Joshua Casteel, a former interrogator who served at the Abu Ghraib prison camp, says that special forces and CIA interrogators openly laughed at him for “going soft” in his techniques. He also says he learned from other interrogators that techniques he considers well within the bounds of torture were utilized, such as inducing hypothermia (1:04).
At a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on harsh interrogation tactics, Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) says that there has been so little information given on the topic that perhaps the White House drinking water causes amnesia. He goes on to say that the facts henceforth gathered reveal a “disturbing” picture. (0:57)
Chairman Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) talks about the Guantanamo Bay prison. Hastings says that there has not been a single completed trial of those suspected of the most serious crimes committed against our country, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed and alleged “20th hijacker” Mohammed al Qahtani. Hastings also says that Qahtani may be rendered incapable of participating in his trial due to the methods of interrogation used against him. (1:09)
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties met to discuss the issuance of a subpoena to Douglas Feith, the former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. Feith was scheduled to give witness at a hearing last Wednesday, but canceled his appearance four hours before its scheduled time. The hearing was for discussion of the Bush Administration’s role in authorizing the use of abusive interrogation policies. (more…)
Joe Navarro, a former FBI interrogator, says that the United States must not model its interrogation style after the Gestapo since even the Nazis knew that techniques like sleep deprivation do no yield results from informants. (0:44)
Colonel Stuart Herrington, a retired US Army intelligence officer, says that career disincentives prevent qualified individuals from becoming interrogators and that the only way to get many kinds of information is through human intelligence, a fact that is continually overlooked. (0:50)
Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, says that the interrogation program run by the CIA against high-value targets are “a tougher program for tougher customers.” He says that the information gained through these programs has been useful. (0:49)
Attorney General Michael Mukasey reads his opening statement at a hearing on oversight of the Department of Justice. He explains his position on the legality of waterboarding as an interrogation technique. (0:34)
