New Interviews Show "Harsh" Interrogation Techniques Split Apart Officials Charged With Questioning

washingtonpost.com:

Now, as the Senate intelligence committee examines the CIA's interrogation program, investigators are focusing in part on Mitchell and John "Bruce" Jessen, former CIA contractors who helped design and oversee Abu Zubaida's interrogation. These men have been portrayed as eager proponents of coercion, but the former U.S. official, whose account was corroborated in part by Justice Department documents, said they also rejected orders from Langley to prolong the most severe pressure on the detainee. The former official's account, alongside the recollections of those familiar with events at the CIA's secret prison in Thailand, yields a more nuanced understanding of their role than has previously been available.

Read the whole story: washingtonpost.com

Comments

[reason2008]

This story is so old and all you libs keep recycling it for political gain.

This was a part of our history where we faced enemies who wore no uniform.
The people that got overly aggressive had the safety of the American people as their primary goal.
The lessons have been learned.

MOVE ON!

[jmpurser]

So we threw out our values and tortured them to get them to wear uniforms? I had no idea Bush was so style conscious.

[MikeDu]

Why does the term "interrogation" seem out of place in these stories? Its like using the term "interrogation" in connection with Jeffery Dahmer or Richard Spek. Vengeful brutality would be a more apt description.

[jmpurser]

We've become accustomed to "Bushspeak" where words like "regime change", "interrogation", "surge", and even "compassion" took on new frightening and even disgusting interpretations.

It will take us a while to recover.

[StanNotFromCA]

So the people in charge of interrogations were interesting in even more severe techniques? And obviously weren't being reined in from the people in the White House. How far down the road of becoming what we've always said we deplored do we have to have come to see that we were becoming what we claim our enemies are? I'm suprised we haven't heard of acts which would have, by the faith of the prisoners, have caused them to loose their souls, and hence evoke fearful confessions.

[lobear00]

Torture is Torture, not hard to figure this out. How about life is a two way street, or do unto others as you would have them do to you. Torture is Torture, stop making excuses, The focus should be higher educated people knowing full well what "Torture is, knowing it is "Illegal" knowing it goes against the principles of this nation and yet they commit the crime anyway.

Where there are "Criminals" that is where one will find "Illegal behavior", which also equals "Snakes". The last administration was a den full of snakes, that showed their true motive, of discarding the "United States Constitution, The Rule of Law, their wanton disregard for other nations borders, invading a country to steal their resources, "OIL".

There are those who should be sitting behind bars, from Top to bottom. And people in both political parties should be sitting in the same cells.

[Jalepeno]

Smoke some more reefer bro, I think you are coming down off your high. Gathering intelligence is a dirty business especially after we have been attacked and they are trying to attack us again. You do what is necessary to get the information you need and protect our citizens. FDR and EX Oder 9066 comes to mind and he did it to American's not terrorist.

[jmpurser]

Ah, the sad tale of the "reluctant" torturers.

Sorry, all out of sympathy here.

[LeeCalif]

The spineless Washington Post still calls torture "Harsh " Interrogation Techniques.

Are you spineless, as well ?

[D-V-H]

The measure of a person or nation is not how it reacts when there is calm, but what they do when faced with danger. If principles are thrown out the window as soon as there is a threat, they are not principles. Unfortunately our nation failed during a time of crisis.We must look within and ask ourselves what do we really stand for.
I think the reaction of the Bush administration showed inner weakness. They did not have a core belief in the ideals of American precepts and as such were quick to resort to the dark side of their inner soul. We must ask ourselves as a nation if we stand by the actions of someone willing to sell our principles when fright took hold or if we think that some standards should apply. If the latter, we have to ensure, through punitive action, that such thing never happen again. As an example, look to Germany and the Nuremberg trials. Germany has redefined itself and shows little chance of becoming the horror it was during & before WWII.

[totaldisbelief]

have you looked at the W-hores in Congress recently or Goldman Sachs (to name just one)?
there's a reality out there in the world generated by imperfect beings and no sweet thoughts are going to change that any time soon.

[D-V-H]

It is that kind of thinking that bring everyone to the gu.tter.

[brandnewstuff]

BINGO_ Propaganda­.... American calls it entertainment and GoldSachs underwrites everything??? Entertainment the number #1 in the Gross Domestic Product.. taking criminal acts and manking a by product of illegal data mining and data brokerage -and if anyone knows what I am speaking of GREAT>>> while I listen to Judge Sotomayor

The Nurmberg Prinicpal.­.. American is just a sickness NOW. Generation thefts for Greed and EVIL

[brandnewstuff]

Erich Fromm- Cultural Scripts Barriers to Meaning-

what the CIA used to break human will to be condition and manipulate­d.. trying to sell Torture as acceptable Breaking Geneva The Torture Franchise of America "INC"

[brandnewstuff]

This is exactly Why The USA AG Eric Holder needs to prosecute agents. To end that BS that they are all above International laws in a global world as as US solider now a hostage and Look that The American CIA did for their own entertainm­ent..rape, torture, lie, cheat, steal and extortion.

[northstar11]

""""""CIA officials at the Counterterrorist Center were not convinced""""""

i guess we have to buy another paper to find out who the officials at the counter terrorism center were

and who were ""officials at the highest levels"".

[gamoonbat]

Agreed. This is piss-poor journalism when all of the sources are anonymous and all of the details remain "classifie­d."

[totaldisbelief]

does the word "Whimsy" apply?

[TeeLolly]

Perhaps they would share the info if paid $25,000 or so to attend a private salon with those who make the decisions ...

[FROG1]

hopefully, this will show the CIA the wisdom of capture, then squeeze the truth with batteries & clips or waterboarding and then a quick dispatch to Allah with a couple of well-placed rounds from a Sig Sauer - then no more BS from the fruitcake left about miranda, attorneys, new homes, cars and monthly paycheck to these guys who are shooting at us

[Hollywooddeed]

But this is America. America doesn't torture.

[brandnewstuff]

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/pdf/Archives?alt.politics.bush/2009-05/msg00061.pdf
US Government's Secret Domestic Torture Program

[totaldisbelief]

but The Frog does.

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

Yeah,enough of that constitutional bs.Let's waterboard all foreigners and find out what's really going on.We can start bombing before the water dries.

[StanMann]

Sure Mitchell and Jessen, that is why the other CIA guys stated the Two Mormon Pals were the "litmus test for the enhanced tortures.

Nice backpedaling, no snake oil sales needed ---

[Hollywooddeed]

Mitchell and Jessen are a couple of psychology clowns who bs'd their way into a lucrative contract. Investigate them and you'll see the house of cards the US torture program was built upon.

[proletariatprincess]

The Washing Post is a bad newspaper and deserves to go bankrupt.

[kindGSL]

Only bankrupt?

How about being held responsible? It would seem to me there should be some penalty to lying us all into a faked war against Islam. That is so un-American I think it is treason.

[stevelaudig]

This was a human experimentation project ala Josef Mengele in addition to torture. they were testing techniques. there is no defense.

[brandnewstuff]

So true. I told everyone long ago when a human life has teeth in a baggie... That "BOSS" of such will have A$$ load to expalin. Men are never sorry only to be caught LYING to Congress Title 1001

[grahamhgreen]

Check out the trailer for the film that will put BUSH BEHIND BARS!!!:

http://thetorturer.com

[sense oar sheep]

cheney, not bush.

[Exexecution]

Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Addington, Bybee, Yoo, Wolfowitz, Pearle, McChrystal, Tenet, Feith, Kristol, Kagan, Muller, Bush the First...ja­il all the traitors.

[FROG1]

LOL what a fruitcake

[Exexecution]

Froggy:

'LOL what a fruitcake'
And that's all you've got?

[brandnewstuff]

Thanks for the video Green- would like to place on my facebook and share with 214-893-47­60..dallas

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

Looks like a must see.Why do you suppose he isn't behind bars already?