Releasing the one-side report of the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques is incredibly harmful to America’s safety. Here’s some thoughts:
• I don’t care what one calls these EIT methods. The emotionalists love to call it “torture” and that’s where they stop thinking about it. Call it whatever you want.
• However, in the real world it is UNDENIABLE that these methods produced useful intelligence that prevented attacks and saved lives. The report authors know they have to say that as a prelude to producing the report.
• Jose Rodriquez served as the CIA’s Deputy Director for Operations … in other words, the nation’s chief human intelligence spy. He, and various other former Directors CIA from both administrations have said valuable intel was obtained. This following story is from the Washington Post.
Today
• I personally know for a fact the we obtained incredibly useful intel from using EIT
• The Senate staffers did not talk to any Agency operational people, by design. They simply relied on reading classified cables (i.e. basically a form of email)
• The elected leaders of both parties were briefed multiple times on the EIT and usually urged the agency to “do more”
• I remember the pathetic TV scene right after 9/11, with the Pentagon still smoldering, where the entire Congress stood on the steps of the US Capitol, holding hands and singing together … happy that their lives had been spared. How quickly the memories fade.
• The apparent motivation of this report is to give the issuers the ability to say they didn’t know about EIT … that is clearly not the case.
• Releasing the report inflicts terrible damage on our intelligence partners overseas. They will not trust us in the future, for good reason, and thus not want to work with us which means … less intelligence about attacks.
• The people who wrote it are largely armchair quarterbacks and rear echelon commandoes who wouldn’t know how to counter a terror threat if their lives depended on it, which ironically it does.
• The truly idiotic part of this is Washington DC has always been “the number 1” target. The risk level just went up long term, and the authors have cleverly placed themselves and the city at greater risk of terror attack. Nice move … and who knows how karma works in this instance?
• Releasing the report raises the risk levels to all Americans, and has been so acknowledged. What kind of a fool does this in “war?” You can’t be serious about winning a war and still do something like this.
• Claims that releasing this report shows how wonderful America is etc … are totally bogus. The only time we see “America is exceptional” from the people that wrote the report is seemingly when it hurts the country they claim to admire
• When all is said and done, three high level terrorist including KSM, the planner of the 9/11 attacks, were water boarded. Big deal! My question is … why has he not yet been executed? There is no doubt to his guilt. Yet justice is mocked because this guy still lives and is no doubt laughing his posterior off at this report. It confirms what the Islamist enemy has always said … i.e. the US is soft and not serious, and thus not to be feared. Weakness is provocative and thus invites more, not less, attacks.
• What is the difference between a waterboarded terrorist and one who has been blown to smithereens by a drone? Answer the former is still alive and the latter is dead. Also, the former provides intel of varying types whereas the latter does not. How smart a strategy is this?
• Why is droning someone to death ok but not extracting intel? These guys are TRAINED to resist interrogation and without EIT they simply won’t talk. I don’t follow the consistency of the logic … because there isn’t any.
• IMHO most intelligence officers on duty today around the world will predictably ease off because, who knows, some future congress may come after them even though the current one has said it’s ok to kill using drones (which I also support btw if they can’t capture the guy for intel … that should always be the first priority). Intel Officers will become more risk averse and thus less effective. Does this make us safer? Obviously no? Do you think the guys in the field believe that those of us back here at home have their back? Again, obviously no after this report.
• What is the impact of this incredibly stupid move on the “war” with ISIS? Answer … it hurts us because it reduces our intel, not to mention demotivating the intel and military guys on the front lines fighting it. Plus, this type of boneheaded move makes ISIS despise us even more as being weak … which in this case we most certainly are. You want your enemies to fear you, not mock you for being an idiot. This simply raises the risk levels for all of us longer term. Again, nice move ... it's like a self-inflicted wound that reduces your ability to see what's coming at you.
• Finally, as soon as the first American dies as a result of this report causing further unrest in the already unstable Jihadi world occurs, I think the people who wrote this report should be brought up on formal charges of providing aid and comfort to the enemy. That is exactly what it is.