The Interrogation Memorandums

This past week President Obama authorized the release of a set of classified memorandums written during the Bush administration.  These documents outlined the procedures and tactics employed during the interrogations of captured senior Al Qaeda operatives and have been referred to by the press as the “torture memos”.  President Obama’s release of these memos took place despite substantial protest.  The four most recent CIA Directors—John Deutch, George Tenet, Porter Goss and Michael Hayden—all recommended against the release of these memorandums.  President Obama’s own newly appointed Director of CIA, Leon Panetta, also recommended against releasing the documents.  Yet President Obama, in a seemingly relentless effort to discredit his predecessor, George W. Bush, made the memorandum available to the public anyway.

In taking this action, President Obama has effectively defined the limits of what America, at its most aggressive and most passive, would do against Al Qaeda detainees.  This will undoubtedly allow groups like Al Qaeda to adjust the preparation and training of their operatives.  Administration officials as well as some journalists on the left have argued that the President took into consideration the fact that much of the memos’ contents have already made it into the press.  This is a hollow defense.  Speculation or discussion of these details in the press may allow Al Qaeda and other terrorists to assess potential U.S. capabilities to some extent.  But official White House memorandums released to the public, and immediately downloadable online, are the gold standard for Al Qaeda. 

In addition to bolstering Al Qaeda’s tactical position and morale, I argue that President Obama has also demoralized those members of the Clandestine Service that make enormous personal sacrifices and take tremendous risks in the fight to keep our nation safe.  After having served most of my adult life in CIA’s Clandestine Service and having led many important counterterrorism missions, I can say that the rank and file is truly horrified by President Obama’s naïve decision making.  Apologists for Obama’s misguided decision may counter by highlighting the President’s announcement that no CIA employees who participated in the interrogation program will be prosecuted.  Surely President Obama understood that taking such action would have accelerated retirement of many senior officers already eligible to depart and would have also caused a significant number of resignations.

On top of all this, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy, called recently for a “truth and reconciliation commission”—much like what South Africa used to address decades of apartheid.  Leahy’s “truth commission” would purportedly be established to investigate allegations of wrongdoing at the Justice Department during the Bush Administration.  It would allow America to cleanse itself of what he terms Bush Administration crimes.  This is simply a cheap political stunt designed solely for Democratic political advantage and will further undermine our ability to defend ourselves against Al Qaeda terror.

On a daily basis we watch countries like Iran and North Korea continue to advance their technology in the area of weapons of mass destruction.  What the Obama administration fails to comprehend is that terrorist groups are also evolving their tradecraft and the lethality with which they plan to strike.  The fact that we did not suffer a significant follow-on attack in the continental United States during George W. Bush’s eight year presidency resulted from the extremely aggressive posture taken by his administration.  George W. Bush, for all his mistakes and missteps, did understand that we were at war with a lethal and insidious enemy, and he conducted himself accordingly.  Sadly, it is inevitable that a time will come when we learn of an impending catastrophic attack on an American city.  In today’s highly globalized society, small numbers of people can leverage technology to do terrible things.  Given the positions staked out by President Obama, how does a reasonable person believe the national security apparatus will function in such a crisis?  Will individuals be willing to accept the reality of such a threat and be allowed to act decisively at the lowest level to counter the threat, or will such threats have to work their way up the chain of command, at the cost of time, for reflection by President Obama himself?

President Obama’s handling of the classified Bush-era interrogation memorandums displays a lack of maturity.  More dangerously, it displays a lack of understanding of what could lie ahead for the nation.  Like all Presidents in the modern age, Obama is likely to face events in the years ahead that will be heartrending.  To prepare for these challenges and to minimize the impact on the nation, he must avoid rewarding our enemy and build consensus within the national security establishment.  Unfortunately, with the release of these memos, the hope that President Obama would conduct himself in foreign affairs as a moderate pragmatist has all but evaporated.  

      

Comments

[Joe G.]

Maybe Obama is planning to wage the terror war like LBJ did in Vietnam. Remember the chain of command, boys and girls.

LBJ tells McNamara
McNamara tells Westmoreland
Westmoreland tells the relevant theater commander
General tells colonel
Colonel tells Lt. Col.
Commissioned Officers make more phone calls and write more opinions
NCOs secretly are pissed off, for lack of action – that’s not important, though
Grunts complain, but they dutifully await orders

Weeks (or months) later, half the world hears rumors that we are planning to bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

What? We lost that war?

GO FIGURE!

[Larry S.]

Very few people understand what it means to fight an enemy that is not state-sponsored or readily identified by insignia. I do not just blame the President for his naivety, but I also blame those that influence and provide council to him. I could not agree with you more the release of the torture memorandums was definitely a poor decision from President Obama. It would appear he does not understand that not everybody can be charmed, and not everybody wants peace. That has been the problem from the beginning of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq..."RED TAPE." Whether it is political bureaucrats that do appreciate or hold in high esteem the clandestine operations/ techniques of our IC, or the hard nosed out of date military bureaucrats who have personal issues with our agile special operating forces, the keys of success continue to be met with the locks of stubbornness and ignorance.

I have been watching many of the moves being made politically in reference to the CIA, and politico-militarily against our special operating forces through publically available open source channels. It appears that there is a discredit movement underway. The issue I have with this movement is the potential of vulnerability it can or cannot leave the country in. The fact that these "memos" will be released will dictate how al-qaeda trains there operatives for intensive interrogations, I agree with Berntsen a 100% on that assessment. Other security issues are the closing of Gitmo, and proposed possible peace talks with the Taliban..seriously WTF! Destroying the Bush legacy is one thing, but destroying methods that have worked whether controversial or not is another thing.

Hasn't anybody asked why we haven't had a major terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11? Are people not aware that while they are sleeping securely in their beds at night, men and women are working in the shadows and doing what needs to be done to protect them? Are people really that naive? I will admit I am a bit biased and believe the the IC and SOCOM should have more slack to operate freely without "Red Tape," but I am one of only a handful.

I really appreciate the men and women of the IC and SOCOM, their jobs really are a double-edged sword. The President and like-minded people charge these brave men and women to protect America at any cost but don't do this - don't do that, etc., but God forbid if another attack ever happened on American soil the President and these like-minded people would be pointing fingers, demanding answers, and saying why didn't you do everything possible to prevent these attacks. "Double-Edged" sword.

It frustrates me when the President makes decisions like this, and just think we are talking counter terrorism and "torture memos." We have not even addressed China's aggressive espionage, Russia's resurgence, and North Korea's inevitability. Truly interesting times!

[RestoreAmericanMorality]

Mr. Berntsen -

You write, without any supporting evidence, that "official White House memorandums ... are the gold standard for Al Qaeda". How are you in any position to know this is the case? You simply state this as a fact in order to support your position.

What you don't write about, and what is well-documented in Qaeda's own publicity, is the fact that information about the US-government-sanctioned abuse of prisoners in Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and the "black sites" was used as a recruiting tool for Islamic extremists.

We must separate the nihilists from the extremists, and the extremists from the rest of the Muslim population, in order to cut off the supply of willing recruits. Torturing prisoners has the opposite effect.

[Joe G.]

RestoreAmericanMorality -

Where exactly do you live in Europe?

[Robert Hammond]

Nice piece, Gary. What many do not understand is just how few people are actively engaged in CT operations. I am not talking about the legions of analysts, desk officers and assorted wannabees inside the beltway, but the people who actually go outside our borders and do the work. These few are a precious commodity, and most of them are highly qualified. They can easily walk to a new career that offers much more reward and many fewer headaches. The games that our political class are playing with our nation's well-being will certainly sicken them.
Bob H

[Cameron Petersen]

Mr. Berntsen

Speaking of "the people who actually go outside our borders and do the work." I just finished reading "First In" by Gary S and "Jawbreaker" and were honestly inspired by them. Would you be available to answer a few questions I have about a possible career in the CIA? My email address is cameron.petersen@comcast.net

Thank you.

[Samantha B.]

RestoreAmericanMorality -

This man is "in the position to know" because of the life he's led – and the exemplary (and impossible to repay) service he has offered to his country. Read his bio.
As for your fact finding research... believing the Al Qaeda publicity is clearly the wrong choice.
Do you not understand that propaganda is propaganda is propaganda?

[elolotrursern]

Picture Reference To Ecstasty Pills
[url=http://www.imtalkinfree.com/]buy lorazepam[/url]
Additionally, these effects can continue for six months after taking the medication.
http://www.imtalkinfree.com/ - lorazepam online pharmacy