Officials: CIA gave waterboarders $5M legal shield

[Ghost in the Machine]

Officials: CIA gave waterboarders $5M legal shield

Posted: Dec 17, 2010 3:47 AM EST
Updated: Dec 17, 2010 6:08 AM EST

By ADAM GOLDMAN and MATT APUZZO
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The CIA agreed to cover at least $5 million in legal fees for two contractors who were the architects of the agency's interrogation program and personally conducted dozens of waterboarding sessions on terror detainees, former U.S. officials said.

The secret agreement means taxpayers are paying to defend the men in a federal investigation over an interrogation tactic the U.S. now says is torture. The deal is even more generous than the protections the agency typically provides its own officers, giving the two men access to more money to finance their defense.

It has long been known that psychologists Jim Mitchell and Bruce Jessen created the CIA's interrogation program. But former U.S. intelligence officials said Mitchell and Jessen also repeatedly subjected terror suspects inside CIA-run secret prisons to waterboarding, a simulated drowning tactic.

The revelation of the contractors' involvement is the first known confirmation of any individuals who conducted waterboarding at the so-called black sites, underscoring just how much the agency relied on outside help in its most sensitive interrogations.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13701164

[leveymg]

1. Mitchell and Jessen are familiar names - they were each paid $1000/day to do this work,

which doesn't seem like much for such Subject Matter Expertise.

Not a new story. See, http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=7471217&page=1

[Ghost in the Machine]

2. Thanks for the link... n/t

[EFerrari]

3. So, does this mean all the officers and Bush admin people at the Taguba hearings

who said there was no torture program LIED THEIR ASSES OFF to Congress?

[Ghost in the Machine]

4. Of course they lied their asses off... but who is going to do anything about it?

:shrug:

That is the question that needs to be answered...

[EFerrari]

5. They're denying that they are mistreating Manning.

It's time to call them out on their mendacity via social media.

Btw, the video of the Taguba hearings is available at CSPAN + transcripts. The information is sitting right there for someone to use. :shrug:

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. "The information is sitting right there for someone to use"...

Ok, so how do we, as citizens, use this information? Can we files charges of perjury and/or corruption on them? Do we just start a Facebook group to call them out via social media?

Our Government apparently has no interest in pursuing this.. so what do we do about it??

[EFerrari]

8. This persecution of Julian Assange is a good opportunity

to point out all the real prosecutions that the DoJ is not mounting. That's as far as I get so far. :shrug:

[Supersedeas]

7. Our brave AG - the one who called us a Nation of Cowards - him?

[EFerrari]

9. Excellent memory. n/t

[Ghost in the Machine]

11. Yeah, that guy...what's his name? Eric Holdout, or something like that?

:rofl:

[Rex]

10. If only we had some responsible adults in charge that would take

corrective action and punish these criminals for their behavor. Won't hold my breath on that happening, but one can dream.

[Ghost in the Machine]

12. Yeah, we have to look forward, for the good of the Country, ya know..

:sarcasm: