CIA Denies Abu Ghraib Abuse Role
Reuters: Official: CIA Not Involved in Abu Ghraib Abuses
The CIA inspector general is conducting an investigation of the death of an Iraqi prisoner while being held at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, a senior CIA official said on Monday.
But the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was not aware that any CIA officers involved in interrogating prisoners there participated in the abuses depicted by recent photographs.
“I know of no CIA officers involved in the abuses which are now so famously described,” the official told Reuters.
“There were a small number of prisoners at Abu Ghraib who are of interest to CIA, and a small number of CIA officers would periodically visit the prison to interrogate them,” the official said.
“But I don’t know of anything which connects us to those particularly ugly photos,” the official said
I’m a little troubled by the long-term implications of the CIA givging out unequivocal denials. If they do too much of this, won’t it just mean that their more accustomed “we neither confirm nor deny” response will increasingly be taken as a yes?
If we assume that intelligence agencies had to participate directly in the abuses to have culpability, we’ll get nowhere. The key is finding out what guidelines were given to those who were supposed to “prepare” the prisoners for questioning.
Kevin, it’s one thing to discuss whether or not CIA personnel participated in interrogations of foreign prisoners. It’s a completely different matter if the question concerns covert operations, actual intelligence gathered, etc.
Two different things entirely.
I am awaiting some email from the rodent witnesses to see who is telling the truth. Of course, rodents are notorious procrastinators, unless cheese is involved.
Two different things entirely.
Somehow I doubt Joe Wilson would agree. 😉
Joe Wilson disagrees with himself, so I have no doubt that he could easily disagree with me.
LOL!
—