New Yorker: CIA Tactics Amount To Torture

Magazine: The CIA Used Techniques Equivalent To Torture While Interrogating 9/11 Mastermind

(CBS)  The Central Intelligence Agency used "enhanced interrogation techniques" synonymous with torture while interrogating September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, according to a New Yorker article that appears on newsstands Monday.

After Mohammed's capture in Pakistan in 2003, the CIA detained him at one of several secret overseas prisons, known as "black sites," and subjected him to unusually harsh treatment, according to the article.

It was under these interrogation methods that Mohammed confessed to 31 criminal plots, including the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was captured in 2002 in Pakistan and beheaded, Jane Mayer reports in the New Yorker.

Mohammed's interrogation was part of a fine-tuned CIA protocol of psychological coercion against al Qaeda figures, according to sources familiar with an International Red Cross report, Mayer writes.

"The Red Cross went in and got to interview these people for the first time," said Mayer on the CBS Evening News. "What these people described was hanging from the ceilings by their arms and being water-boarded, partially drowned, put on leashes and knocked into walls and basically deprived of all kinds of sensory imagery for years."

At a hearing in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Mohammed said his testimony was freely given, Mayer adds, but he also said that he had been abused by the CIA.

"He was certainly coerced," Mayer told Russ Mitchell on Sunday. "These were certainly very coercive techniques. The problem with them is that you can't really tell what's reliable, what's the truth, what's not after somebody has been through these things."

Mayer's article further described the CIA program of physical and psychological abuse as completely regimented and deliberate.

"There have always been mistakes made in the past when prisoners have been abused in wars," Mayer told Mitchell. "But this is the first time it's been done on purpose."

The program was suspended last fall, following a Supreme Court ruling, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which ruled that all U.S. detainees must be treated in a manner consisted with the Geneva Conventions.

In an E-mail to CBS News the CIA responded that the article "recycles old allegations" and concluded by saying "the United States does not conduct or condone torture."

[abbe91]

"The CIA Used Techniques Equivalent To Torture While Interrogating 9/11 Mastermind"

I can't believe this. The "9/11 mastermind" just got a new internal heart defibrillator at George Washington University Hospital. That's not torture ...

[gunnerv1]

"CIA tactics amount to Torture". And your point is?

[xzavierbrown]

If we torture and abuse, we become the very thing we are fighting against. How does that make us any better than them?

We are better than that, or at least we should be. Under this administration, however, we have become no better than the terrorists we are reportedly fighting against. We have become the terrorists.
Posted by me4prezz at 11:45 PM : Aug 06, 2007
+ report abuse

**********

sir,,despite of what you think..we bleed red they bleed red. we feel greed they feel greed..they are humans we are humans.
humans acts the same, only people like you thinks that they are beyong human limitations. Trust me, in a given situation you would resort to violence. the only difference is that you have someone to save you from that violence..our military.

so the next time you feel benevolent..save a whale. your bleeding heart bull c rap might make me a sacrificial lamb for allah.

[glaswolf]

Vengeance is a rationale often offered for unnecessary excess, which distracts from the problem at hand to one of controlling people who were thought to be on our side. The soldier who brought out the pictures of Abu Gharib (sp?) is now fearful of being killed by soldiers who bore the consequence of his decisions. Anonymous at first he feard having his fellow GIs slit his throat for informancy...or justice according to the eye. I don't have a problem with the man being killed, but torture wastes time although it may satisfy some primal animalistic minds. I once interrogated an Iranian student involved in anti-shah activities at UCLA, informally of course with only the possibility of his being returned to the shah's Iran and probable death. Is it torture to confuse and disorient a person under stress? Well, it is surprising what one finds out without the physical component. He told me every American student assisting the religious Iranian students had their vida turned over to East German Stazi. Interesting in 1978, how students searched for Savak agent plants!

[me4prezz]

If we torture and abuse, we become the very thing we are fighting against. How does that make us any better than them?

We are better than that, or at least we should be. Under this administration, however, we have become no better than the terrorists we are reportedly fighting against. We have become the terrorists.

[speakinup]

Thanks for your courteous reply. Now I have to be courteous for a few posts at least. Posted by Iceman_1960

Can you feel the love in the air ? Gotta go to work. Later.

[speakinup]

Rafterman1 - yeah - isn't it interesting that Rambo was such a big hit. I've met two different water taxi people that called themselves Rambo. One in the Caribbean, the other in French Polynesia. But, don't blame the pirating in China for Hollywood's shortcomings. If they were providing the appropriate value for cost, they would be the same vibrant organization they were decades ago. CD sales were an add on. Today, 'stars' are too politically oriented. As a result many won't watch them.

I do not understand why many 'stars' haven't been replaced. I mean, WHAT unique talent has Sean Penn got that can't be replaced ? There are literally tens of thousands that could replace him in a heartbeat with the same level of talent. Proof of this is to simply look at how inbred our 'stars' have become. Just because Henry was a great actor, doesn't mean Jane Fonda had a lick of talent to start with. Ditto for so many children of other actors and actresses.

These people have been allowed to run our movie industry into the ground for their own political benefit. Not that they don't have rights; but, you know what, not many other industries allow this.

So why do these overpaid jerks, with instant notoriety, get unwarranted attention for their unsolicited political Socialistic points of view. I say Boycott the twerps. And THAT's the reason Hollywood is going down the toilet.

[iceman_1960]

"Come on folks, what ever happened to an eye for an eye. He deserves far more pain and suffering than we could possible give him."
- Posted by linverselli at 12:24 PM : Aug 06, 2007

"Quien anda con lobos a aullar aprende." ["He who hangs out with wolves will learn how to howl."]
- Spanish proverb

[toldyouso21]

Look what he did to Daniel Pearl...that alone makes this guy subhuman in my book. He's the one who masterminded the whole 9-11 disaster and someone is worried about his mistreatment? Posted by linverselli at 12:24 PM : Aug 06, 2007

Okay Super Stupid--THAT is the point...he may have done NOTHING to Daniel Pearl. He may not have done anything of the things you are reading about--because after torture, even YOU would probably admit to doing 9/11 and cutting off Daniel Pearl's head. The reason that torture is unreliable is that even innocent people will admit to anything just to get it to stop. So do we have Pearl's killer? We tortured to get the info, so who knows? Don't believe everything you read or are told. As soon as torture is in the equation, we can know nothing for certain except that we can hurt someone enough to make them admit to anything. At this point, this man would probably have admitted to killing Tillman, even though he was already captured at the time. Get a clue and try to hold onto one.

[linverselli]

Tortured?? Really who cares. This guy would just as soon lop off our heads as look at us and you are worried that he's been mistreated?? You gotta be kidding!! Look what he did to Daniel Pearl...that alone makes this guy subhuman in my book. He's the one who masterminded the whole 9-11 disaster and someone is worried about his mistreatment? Come on folks, what ever happened to an eye for an eye. He deserves far more pain and suffering than we could possible give him. I say do what ever it takes to get information bring Al Queda down. If it means hurting scumbags like this....knock yourselves out!!!

[iceman_1960]

"And, you are absolutly right Iceman_1960, for once. Fact is, I'm NOT the sort of individual that could torture anyone, and it is morally and ethically the same as this piece of human garbage. But the thought of doing it to him sure made me feel good for an instant."
- Posted by speakinup at 12:00 PM : Aug 06, 2007

Thanks for your courteous reply.

Now I have to be courteous for a few posts at least.

[bareemperor]

This is George Bu$h and I authorized the torture.

Now move along, there is no news here...

[iceman_1960]

I don't trust the Bush administration, or any administration, Republican or Democrat, to police itself on interrogation methods.

Self-policing no more works in politics than it works for the proverbial fox in the henhouse.

[rafterman1]

===I can see no fate for him good enough to cause him the amount of suffering he has started. Make no mistake, to kill 3000 for having 'infidels' in Saudi Arabia is the cause of all of this problem, NOT Bush.===

The problem goes back a lot farther than 9-11. Bush just made it even worse with his incompetent leadership and policies. Americans (at least those still with honor) are not against torture for the sake of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. We are against it for the sake of America and it's own honor.

[iceman_1960]

Former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge

[Jon, not "John", sorry]

Source:

http://milwaukee.indymedia.org/en/2004/09/201751.shtml

[iceman_1960]

The Jews have a wise saying: "He who would abuse a Gentile, would also abuse a Jew."

Translating that to this situation: He who would torture America's enemies, will soon enough find excuse to torture American citizens, even innocent American citizens. The practice of inflicting torture is psychologically addictive.

John Burge got he start torturing Viet Cong prisoners during interrogations in Southeast Asia. Then he came back to Chicago, joined the police force, and proceeded to use the same torture techniques to send innocent American citizens to death row.

[speakinup]

"And, as far as I'm concerned, I'd torture Khalid Sheikh Mohammed not for information, but just for retribution."
- Posted by speakinup at 11:10 AM : Aug 06, 2007

You'll never be allowed to be in a position to do that. Morally and ethically, you're just the flip side of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Abu Gahrib taught all thinking Americans a lesson about this. What went on there, deepened the hatred Muslims already felt for us, swelled the ranks of the terrorists, and cost American lives." Posted by Iceman_1960

And, you are absolutly right Iceman_1960, for once. Fact is, I'm NOT the sort of individual that could torture anyone, and it is morally and ethically the same as this piece of human garbage. But the thought of doing it to him sure made me feel good for an instant.

I can see no fate for him good enough to cause him the amount of suffering he has started. Make no mistake, to kill 3000 for having 'infidels' in Saudi Arabia is the cause of all of this problem, NOT Bush.

[rafterman1]

===So, Rafterman1, why don't you tell us about the loss of ticket revenue since everyone is dying to see our movies. Tell us about your fav movie why don't you ... This should really be good===

You've obviously never been overseas. The desire to see US movies is very strong. When governments ban them, bootleg copies show up everywhere. The biggest piracy problem in the world, especially US movie DVD's, is in China. Bootlegs are very popular in ME countries - especially Iran, by the way, which bans just about everything.

[rafterman1]

===You're so worrind about "the world" but fail to see why terrorists hate us. That's what I mean by you and your ilk not seeing the big picture. Move on to other things.===

Yeah, sure, you are just too brilliant to hang out in the gutter with the rest of us snipes, huh? Arrogant much?

No, I know what you neocons think. You think the terrorists hate us for "who we are". You think they hate us for our freedom and our "loose" values. Wrong. "Loose" values and freedom are not why terrorists ram airplanes into buildings and blow themselves up with belt bombs.

They hate us for invading and having troops in their hoimelands. They hate us for 50 years of anti-Arab policies. They hate us for what they see as unfair support of Israel over them. These are all things that conservatives brought us. Just as ultra conservative Islamcists are running the world, so are American neocons.

[iceman_1960]

"And, as far as I'm concerned, I'd torture Khalid Sheikh Mohammed not for information, but just for retribution."
- Posted by speakinup at 11:10 AM : Aug 06, 2007

You'll never be allowed to be in a position to do that.

Morally and ethically, you're just the flip side of Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

Abu Gahrib taught all thinking Americans a lesson about this. What went on there, deepened the hatred Muslims already felt for us, swelled the ranks of the terrorists, and cost American lives.