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CIA Bans Water-Boarding in Terror Interrogations

CIA Bans Water-Boarding in Terror Interrogations

The Blotter September 15, 2007

Brian Ross, Richard Esposito & Martha Raddatz

The controversial interrogation technique known as water-boarding, in which a suspect has water poured over his mouth and nose to stimulate a drowning reflex, has been banned by CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden, current and former CIA officials tell ABCNews.com. (Image above is an ABC News graphic.) The officials say Hayden made the decision at the recommendation of his deputy, Steve Kappes, and received approval from the White House to remove water-boarding from the list of approved interrogation techniques first authorized by a presidential finding in 2002. The officials say the decision was made sometime last year but has never been publicly disclosed. One U.S. intelligence official said, "It would be wrong to assume that the program of the past moved into the future unchanged." A CIA spokesman said, as a matter of policy, he would decline to comment on interrogation techniques, "which have been and continue to be lawful," he said. The practice of water-boarding has been branded as "torture" by human rights groups and a number of leading U.S. officials, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., because it amounted to a "mock execution." Today, in New Hampshire, Sen. McCain told ABC News, "I have sought that result for years. Water-boarding is a form of torture. And I'm convinced that this will not only help us in our interrogation techniques, but it will also be helpful for our image in the world." While new legislation reportedly gave the CIA the leeway to use water-boarding, current and former CIA officials said Gen. Hayden decided to take it off the list of about six "enhanced interrogation techniques." While welcoming the move, some critics say the CIA did not go far enough. "I can say it's a good thing, but the fact remains that the entire program is illegal," John Sifton of Human Rights Watch told ABCNews.com. As a result of the decision, officials say, the most extreme techniques left available to CIA interrogators would be what is termed "longtime standing," which includes exhaustion and sleep deprivation with prisoners forced to stand, handcuffed with their feet shackled to the floor. "It is a very severe form of torture which causes tremendous psychic toll to people," said Sifton. It is believed that water-boarding was used on fewer than five "high-value" terrorist subjects, and had not been used for three to four years. Its most effective use, say current and former CIA officials, was in breaking Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, known as KSM, who subsequently confessed to a number of ongoing plots against the United States. A senior CIA official said KSM later admitted it was only because of the water-boarding that he talked. Ultimately, KSM took responsibility for the 9/ll attacks and virtually all other al Qaeda terror strikes, including the beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. "KSM lasted the longest under water-boarding, about a minute and a half, but once he broke, it never had to be used again," said a former CIA official familiar with KSM's case. Kappes' role at the CIA puts him in charge of day-to-day CIA operations. A career intelligence officer, he left the CIA in disagreement with the leadership of Porter Goss, the former Republican congressman, who George Bush chose to replace George Tenet in 2004. When Goss in turn was replaced in May 2006 by Gen. Hayden as director of Central ntelligence, he moved quickly to get Kappes to return.

Feds Step Up Actions In Brown Case

Supporters arrested, irresponsible advice leads to escalation

Infowars.net September 13 , 2007

Steve Watson

Four supporters of Plainfield tax protesters Ed and Elaine Brown were arrested yesterday and charged with helping the Browns "obstruct justice", in the words of the U.S. Marshal for New Hampshire.

The AP reported on the incident late yesterday:

Four men accused of helping obstruct justice in the case of convicted tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown have been arrested, U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier said Wednesday.

Monier said the men are Cirino "Reno" Gonzales, 30, of Alice, Texas; Daniel Riley, 40, of Albany, N.Y.; Jason Gerhard, 22, of Brookhaven, N.Y.; and Robert Wolffe, 50, of Randolph, Vt.

Charges range from accessory after the fact to possession and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

The supporters had been running errands for the Browns and providing internet updates while they are confined to their home. Gonzales has been accused of taking weapons onto the Brown property, though this has not been verified.

Marshall Monier has furthered elaborated on the arrests in a statement:

"In this case, these men are alleged to have helped the Browns in their ongoing refusal to surrender to authorities," Monier said. "The Browns have engaged in a course of conduct that has led to further criminal investigations into their activity. Anyone who aids the Browns is subject to investigation, arrest and prosecution for serious felonies, which carry very heavy prison sentences."

Ed Brown responded in an audio posting last night, stating "It's all nonsense, as usual. They always pick the wrong targets, and they picked the wrong targets again. They don't really do anything. They're just friends."

Listen to Ed And Elaine Brown discuss the arrests of their supporters here .

Further reports have suggested that the supporters were taking into custody without a warrant and without being told what they were charged with. In addition blog postings from relatives have suggested that force was used on at least one of the men.

Authorities identified Danny Riley during his activities at the recent 9/11 truth events in New York and reportedly waited until he had left the main groups of protesters before following him and arresting him.

Eyewitnesses reported police as saying "we'll wait until he gets away from the group before we take him down."

Marshall Monier has also made it clear that officials now see the case as having gone from being tax related to something more significant because of threats made towards local and federal officials and judges, and due to the increased presence of people in the perimeter of the Brown property.

"This was a tax case," he said, "but over the last seven months, the Browns have allegedly obstructed justice and encouraged others to assist them. Ed Brown has threatened to kill law enforcement officers and other government officials. So, our message to the Browns is clear: Do the right thing, call us, and surrender peacefully."

Over the past weeks some have been advising the Browns to make statements about organisations of supporters planning to seek revenge should the situation end in a shootout. Many believe such actions have exacerbated the situation and have made bloodshed a more likely outcome.

Other supporters have taken to sitting in the woods with guns, an invitation to federal authorities if ever there was one to take forceful action.

Past incidents at Waco and Ruby Ridge have shown that the feds are adept at provacateuring, and will seize on the opportunity to use force should it arise.

As the situation escalates, more social events are planned at the Brown home. As the Browns have vowed to "live free or die" it should now be obvious that a continuing siege is not the place to take women and children.

In continuing coverage of the case, Alex Jones today made a plea ( listen here ) to both supporters of the Browns and the feds themselves not to allow the situation to deteriorate and have innocent lives lost over income taxes.

The Brown's have been holed up at their home in Plainfield for several months now and have faced increasing surveillance and provocative activity from federal officials.

In June New Hampshire police erected a mile around seclusion zone, set up armed roadblocks, closed airspace, cut the Brown's power and phone lines before descending with a heavily armed SWAT team and APC vehicles, yet denied that they had any intention of carrying out a siege.

It was only when Danny Riley stumbled upon armed agents lurking in the woods, that the siege was rumbled. Riley maintains that he was shot at before being tasered and arrested, only to be released later with a warning that he could be detained again at any point should he continue to support the Browns.

Since this time power and communications to the house have continued to be interrupted and cut off intermittently. the Department of Homeland Security has also flown helicopters over the house, one time during a concert at the property.