CIA Report Hints at Impact of Interrogations on 9/11 Mastermind
Posted: 29 Aug 2009 10:22 PM PDT
Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-described architect of the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, looms large in a declassified CIA report on
the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. The inspector general’s
report, released this week, says Mohammed wasn’t much help before he was
waterboarded but went on to become “one of the U.S. government’s key
sources on Al Qaeda.” Such revelations have fueled the fiery debate over
the effectiveness of the CIA’s tactics and whether the United States
should condone methods that many deem torture.
But additional details of his interactions with interrogators
may raise more questions than they answer — potentially saying more about
the captive than his captors.
Intelligence officials described to the Washington Post a scene
almost out of the halls of academia, with the once-resistant high-level
detainee giving “terrorist tutorials” to them in a makeshift lecture hall.
He even scolded one listener for poor note-taking and his inability to
recall details of an earlier lecture.
The CIA report makes it clear that Mohammed wasn’t willing to
divulge much before interrogators resorted to the controversial
tactics.
“KSM, an accomplished resistor, provided only a few
intelligence reports prior to the use of the waterboard, and analysis of
that information revealed that much of it was outdated, inaccurate or
incomplete,” the report said.
But after he was subjected to waterboarding — or simulated
drowning — and prolonged sleep deprivation, among other harsh
interrogation techniques, Mohammed began to cooperate and apparently even
enjoy revealing secrets.
Mohammed “seemed to relish the opportunity, sometimes for hours
on end, to discuss the inner workings of Al Qaeda and the group’s plans,
ideology and operatives,” a person familiar with the sessions told the
Washington Post. “He’d even use a chalkboard at times.”
While it is impossible to know for sure whether less coercive
techniques would have gained the same information, those who defend the
tactics believe the results are clear.
via CIA
Internal Report Hints at Impact of Harsh Interrogations on 9/11 Mastermind
– Political News – FOXNews.com.
This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National
Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.
CIA Report Hints at Impact of Interrogations on 9/11 Mastermind
| 
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment