On December 9th, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a withering package of evidence detailing interrogation techniques and policies that had been previously utilized by the Central Intelligence Agency. While reading descriptions of the methods used, one can only picture a horrific torture scene out of some over-the-top slasher flick.
Techniques used included sleep deprivation, waterboarding, use of confinement boxes, involuntary rectal feeding/rectal rehydration, and more. Knee-jerk responses from various media outlets all signal the same attitude towards the clandestine and brutal methods: disgust and horror. As a matter of fact, then-President George Bush displayed discomfort with images that were presented in a briefing on the Agency's methods. Several other portions of the report cause great discomfort:
1. Officers without any previous experience or training were placed in charge of the handling of prisoners. Page 50 of the report states that one officer in particular was determined to "have issues with judgement and maturity." While this officer was a detention site manager, one detainee died, and numerous other detainees were subject to unapproved interrogation techniques.
2. Prisoners were wrongly detained. In February of 2006, 22 percent of the prisoners did not meet standards for detention. That percentage of error is absolutely inexcusable.
3. CIA personnel were not held accountable. Page 17 of the report states that "with one known exception, there are no CIA records to indicate that the CIA held personnel accountable for the detention of individuals the CIA itself determined were wrongfully detained."This is just the tip of the iceberg. I recommend that readers take a look at the report, and use it as a case study of weak or non-existent leadership. Who stood up to say that methods were unacceptable? Did anyone take action towards the lack of elementary administrative competence? The denouncement of inhumane techniques has been present within the CIA since 1988, when the deputy director of operations stated that "physical abuse or other degrading treatment was rejected not only because it is wrong, but because it has historically proven to be ineffective." So what happened between between 1988 and today? The CIA Directorate of Operations Handbook from 2001 (published AFTER the terrorist attacks of 9/11) states policy against torture and inhumane processes.
In a press conference, CIA Chief John Brennan tried to soften the blows of criticism towards the agency: "The previous administration faced agonizing choices about how to pursue Al Qaeda, and prevent additional attacks against our country. [...] There were no easy answers, and whatever your views are on enhanced interrogation techniques (EIT), our nation, and this particular agency did a lot of things right during this difficult time to keep this country strong and secure." He goes on to claim that the intelligence gathered via enhanced interrogation techniques was "useful and used" in the pursuit of Osama Bin Laden. That being said, he dodged questions as to whether torture techniques actually produced information that could be accredited to the terrorist's capture. To make matters worse, the CIA misled members of Congress and the White House about the effectiveness of its techniques. The Agency claimed that "actionable intelligence" would have been unattainable through other techniques, but a review of the facts makes one question exactly what connections exist between torture, gathered intelligence, and counterterrorism success.
In 2009, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that condemned and banned previous practices of the CIA. “As an agency, we have learned from these mistakes, [...] I have implemented various remedial measures over the years to address institutional deficiencies,” said John Brennan. Let's hope that there is an increase of transparency and accountability in the organization's future.
It should be said that the purpose of the Central Intelligence Agency is a good one. The ideals, missions, and visions of the Agency are in place to protect our country, and for that, there is no criticism. Regardless, we as citizens should be intolerant. The use of inhumane interrogation, and the deception of both the White House and the American people, is absolutely unacceptable. The CIA protects lives. Torture does not.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, summed it up best: "History will judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth and say 'never again.'" It does us no good to look towards the brutal methods of enemy agencies and say "but look what they do!" It is against our nature as Americans to claim that all is fair in love and war. We don't compare ourselves to others; that's not who we are. We should compare our current practices to those of the best possible version of us, and we should work towards becoming that better nation. In the storm of criticism that he is currently facing, I look to CIA Director John Brennan to be a leader of character, and to uphold the values and standards of his organization, unlike his predecessors.
