of flag words and who the FBI thinks might be terrorists. I'm sure you'll fit in there in several places.
They will never call it was it is.

[waylonf15]

BENGHAZI TRUTH from Lt Col Reasor, USAF F-15 Commander; Here is the law on military power - Obama ordered the stand down, because he is the only one besides Panetta who has the authority TO order the stand down. Standing orders are to employ to save lives, it would have happened automatically under General Ham (AFRICOM CC). You have to order it to stop. Read on if you want truth...
Panetta lied about assessing the "risk" prior to sending in troops. General Hamm, the ARICOM CC constantly assesses the risk, and constantly assesses the location and threat. That was his full time job in accordance with Goldwater reorganization of 1964. Here how it is supposed to work...each region of the world has a commander in charge of intelligence, logistics, political assessment, threat and risk as well as employment. IF you trusted your regional commanders to do the job, all you do is give the boundaries of the employment doctrine and watch the pro's do the work. YOU DO NOT PULL THE TRIGGER FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, because it takes time to gain the situational awareness that General Ham already has. It was a lack of trust that got them killed. Benghazi was, and is LOW risk for fighter operations as it has no integrated air defenses, no fighters, no AAA. It is also right on the coast so you can even employ from international waters and never even need to be in their airspace to it targets in Benghazi with standoff weapons.

Luckily, we fighter pilots are trained to fight right over the LOW threat with our 20mm gun. Deadly accurate, low collateral damage and no match for hand held guns. Where were the fighters? There are in the Mediterranean Sea Navy (F-18), and siting alert in Italy USAF (F-16). There is always F-18 in the air 24/7 around a carrier, usually over 100 miles from the carrier to protect it. They are experts at hitting small targets with that gun. An F-18 travels 100 miles in 10 minutes...going easy. Look at the med...The carriers are never near coastal areas. There is almost no place anywhere in the med that the F-18 is more than 48 minutes away from Benghazi coast. Here is what killed them, arrogance and ignorance of the president combined with a need for control. General Ham and the Admiral Gaouett had this exact conversation with him. He didn't trust them, and HE ordered the stand down himself. Why do I know, because the AFRICAM CC has siting order to employ when fired upon...only the president or Panetta can order a stand down. Panetta would defer to Obama. Obama ordered it as he is the only one with the authority TO order it.

Now does he have the authority to do it, yes he does. But he should stand up, and take responsibility for his orders. Good leaders never hide bad news. Yes, you can quote me, Lt Col Reasor, USAF F-15 Squadron Commander.

[Calvinius]

The idea that there WAS any order to stand down is a figment of conservative bloggers' imaginations.

[LMills259]

Well, it looks like the propagandists have won. We are now accepting their term "enhanced interrogation". If CBS or the other news outlets had any balls, they'd refuse to play this game, and just say TORTURE. Instead, it's pretty euphemisms so we don't have to face the awful truth about who we are becoming. Sad and cowardly.

[WWIIWWII]

Basic training in the US Army would be torture to you.

[MPMcDonald]

Some of the CIA had different views.
There is a current video by aei. org that shows former CIA officers discussing the film and its accuracy. I'd link it, but it seems we're not allowed to post links.

Also, I'm kind of surprised at the outcry over the interrogation techniques when our current policy pretty much just sentences any suspected terrorist to death via a drone.

[Calvinius]

Yes, former CIA officers who were involved in the torture program.

All of whom ought to be executed.

[oldoc44]

Maybe simply "winning the hearts and minds" of captured terrorist suspects would be the bast way to garner info that would save American lives and thwart attacks, etc. Cookies and milk and some friendly chatter would surely do the trick...LOL. Whatever we have to do to protect our country and it's people in this regard needs to be kept secret to start with; that said, when we're dealing with an enemy like the world-wide terror organization that plagues the whole of the civilized world, we need to do whatever it takes to get the job done! No justification to advertise what we may or may not do or pander to pc-ness either!

[WWIIWWII]

He said water boarding led to the capture, then he said we would have found him anyway. Sounds like a politician to me. Could be a soothe sayer an sees the future.

[econteacher]

He said he doesn't know. Geez, and you know? How? Oh right the rightwing are god like with powers of great insight. So if a person says they don't know that is always political?

[Calvinius]

That's not what he said at all. He said that the information gained during waterboarding isn't what led to Bin Laden.

[Ratherisdumb]

Ten years of intelligence? I thought Obama killed Bin Laden on his own.

[soopsoopfsdfdsf]

The headline doesn't match the rest of the article. The rest of the article says enhanced interrogation *did* lead to finding Bin Laden. Panetta is only claiming it could have been done another way, but in reality we'll never know.

[Calvinius]

Panetta claims nothing of the sort, you liar.