Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to CIA Director John Brennan’s press conference on the Senate intelligence committee’s report on the post-9/11 CIA torture program, former CIA interrogator Glenn Carle, author of The Interrogator, said:
“’Enhanced Interrogation’ is torture, it is illegal, it is ineffective, it is counterproductive, it is immoral, it is unnecessary. It was past time for the CIA and the U.S. government to acknowledge this. The Senate report and John Brennan’s statement, contribute to the belated repudiation and discrediting of such abhorrent practices.”
During today’s press conference, Brennan conceded that there is no evidence that torture tactics directly produced actionable intelligence. Looking ahead to the possibility that the United States could again torture detainees, Brennan called on policymakers to act to address the concern. Human Rights First has urged lawmakers to pursue legislative action that would unequivocally close the door on future use torture.
The Senate intelligence committee’s 6,000-plus-page study of the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program is one of the most comprehensive and thorough oversight endeavors in congressional history. For months, Senate staff and the CIA engaged in protracted discussions about the extent to which the committee’s report should be redacted. The report’s findings enjoy widespread support from political, national security, and intelligence leaders, including Republican Senator John McCain. The report was also initiated, adopted, and submitted for declassification on three independent, bipartisan votes. A nonpartisan group of retired generals and admirals who stood with President Obama in the Oval Office as he signed an executive order banning torture tirelessly advocated for the report’s release.
