Obama Torture Task Force Considers Reducing CIA Role In Interrogations

The Washington Independant:

The task force charged with fleshing out President Obama's ban on torture in interrogations is likely to recommend the creation of small, mixed-agency teams for interviewing the most important terrorist targets. Representing an implicit demotion of the CIA, which currently has responsibility for interrogating high-level terrorists, the teams would report jointly to the attorney general and the director of national intelligence, according to officials familiar with the proposal.

Read the whole story: The Washington Independant

Comments

[DrJulienArbor]

02:40 AM on 06/25/2009

From the article... "“This is perhaps the biggest wound that the Bush administration has inflicted on the structure of how to do these things,” said Karen Greenberg, executive director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University."

While this is indeed true... the medical and psychological professionals that were involved in acts of torture, as well as the professional organizations including the American Psychological Association (that has yet to make a strong public statement that prevents the involvement of psychologists in every capacity from engaging in torture... including enhanced interrogations) have done a grave disservice to both the public as well as the profession of psychology. In the minds of most people, psychologists have historically first and foremost been thought of members of the healing professions until their roll with torture and the involvement with the CIA has surfaced... with new information being brought to light on a daily basis. If those who are educated in psychology are going to continue in their relationship with the military and the CIA then perhaps they need to define themselves as social scientists as what they are engaging in has nothing whatsoever to do with the best interest of those with whom they are interacting. "Do no harm" should apply equally across all health care professionals!

[DrJulienArbor]

02:57 AM on 06/25/2009

As a licensed clinical psychologist myself... I am appalled by the actions of some of my colleagues and even more so by the American Psychological Association... of which I am not a member... nor will I consider being until they make that very strong public statement renouncing these sorts of professional relationships. Those of us who are dedicated to functioning as healers deserve to reclaim our titles and our reputations!

Furthermore, based on this...

http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/educing.pdf

Until Dr. Fein has a solid understanding of the following...

http://www.brainline.org/downloads/PDFs/Traumatic%20Brain%20Injury%20Among%20Prisoners.pdf

http://www.curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1440238#i

As well as a full understanding of the stress response, the relationship between the adrenal glands and brain functioning, the rolls of blood sugar and bilirubin in brain damage, and the roll of high potassium levels on heart failure... he has no business functioning in that capacity! Neglect can be just as LETHAL as abuse!

[DrJulienArbor]

03:23 AM on 06/25/2009

It's also too damn bad that more women haven't been involved in leadership and decision making positions within science, government, education, the military and the health care system. Had they been... much of the information regarding my previous comment as well as additional key elements would have most likely already been known!

[Agent420]

06:41 PM on 06/24/2009

It seems to me that the CIA is the ones who screwed the pooch, while the FBI seems to have the right handle on interrogation.

[lungfish]

03:30 PM on 06/24/2009

Right on... the CIA is like a lot of American Corporations. It has diversified into far too many roles while it has failed to execute well in most of them. Intelligence failures by the CIA are massive as is the price we have had to pay for their activities in Iran and the rest of the world. We need much of their skill set but we don't need the reputation.
Get them out of high level interrogations and do not ever interrogate without legal oversight and defined limits regarding what can and can not be done - no torture, ever. Tape the entire thing and make those tapes available to DOJ and the attorneys for the accused. Yes, the accused and detained deserve full legal representation and the right to confront their accusers... If we don't play by those rules for everyone, American or not, then we continue to be hypocrits who appear to believe that only Americans are human beings and deserve human rights and protections under the law.

[edwcorey]

03:14 PM on 06/24/2009

Isn't it Washington IndependEnt? How hard is it to spell the name of your source correctly? And it's misspelled twice--in bold script. I guess the recession/depression really hit the proofreading sphere hard.

[TJCole]

03:03 PM on 06/24/2009

Now they get it...

The harm The CIA did to America is already iconic world wide...

It will take decades to undo..

Let them stick to what they do best lie to America, and assassinate people...

[Coinyer101]

12:20 PM on 06/24/2009

blah blah blah. This administration is getting just as bad as the last one. Prosecute the criminals, or go find new jobs!

[freethinkergirl]

02:03 PM on 06/24/2009

June 25: Nationwide Protests Demand Accountability. Please send to all you know.

Tens of thousands of people have sent letters calling for the appointment of a special pr0secutor, and for the indictment and pr0secution of Bush-era officials.

On this Thursday, June 25, the movement for pr0secution and accountability will hold coordinated demonstrations in cities around the country, including Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, CA; Pasadena, CA; Thousand Oaks, CA; Boston, MA; Salt Lake City, UT; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Las Vegas, NV; Honolulu, HI; Tampa, FL; Philadelphia, PA; and Anchorage, AK. More than 40 organizations are working together for these actions.

[freethinkergirl]

02:11 PM on 06/24/2009

We all need to get more active, other than just posting to blogs, hopefully one of these
dem0nstrations is near where you live. Let's get started!!!

[zerotimes10]

03:02 PM on 06/24/2009

Yeah I agree. This blogging is great and a useful tool but nothing beats massive bodies chanting in the streets. But it must be sustained. Just find out where a protest is nearest you and GO. Besides its a great way to get some exercise, meet new people and get off the couch. Win. Win. Win. :)

[chocolatecity]

11:26 AM on 06/24/2009

Everyone knows that the FBI have a far better track record of getting reliable information than the CIA. Why we ever thought that the spies would do better with interrogations than folks whose actual job it is to interrogate detainees to solve crimes is beyond me. The CIA should be used for spying and intelligence gathering, period.

[bichn]

11:02 AM on 06/24/2009

This doesn't make sense. The FBI has had great success with interrogations that don't include torture. They were shut out in the case of the enemy combatants because they refused to torture. The CIA is rotten to the core.

[whocan]

10:31 AM on 06/24/2009

maybe Barbara Boxer can be in charge?

[BrighterStar]

10:24 AM on 06/24/2009

Maybe we should have the girl scouts do the interrogating. This administration is unprepared to do what is necessary to protect this nation.

[harriscrl3]

10:29 AM on 06/24/2009

Or maybe those that realize giving a diabetic sugar free cookies just might make them talk and give shocking ACCURATE information.

Interrogation doesnt need waterboarding. What it needs is someone who gets people quickly can figure them out by talking to them and knowing what they can use to get effective intelligence as oppose to torturing them and getting LIES.

Carol

[BrighterStar]

10:45 AM on 06/24/2009

So are you saying that if Torture could be used to get useful information you would be all for it? Because this administration is saying that enhanced methods will not be used regardless of effectiveness. In reality this whole ineffectiveness argument is simply an canard to avoid confronting the the real issue.

[Grunty1]

10:48 AM on 06/24/2009

T0rture only "worked" for the Rushpublicans because they weren't looking for ACCURATE information. They were looking for someone to tell them the lies they wanted to hear.

[Grunty1]

10:47 AM on 06/24/2009

Its true. Cookies have proven more effective at gathering real information than t0rture

[mcantwell]

10:23 AM on 06/24/2009

The CIA has lost all credibility.

[didntvote4thedude]

10:23 AM on 06/24/2009

Maybe the girl scouts can be in charge of interrogations.

[Grunty1]

10:48 AM on 06/24/2009

Hrmm same exact thing the other tr0ll on the post said. I guess you guys got your talking points quickly on this already.

[freethinkergirl]

02:14 PM on 06/24/2009

That's all they're capable of, I also see them in my local paper all the time in the ed comments. Booooring, no intellectual input, nada.