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You are here: Home / Politics / War on Terror / War on Terror aka GSAVE® / The FBI and Torture

The FBI and Torture

by John Cole|  May 20, 200811:59 am| 31 Comments

This post is in: War on Terror aka GSAVE®, Republican Crime Syndicate - aka the Bush Admin.

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The long-awaited FBI report on Detainee Interrogations has been released, and can be found here (.pdf). The NY Times provides a summary:

The report describes major and repeated clashes between F.B.I. agents and their counterparts over the rough methods being used on detainees in Guantánamo Bay, Afghanistan and Iraq — some of which, according to the inspector general, may have violated the Defense Department’s own policies at the time.

It also provides new insight into the intense debates at senior levels of the Justice Department, the Defense Department and the National Security Council over what should and should not be allowed — a debate in which the Defense Department prevailed.

The inspector general found that in a few instances, F.B.I. agents participated in interrogations using pressure tactics that would not have been permitted inside the United States. But the “vast majority” of agents followed the bureau’s legal guidelines and “separated themselves” from harsh treatment.

I have not read the report yet, so I can not verify the accuracy of the NY Times summation. More later on as I get a chance to read it, and I am sure Jack Balkin, Greenwald and others (hopefully Lithwick will discuss it) will have some analysis.

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Reader Interactions

31Comments

  1. 1.

    Incertus

    May 20, 2008 at 12:03 pm

    I’m more interested in seeing how the wingnut brigade responds to it. I imagine there will be fapping.

  2. 2.

    4tehlulz

    May 20, 2008 at 12:05 pm

    Why does the FBI hate America?

  3. 3.

    nightjar

    May 20, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    4tehlulz Says:

    Why does the FBI hate America?

    Phony Fibbies.

  4. 4.

    Wilfred

    May 20, 2008 at 12:09 pm

    Shorter FBI: “We confess, they did it”.

  5. 5.

    cleek

    May 20, 2008 at 12:11 pm

    “rough methods”, “pressure tactics”, “stress positions”, “harsh techniques”

    when did we because the Euphemistic States of America ?

  6. 6.

    cleek

    May 20, 2008 at 12:12 pm

    because = become.

    i’m a tard.

  7. 7.

    Bot LaBeer

    May 20, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    O/T: Ted Kennedy has brain cancer. He’s not coming back to work anytime real soon from the sound of it.

  8. 8.

    Tax Analyst

    May 20, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    From the NYTimes piece, it looks like individually the FBI agents were doing the right thing…raising questions, refraining from participating in most of the egregious crap the CIA was doing – but it appears that those is charge of FBI policy sat on their hands and failed to give the agents any substantive guidelines on what to do in the face of the abuse.

    Guess they were afraid of being out-of-step with the Dick Cheney/Donald Rumsfeld torture cabal.

  9. 9.

    HyperIon

    May 20, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    I recall very clearly reading reports years ago to the effect that the FBI agents at Gitmo had two objections to the tactics being used there: 1. They were illegal 2. When the public learned about it, the FBI would be blamed. IIRC they were much more adamant about the second reason….with a response along the lines of “we’re too smart to fall into that trap!”

    So the FBI did the right thing (pulling out…literally..they left Gitmo to the DoD/CIA), but there’s a whiff of CYA. Maybe that kind of pragmatism is the best we can hope for these days.

  10. 10.

    nightjar

    May 20, 2008 at 12:20 pm

    Really bad news. Teddy Kennedy has malignant brain tumor

  11. 11.

    Incertus

    May 20, 2008 at 12:28 pm

    So the FBI did the right thing (pulling out…literally..they left Gitmo to the DoD/CIA), but there’s a whiff of CYA. Maybe that kind of pragmatism is the best we can hope for these days.

    If it makes it easier to prosecute those who were actually involved, I’m all for it.

  12. 12.

    chiggins

    May 20, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    Kinda glad to hear that the FBI mostly wouldn’t do it. I have a really, really hard time picturing Agent Cooper and Albert sitting down and talking over pie and coffee about the guy they just accidentally tortured to death.

    Wyndham Earle on the other hand…

  13. 13.

    TR

    May 20, 2008 at 12:33 pm

    Teddy Kennedy has malignant brain tumor

    Awful. I wish him and his family the best.

    What are the odds that one of the nuttier Clinton sites claims that the Obama campaign orchestrated this announcement to drown out her game-changing victory in Kentucky?

  14. 14.

    HyperIon

    May 20, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    What are the odds that one of the nuttier Clinton sites claims that the Obama campaign orchestrated this announcement to drown out her game-changing victory in Kentucky?

    what are the odds that one of the nuttier Balloon-Juice commenters finds a way to dis HRC/her supporters in a thread about FBI/torture in response to an OT comment about Ted Kennedy’s health?

  15. 15.

    cleek

    May 20, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    What are the odds that one of the nuttier Clinton sites claims that the Obama campaign orchestrated this announcement to drown out her game-changing victory in Kentucky?

    1:1

    note that the commenter at the 2nd link is a TX delegate.

  16. 16.

    4tehlulz

    May 20, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    What are the odds that someone will take TR’s troll ba….

    Never mind.

  17. 17.

    TR

    May 20, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    What are the odds that someone will take TR’s troll ba….

    Just too damn easy.

  18. 18.

    TR

    May 20, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    # dot48 Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    I would say his retirement is imminent. Odd that they decide to break this today of all days .. if I was cynical I’d say it was to stifle news of Hill’s momentum .. Surely one day to tell the world wouldn’t make any difference in his recovery. Just saying.

    Nice catch, cleek. It was posted one minute before I posted it here.

  19. 19.

    TR

    May 20, 2008 at 12:51 pm

    Lest you think this is an isolated sentiment there, it was followed up by an amen chorus:

    # kostner Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    dot48, maybe so…

    I don’t want to wish terrible things on anybody, but I’m not going to pretend to feel sorry for some jackass either.

    So hopefully, this piece of shit will just retire to his mansion and enjoy his remaining time.

    # jbstonesfan Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    Good point dot48…..always a distraction when our Lady is about to win big. I wish him well, but funny how this happened shortly after he insulted her in comments about the VP spot…………………

    # birdgal Says:
    May 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    dot: Amazing isn’t it? What timing. They probably knew over the weekend or yesterday. MRI’s and CAT scans can pick tumors up very quickly. I hope, I am mistaken.

  20. 20.

    4tehlulz

    May 20, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    Obviously, Sen. Kennedy’s doctors conspired with Obama to implant the tumor in his brain so that he would have a seizure before Hillary’s great KY comeback, allowing them announce on the day of the primary about TK’s “health issue” and dominate the news cycle.

    As he the Antichrist, we should put nothing past Obama.

  21. 21.

    cleek

    May 20, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    oh happy coincidence!

    my second link was to a commenter at h44 named “conFloyd” – i nutpicked one of her comments a couple of days ago. anyway, i was just over at no-1/4, nutpicking on a thread where all the morons are “pledging” to not vote for Obama in the GE, and i found this gem of a comment:

    The talking point for Obama is we should vote for him because of Roe vs. Wade, I am way past needing that law, so the kids that are getting him in need to learn what its like not to have safe abortions. Let them sweat like so many of us had to in the early 60’s. You could never watch TV back then without hearing about some poor young woman that died from having illegal abortion. That is what Roe vs Wade was all about!

    yep, that’s “connie floyd”. and she’s not just a loon on the intertubes. she’s a Clinton delegate, from Texas. yee haw!

    i hope Hillary is extra-super proud of that one.

  22. 22.

    Kevin

    May 20, 2008 at 2:05 pm

    always a distraction when our Lady is about to win big.

    You’d think Clinton is the Virgin Mary from the way some of these whackjobs talk about her.

  23. 23.

    David Hunt

    May 20, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    I’m more interested in seeing how the wingnut brigade responds to it. I imagine there will be fapping.

    Nothing of the sort. I expect calls for a full and thorough investigation…of anyone who revealed anything bad about anyone in the Bush Administration and a serious push to get them tried and executed before next January 20.

  24. 24.

    The Moar You Know

    May 20, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    what are the odds that one of the nuttier Balloon-Juice commenters finds a way to dis HRC/her supporters in a thread about FBI/torture in response to an OT comment about Ted Kennedy’s health?

    You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.

  25. 25.

    Dennis - SGMM

    May 20, 2008 at 2:15 pm

    It’s obvious from the quoted comments that Kennedy’s brain tumor is a misogynist.

    The “our Lady” bit was hilarious. If I could stand the stench I’d go over and post how attending a Hillary campaign event cured my eczema. My money says that I’d get a few dozen similar posts.

  26. 26.

    Krista

    May 20, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    Those people are ghoulish, and should be ashamed of themselves. They may dislike Teddy Kennedy, but he has family who love him, and a lot of friends, all of whom are very saddened by this news. I loathe George W. Bush with the heat of a thousand suns. However, were he stricken with cancer, my only reaction would be sympathy for him and the people who do love him.

    If the proprietor of that website has any class at all, he or she will put the kibosh on such comments.

  27. 27.

    TR

    May 20, 2008 at 2:44 pm

    yep, that’s “connie floyd”. and she’s not just a loon on the intertubes. she’s a Clinton delegate, from Texas. yee haw!

    i hope Hillary is extra-super proud of that one.

    Especially how she’s now promised to vote not just for McCain, but for a straight Republican ticket all the way down. Sure sounds like a good choice for a DNC delegate to me.

    The other posters are reveling in racist comments — “I’d never vote for his beige ass,” “I won’t join the ‘Dark Side’ (hee hee)” etc. — and ALL CAPSING his middle name like a fucking Dittohead.

  28. 28.

    4tehlulz

    May 20, 2008 at 2:52 pm

    connie floyd

    So any woman who doesn’t support Hillary deserves to die from a back alley abortion.

    Nice. Someone needs to GTFO of the species the Democratic party.

  29. 29.

    Calouste

    May 20, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    Especially how she’s now promised to vote not just for McCain, but for a straight Republican ticket all the way down. Sure sounds like a good choice for a DNC delegate to me.

    Would it be possible for the convention to unseat delegates based on comments like that? I wouldn’t be surprised if there is something in the rules to expel fifth column delegates.

  30. 30.

    cleek

    May 20, 2008 at 3:11 pm

    i believe she’s a TX state delegate, not a national del. (sorry if i wasn’t clear about that)

  31. 31.

    Birdzilla

    May 22, 2008 at 9:50 am

    You never ever hear about the tourture our GIs had to indure in the infamous HANOI HILTON from those same bunch of liberal whinny wussietards

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