Thomas Joscelyn at the Weekly Standard blog looks at what may become the conventional wisdom with respect to the Inspector General's report on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.
What made KSM talk? Taken at face value, the IG’s report suggests that it was the waterboard, and the waterboard alone, that led to this gusher of intelligence. The un-redacted portions of the IG’s report do not mention any other possible reason for KSM’s change of heart when it came to dealing with his debriefers. And he wasn’t in custody very long before KSM started naming names – some of the terrorists he gave up were captured within a matter of weeks.
So, there you have it. Zubaydah gave up more intelligence after being waterboarded. The waterboard made Nashiri compliant. When Nashiri stopped cooperating, other EITs were used to make him talk. And talk he did, giving up the “operational” details of his plotting. And, finally, KSM gave up little of value prior to being waterboarded. Afterwards, he became the CIA’s most important source on al Qaeda.
Of course, opponents of waterboarding and other enhanced methods will claim all the information obtained was garbage, and led down blind alleys in pursuit of wild geese.
No comments:
Post a Comment