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Gina Haspel says CIA should not have adopted brutal interrogation program Gina Haspel: Democratic senator Mark Warner says he will back CIA nominee
(about 1 hour later)
Amid an intense public debate on torture, Donald Trump’s pick to head the CIA has said the interrogation program the agency ran at black sites after the 9/11 attacks should not have been undertaken. Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, announced on Tuesday that he will support Donald Trump’s nomination for CIA director, Gina Haspel.
Gina Haspel’s Senate confirmation remains in doubt. A career intelligence officer now acting CIA director, she faces questions over her work running a covert detention site where terror suspects were brutally interrogated. Senators also want more information about her role destroying videos of the torture sessions. Amid an intense public debate on torture, Haspel’s confirmation remains in doubt. A career intelligence officer, she faces questions over her work running a covert detention site where terror suspects were brutally interrogated in the years after the 9/11 attacks. Senators also want more information about her role destroying videos of the torture sessions.
At an intelligence committee hearing last week, Haspel repeatedly refused to say if she thought torture was immoral. The Arizona senator John McCain responded by calling her a patriot but said her role “in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing. Her refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality is disqualifying”. While Haspel is expected to clear the committee in a closed-door vote on Wednesday, her confirmation in the full Senate depends on winning support from key Democrats from conservative or centrist states, such as Warner, who are under enormous pressure from liberal and human rights groups to block her.
On Tuesday, in a letter to the senior Democrat on the committee, Mark Warner of Virginia, Haspel appeared to be trying to shore up support for her confirmation. If confirmed as CIA director, she wrote, she would “refuse to undertake any proposed activity that is contrary to my moral and ethical values”. Earlier on Tuesday, a letter written by Haspel to Warner was released. Haspel appeared to be trying to shore up support for her confirmation. If confirmed, she wrote, she would “refuse to undertake any proposed activity that is contrary to my moral and ethical values”.
“I have learned the hard lessons since 9/11,” Haspel wrote. “With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken.”“I have learned the hard lessons since 9/11,” Haspel wrote. “With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken.”
While Haspel is expected to clear the committee in a closed-door vote on Wednesday, her confirmation in the full Senate depends on winning support from key Democrats from conservative or centrist states. Such senators are under enormous pressure from liberal and human rights groups to block her. Haspel’s letter was requested by Warner. In a statement, the Virginia senator said: “I acknowledge that this has been a difficult decision. There are valid questions that have been raised regarding the acting director’s record, and I have been frank with Ms Haspel that I wish she had been more open with the American public during this process.
Her letter was requested by Warner, who has not yet said how he will vote but has said Haspel was more forthcoming in her private meetings with senators. Warner asked Haspel to put in writing some of what she told them. “However, in both our one-on-one meetings and in classified session before the committee, I found … Haspel to be more forthcoming regarding her views on the interrogation program, which is why I asked her to memorialize those comments in writing. I also take to heart the strong support [she] has among rank-and-file members of the intelligence community and from intelligence community leaders who served under President Obama.
Most Republicans are expected to back Haspel but Rand Paul of Kentucky is opposed and Jeff Flake of Arizona has raised concerns. “I’m going to support Gina Haspel’s nomination to be director of the CIA. I also respect my colleagues who have made a different decision.”
At a hearing last week, Haspel repeatedly refused to say if she thought torture was immoral. The Arizona senator John McCain responded by calling her a patriot but said her role “in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing. Her refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality is disqualifying”.
Most Republicans are expected to back her but Rand Paul of Kentucky is opposed and Jeff Flake of Arizona has raised concerns.
McCain’s comments sparked a fresh debate over now-banned torture techniques. Former vice-president Dick Cheney, who was integral to the post-9/11 strategy, said that if it were up to him, “I’d do it again.”McCain’s comments sparked a fresh debate over now-banned torture techniques. Former vice-president Dick Cheney, who was integral to the post-9/11 strategy, said that if it were up to him, “I’d do it again.”
Donald Trump has expressed support for interrogation techniques such as waterboarding – simulated drowning. During the 2016 campaign, he promised to “bring back … a hell of a lot worse”.Donald Trump has expressed support for interrogation techniques such as waterboarding – simulated drowning. During the 2016 campaign, he promised to “bring back … a hell of a lot worse”.
Haspel did say in her Senate hearing she thought torture does not work as an interrogation technique. She also said that as director, her strong “moral compass” would ensure she did not carry out any administrative directive she found objectionable. Haspel did say in her Senate hearing she thought torture did not work as an interrogation technique. She also said that as director, her strong “moral compass” would ensure she did not carry out any administrative directive she found objectionable.
In her letter to Warner, Haspel wrote: “The United States must be an example to the rest of the world, and I support that.”In her letter to Warner, Haspel wrote: “The United States must be an example to the rest of the world, and I support that.”
Gina HaspelGina Haspel
CIACIA
TortureTorture
US constitution and civil libertiesUS constitution and civil liberties
US politicsUS politics
Trump administrationTrump administration
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