Letter from Retired Military Leaders to President Obama on CIA and the Release of the Torture Report

[bigtree]

Last edited Tue Aug 5, 2014, 01:49 PM - Edit history (1)

August 1, 2014
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

On your second day in office, you led the country forward by issuing executive orders banning torture and other forms of abusive interrogation. Many of us were in the Oval Office that day, proud to stand behind you as you signaled an end to the misguided policies of the post-9/11 period. As retired generals and admirals, we have worked since that day to build a stronger, more durable consensus against torture in our country so that, at a future moment when our nation is tested, the American people will reject calls to resort to such abuses. We welcomed your public support for declassification of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee’s study on the CIA’s rendition, detention, and interrogation program. We believe that the American people must understand fully what the program entailed, how it came to be, and what was gained—and lost— because of it.

We write to you today because we believe your strong record against torture is being undermined by members of your own administration.

In part because there has been so little transparency about the torture program, some former government officials continue to claim that so-called “enhanced” interrogation techniques were necessary to disrupt terrorist plots and save lives. Now one of the key proponents of this false narrative that “torture works,” the former CIA director George Tenet, is reportedly coordinating with the current leadership of the CIA to discredit the Senate intelligence committee’s report. CIA Director John Brennan recently told the Wall Street Journal that he plans to "take issue” with parts of the report that he “believe[s] are inaccurate or misleading."

It is understandable that current and former employees of the CIA feel protective of the agency’s reputation and embarrassed by what the Senate study contains. The U.S. military’s examination of torture in its ranks after the Abu Ghraib scandal was painful; it was also necessary to the health of the institution. The stakes are too high to allow the intelligence community to circle the wagons and launch a concerted campaign to undermine the report’s credibility. Ultimately, an American public that understands the high costs of torture is the best guarantee against a future president rescinding your executive order and treating torture as a viable policy option.

There is no substitute for leadership from the top on an issue like this. You have set the direction for your administration that torture is unacceptable. But for that leadership to have a lasting impact on the direction of our country, beyond your administration, you must act to ensure that Americans learn the right lessons from our past. We urge you to make clear in no uncertain terms that you expect CIA Director John Brennan to support an expansive declassification of the report and an honest reckoning with its findings.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.

Sincerely,

General Joseph P. Hoar, USMC (Ret.)
General Charles C. Krulak, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.) Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster, USA (Ret.) Major General Paul D. Eaton, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Donald Guter, JAGC, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, JAGC, USN (Ret.)
Major General Michael R. Lehnert, USMC (Ret.)
Major General William L. Nash, USA (Ret.)
Major General Thomas J. Romig, USA (Ret.)
Major General Walter L. Stewart, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Major General Antonio M. Taguba, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General David M. Brahms, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General Evelyn P. Foote, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Gerald E. Galloway, USA (Ret)
Brigadier General Leif H. Hendrickson, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General David R. Irvine, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Anthony Verrengia, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Stephen N. Xenakis, USA (Ret.)

read: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/letter-retired-military-leaders-president-obama-cia-and-release-torture-report

related;

Interrogators, Interviewers, Intelligence Officials Letter to President on Senate Torture Report

[msanthrope]

1. bigtree--thank you for publishing this. It is a very moving letter, and I think these servicepeople

are right.

I think we only begin to see the blowback on this. Already, you have McCain and Lindsey trying to convince the GOP that torture is wrong.

This will unfold over the coming months--it is long past due.

[octoberlib]

2. K&R!

[randys1]

3. Didnt Shinseki have to be sacrificed even though he probably wasnt to blame?

So why in the hell is Brennan still heading the CIA?

[DeSwiss]

25. Because of what he knows. :-/ n/t

[Scuba]

4. Good, but should have recommended prosecution of the criminals who authorized or committed torture.

[pangaia]

5. Exactly my first thought.

That's a lot of generalissimo there.
If they REALLY want to make a contribution......

[obxhead]

6. Exactly. nothing says we a truly want change like

a public trial resulting in real consequences.

[LiberalEsto]

7. K&R!

[proverbialwisdom]

8. Additional Resource: Heroes against Torture

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/press-release/experts-call-cia-torture-report-release-obama-says-us-tortured-after-911

August 01, 2014
Experts Call for CIA Torture Report Release as Obama Says U.S. Tortured After 9/11

Washington, D.C. – Today, following President Obama’s acknowledgement that the United States used torture after 9/11, Human Rights First called on the President and Congress to act to ensure that the country never again returns to the policy of torture.

“We agree with President Obama that the report, ‘reminds us once again that the character of our country has to be measured…not by what we do when things are easy, but by what we do when things are hard.’ However, the CIA’s response to the oversight process on ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ shows real reluctance on the part of the agency to grapple with its post-9/11 mistakes and ensure that those mistakes never happen again,” said Human Rights First’s Raha Wala. “Release of the report’s findings should prompt Congress to act to ensure that America never again resorts to torture or cruel and inhumane treatment. President Obama should direct the CIA and the rest of his administration to engage the report’s key findings, rather than defend agency actions that are indefensible.”

Alberto Mora, former Navy general counsel, added, “The president is right that the character of our country needs to be measured by what we did when things were hard. The use of torture violated our laws, principles and values, and how we respond to the recognition that we tortured will help define our character moving forward.”

Col. Steve Kleinman, a former Air Force interrogator observed, “There are lawful and effective ways to get intelligence. When you cross the line into unlawful and immoral behavior, it’s no longer patriotic, it’s criminal.”

Once the administration sends the committee its response to key portions of the CIA torture report, the committee is expected to make the findings and the CIA’s response public. That could happen as early as next week. President Obama has said that he unequivocally supports the release of the report.

<>

Earlier today, 20 of the nation's most respected retired admirals and generals urged President Obama to ensure the unhindered release of key portions from the Senate Intelligence Committee report on post-9/11 CIA torture tactics. The call came in a letter highlighting attempts by former and current government employees to defend the so-called “enhanced interrogation” program by attacking the report.

Additional Resource: Heroes against Torture

Not everyone went along with the torture program. Here are the stories of a few of the people who stood up against it.

Philip Zelikow
Philip Zelikow, a former State Department lawyer and adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, argued against the legality of “enhanced interrogation techniques” in a 2005 memo. He made the case that controlled drowning, hanging suspects from the ceiling for prolonged periods, and other forms of abuse were in clear violation of the Constitution. A colleague later informed Zelikow that his memo had been destroyed. His words not heeded, he predicted that “America's descent into torture will in time be viewed like the Japanese internments,” when “fear and anxiety were exploited by zealots and fools.”

Alberto Mora
When former General Counsel of the Navy Alberto Mora first learned that detainees at Gitmo were suffering “physical abuse and degrading treatment,” he began investigating. After obtaining copies of memos and briefs authorizing “extraordinary interrogation techniques” including waterboarding, stress positions, and hooding, Mora argued within the DOD against these practices. And when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld appointed the Working Group to establish new interrogation guidelines, Mora lobbied to prohibit torture, citing evidence that it was not only illegal, but also ineffective. The military brass rejected his arguments, however, and implemented the “Torture Memos” without his knowledge.

Mathew Diaz
Matthew Diaz, a former naval officer and lawyer, served a six-month tour of duty at Guantanamo Bay in 2004 as deputy director of the detention center's legal office. At the end of his tour he sent an anonymous greeting card to Barbara Olshansky at the Center for Constitutional Rights containing the names of 550 detainees at Gitmo. Olshansky had previously requested these names, but the military did not cooperate. Diaz felt that his duties as an officer to follow orders and as an attorney to follow the law were at odds. Ultimately he decided to follow his conscience. For his actions Diaz was sentenced to six months in prison, dismissed from the Navy, and disbarred.

Antonio Taguba
A retired major general in the U.S. Army, Antonio Taguba authored the document that became known as the “Taguba Report,” which exposed abuse at the Abu Gharib prison in Iraq. Taguba documented widespread “sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses.” The report was published and leaked in 2004. Along with the infamous photos, his report sparked a national debate about torture. Taguba was asked to retire in 2006, presumably due to his dissent on the torture issue. He later characterized the Bush administration’s actions as war crimes and called for the prosecution of those responsible.

Joseph Darby
Former army reservist Joseph Darby discovered photos of his fellow soldiers torturing prisoners at Abu Gharib in Iraq. After facing a crisis of conscience – torn between loyalty to his company and his moral beliefs – Darby sent a disc of the photographs and an anonymous letter to the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command. Three months later the photos were published, and Darby faced severe fallout. Due to death threats, he was unable to move back to his hometown. Nevertheless, Darby boldly testified at a pretrial hearing for one of the soldiers perpetrating the abuse. Torture, he said, “violated everything I personally believed in and all I’d been taught about the rules of war.”

John Helgerson
Agents tipped off Former CIA Inspector General John Helgerson that interrogations at CIA black sites “might involve violations of human rights.” Helgerson then launched an investigation that resulted in a report documenting abuses that took place in CIA-run prisons. In the report, he questioned the legality of these practices and called them inhumane. He also wrote a critical review for Congress in 2005 of former Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet, who staunchly defends the torture program, calling for “punitive sanctions.” These documents proved to be foundational in exposing and condemning CIA torture practices.

Ian Fishback
When Captain (now Major) Ian Fishback reported abuses committed by his own unit during prisoner interrogations, those in command ignored his efforts. Frustrated by the lack of transparency or guidelines for interrogations and convinced the practices he observed were wrong, Fishback penned a letter to Senator John McCain about his concerns regarding torture and the violation of Geneva Conventions. In his letter Fishback also implied that Donald Rumsfeld was not honest with Congress about the extent of the abuses taking place at Abu Gharib, which the administration characterized as the work of “rogue” officers, not official policy. Fueled by Fishback’s letter, McCain went on to sponsor the 2005 Detainee Treatment Act, which prohibits “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment” of detainees, regardless of physical location.

Glen Carle
CIA officer Glen Carle was tapped to interrogate a “high-value target” at a “black site” in 2002. Carle refused to use torture during his interrogations and denounced those who did. He quickly realized that the detainee was “the wrong guy” and had not committed the crimes of which he was accused. Despite Carle’s objections, the CIA continued torturing the prisoner for information he did not know. Carle was soon replaced on the mission, and eventually resigned from the CIA. The detainee was not released until 2010. Carle’s (heavily redacted) book, "The Interrogator: An Education," serves up a harsh critique of the CIA’s torture program and the Bush administration’s management of the Global War on Terror.

Steven Kleinman
Interrogation expert Colonel Steven Kleinman, then a lieutenant colonel, was dismayed when he witnessed abusive practices during interrogations in Iraq. Kleinman refused to participate and instructed his officers to do likewise. His dissent, he says, made him “the most unpopular officer in that area, if not the entire country of Iraq.” Kleinman repeatedly explained to his officers and chain of command that torturous methods were not only illegal, but would not produce actionable intelligence. Kleinman wrote a detailed report and sent it up his chain of command, including to the Department of Defense inspector general's office. No action was taken, and Kleinman was intimidated into not revealing the contents of the report with threats of prosecution for divulging classified information.

PETITION: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/torturetruth

[proverbialwisdom]

9. MORE: Letter from current & former professional interrogators, interviewers & intelligence officials

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/press-release/top-interrogators-and-intelligence-officials-urge-president-obama-ensure-cia

August 04, 2014
Top Interrogators and Intelligence Officials Urge President Obama to Ensure that CIA Leadership Takes Responsibility for Torture Report Findings

Washington, D.C. – 15 current and former professional interrogators, interviewers, and intelligence officials today warned President Obama of the need to take action to ensure that the CIA does not mount a defense of the former interrogation program in response to the soon to be released findings of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on post-9/11 CIA torture tactics. The call came in a letter highlighting false claims made by former government employees to defend the results of the so-called “enhanced interrogation” program.

“The CIA’s program prompted a public discussion about whether these “enhanced interrogation techniques” (EITs) produced reliable information,” wrote the interrogators, interviewers, and intelligence officials. “We are not surprised that those who have read the intelligence committee study say that it concludes that the use of EITs produced little valuable intelligence. Based on our experience, torture and other forms of abusive or coercive techniques are more likely to generate unreliable information and have repeatedly proven to be counterproductive as a means of securing the enduring cooperation of a detained individual.”

The letter comes as the committee and the executive branch are engaged in discussions about the extent to which the report should be redacted. The 600-page executive summary promises to provide details on the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” practices, setting the record straight on the use of torture and shedding light on the claims that torture played a significant role in gaining actionable intelligence post 9/11. In April of this year, following a concerted campaign led by Human Rights First, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted 11-3 to declassify the report.

Since the Senate Intelligence Committee’s declassification vote, former and current CIA employees – including former CIA director George Tenet and current CIA Director John Brennan – have worked to discredit the report and are reportedly coordinating a response to the document’s release. Last week, the CIA acknowledged that it inappropriately accessed a computer network used by the intelligence committee during its review of the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program, further evidence that the agency has consistently misled Congress, the White House, and the Department of Justice about its interrogation program.

<>

[ReRe]

14. Thank you, pw, for these priceless additions to this thread! n/t

[proverbialwisdom]

19. HumanRightsFirst is requesting public support for these policies & experts. It's the least we can do

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/press

[center][/center]

On human rights, the United States must be a beacon. America is strongest when our policies and actions match our values. -->

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/topics/retired-military-leaders

These leaders know firsthand that the country’s ideals are a national security asset.

To provide military leaders a vehicle to advocate counterterrorism policies that respect human rights, we’ve assembled a coalition of more than 50 retired admirals and generals. Because of its pivotal role in altering the national debate over torture, President Obama invited the coalition to stand with him as he signed the executive order banning the practice. We continue to work with the coalition to champion security policies that uphold the rule of law.

Thanks to bigtree/OP for providing a very uplifting news source to read daily. These PRESS RELEASES aren't likely to be reported widely.

[shraby]

10. Glad to see Gen. Taguba on there. I'm pretty sure he investigated the

abuse in Abu Ghraib and gave a report that they pretty much ignored.

[dougolat]

11. May the world see us as standing for inalienable human rights

Perhaps:

not foursquare and resolutely,

not automatically and easily,

not perfectly,

but eventually, despite the difficulty, even sometimes with drastic failures, because it is most important.

[billhicks76]

12. NSA Taps Generals Phones For Leverage

So these folks are courageous to take a stand. NSA analyst, Russ Tice, said he had to monitor taps on Generals as well as judges and even Senators including Barack Obama in 2005.

[mountain grammy]

13. This is indeed, long past due.

Brennan has to go.

[burrowowl]

15. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!

Good on these top brass!
Would that Obama listen!

[Hubert Flottz]

16. K&R

[stupidicus]

17. The lack of prosecutions highlights our at least two-tiered criminal justice system

and is far more damaging to the social fabric of this country than the prosecutions could ever be because it insures that the conflict will remain unresoved. Rightwingnuts will perpetually, and especially into the forseeable future, simply rely on the fact that no "legal" case "proves" that Bush/Cheney, etc, are war criminals.

Just qualify it with "unindicted" as I have for the last decade and more.

[ReRe]

18. K&R

You wonder if PO got a chance to see this on Friday before he gave his infamous presser, or if it would have made any difference even if it had.

Our Presidents live inside an impervious bubble with advisers who some would call domestic enemies. I wonder if he ever thinks about the oath that he has taken twice now.

[Enthusiast]

20. Kicked and recommended!

[sabrina 1]

21. I see Gen. Taguba's name on the list. He wrote the original report

which revealed the truth about torture. George Bush gave a medal to one of those who was found to have been responsible for much of the torture program. Taguba was sidelined for telling the truth.

[G_j]

23. good catch

[underpants]

22. Good for them

[JDPriestly]

24. Thanks to all who signed that letter. Truly brave people.

I note that there are no women among them.

Major General Antonio M. Taguba deserves special recognition as perhaps do a few of the others. Taguba wrote the report that contributed to alerting many Americans to the torture.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20130.htm

[malthaussen]

27. Brigadier General Evelyn P. Foote is female.

Only instance in the group.

-- Mal

[JDPriestly]

34. Thanks for the correction. I did not know that.

[proverbialwisdom]

32. Barbara Ehrenreich wrote eloquently about gender: "A uterus is no substitute for a conscience."

http://www.alternet.org/story/18740/what_abu_ghraib_taught_me

[JDPriestly]

35. True, but we need more women in leadership positions.

[malthaussen]

26. Not real fond of this implication:

"at a future moment when our nation is tested, the American people will reject calls to resort to such abuses."

Okay, let's see. I don't recall anybody asking me or the "American people" if it was okay if we go ahead and torture some folks. And my attitude towards torturing folks has not changed one whit for knowing that we did torture some folks. This implication that the people are somehow culpable and need to be shown the light disturbs me. Okay, what I do through someone else's hands, I do myself, but it is an unavoidable consequence of our government system that the actions of the Administration are largely beyond my control once it has been elected. It was not the "American people" who tortured folks, but the leaders we entrusted with maintaining and representing the ideals of our nation. What "lesson," exactly, do the distinguished authors of this missive think I, or the American people, need to "learn?"

-- Mal

[truedelphi]

37. Didn't you get the latest memo?

It is always the fault of the people.


Always, even in matters like climate control.

Sure the elected officials spend the money on the military and they vote in the wars, but we the people should still stop them after they do that?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

28. K&R.

[tclambert]

29. If we are defending criminal activity, especially war crimes, then we have lost our way.

[toby jo]

30. bigtree, thanks.

[bobduca]

31. Kick

[elias49]

33. The examination of the Abu Ghraib scandal was "painful but necessary"?

Abu Ghraib got a real thick coat of flat white paint! It was BS. If that's the best we get in the case of the intel industry, well...we got nothin! IMO.

[truedelphi]

36. YOU are missed, bigtree. n/t