Friday, April 10, 2009
Use of contractors in detention operations
I have long fought to ban the use of contractors in interrogations and detention operations. So, I am very pleased that Mr. Panetta has announced that contractors will no longer conduct interrogations. I have introduced legislation this year and in the last Congress that would have banned such interrogations, and the CIA is now following this policy.
“The Director has also made a decision to terminate a contract to conduct security at the remaining CIA sites until they are decommissioned. I have been pushing to have the contract terminated and am very pleased with the Director’s decision. In addition to placing responsibility for detention and interrogation in the hands of government employees, where it belongs, Mr. Panetta has indicated that having the CIA carry out site security will save up to $4 million.
Statement of Senator Feinstein on Decision by CIA Director Panetta To Ban Contractor Interrogations, Terminate Site Contract. The sites were in Thailand, Romania and Poland, among other places.
Labels: black site, CIA Director, detainee, Feinstein, Panetta, Poland, Romania, Thailand
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Rodriguez had no authority to destroy tapes
Rizzo testifies in closed session
Representative Peter Hoekstra, Republican of Michigan, said Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., head of the C.I.A.’s clandestine service at the time, had not “gotten authority from anyone” to destroy the tapes. “Matter of fact, it appears that he got direction to make sure the tapes were not destroyed,” he said.
Mr. Hoekstra spoke after hearing testimony from John A. Rizzo, the C.I.A.’s top lawyer, who addressed the committee on Wednesday during a closed session lasting nearly four hours. Mr. Hoekstra did not provide details, including who may have told Mr. Rodriguez not to destroy the tapes. The lawmaker said it was important to have Mr. Rodriguez testify before the committee to get his version of events.
A lawyer for Mr. Rodriguez, Robert S. Bennett, challenged Mr. Hoekstra’s comments about what agency officials told his client. “Nobody, to our knowledge, ever instructed him not to destroy the tapes,” Mr. Bennett said. “Had the director or deputy director or general counsel told him not to destroy the tapes, they would not have been destroyed.” here
Representative Peter Hoekstra, Republican of Michigan, said Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., head of the C.I.A.’s clandestine service at the time, had not “gotten authority from anyone” to destroy the tapes. “Matter of fact, it appears that he got direction to make sure the tapes were not destroyed,” he said.
Mr. Hoekstra spoke after hearing testimony from John A. Rizzo, the C.I.A.’s top lawyer, who addressed the committee on Wednesday during a closed session lasting nearly four hours. Mr. Hoekstra did not provide details, including who may have told Mr. Rodriguez not to destroy the tapes. The lawmaker said it was important to have Mr. Rodriguez testify before the committee to get his version of events.
A lawyer for Mr. Rodriguez, Robert S. Bennett, challenged Mr. Hoekstra’s comments about what agency officials told his client. “Nobody, to our knowledge, ever instructed him not to destroy the tapes,” Mr. Bennett said. “Had the director or deputy director or general counsel told him not to destroy the tapes, they would not have been destroyed.” here
Labels: CIA, John Rizzo, Jose A. Rodriguez, tapes, Thailand, torture
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Rizzo not asked for final approval
John C. Truong
Lawyers gave written approval in advance to the destruction in 2005 of hundreds of hours of videotapes documenting CIA interrogations. John A. Rizzo, the agency’s top lawyer at the time, was not asked for final approval before the tapes were destroyed, although Mr. Rizzo had been involved in discussions for two years about the tapes. It is unclear what weight an opinion from a lawyer within the clandestine service would have if it were not formally approved by Mr. Rizzo. But the former official said Mr. Rodriguez and others in the clandestine branch believed the legal judgment gave them the blessing to destroy the tapes. Leaders of the clandestine service believed they “didn’t need to ask Rizzo’s permission.” here
Lawyers gave written approval in advance to the destruction in 2005 of hundreds of hours of videotapes documenting CIA interrogations. John A. Rizzo, the agency’s top lawyer at the time, was not asked for final approval before the tapes were destroyed, although Mr. Rizzo had been involved in discussions for two years about the tapes. It is unclear what weight an opinion from a lawyer within the clandestine service would have if it were not formally approved by Mr. Rizzo. But the former official said Mr. Rodriguez and others in the clandestine branch believed the legal judgment gave them the blessing to destroy the tapes. Leaders of the clandestine service believed they “didn’t need to ask Rizzo’s permission.” here
Labels: CIA, cia flights, detainees, John Truong Rizzo, rendition, Thailand
Saturday, December 08, 2007
CIA detainees taken to Thailand for Interrogation
2005 Acting General Counsel John A Rizzo
Jose A. Rodriguez, Directorate of Operations
Abu Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan, was taken to Thailand for part of his interrogation. Several former intelligence officials also said there was great concern that the tapes, which recorded hours of grueling interrogations, could have set off controversies about the legality of the interrogations and generate a backlash in the Middle East. here In February 2005, a federal judge in New York ordered the CIA to comply with the ACLU's request for documents related to the CIA's detainment and interrogation of suspected terrorists. The agency was told to delve into its operations files for any responsive documents to produce for in camera review. If the timing is right, that would put Rizzo, who oversees the litigation division that handles FOIA requests, right in the thick of things.Joe Palazzolo
By mid-2002, the CIA had worked out secret black-site deals with two countries, including Thailand and one Eastern European nation, current and former officials said. An estimated $100 million was tucked inside the classified annex of the first supplemental Afghanistan appropriation.
On March 28, 2002. Pakistani forces took Abu Zubaida, al Qaeda's operations chief, into custody and the CIA whisked him to the new black site in Thailand, which included underground interrogation cells, said several former and current intelligence officials. By Dana Priest, November 2, 2005 here
Jose A. Rodriguez, Directorate of Operations
Abu Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan, was taken to Thailand for part of his interrogation. Several former intelligence officials also said there was great concern that the tapes, which recorded hours of grueling interrogations, could have set off controversies about the legality of the interrogations and generate a backlash in the Middle East. here In February 2005, a federal judge in New York ordered the CIA to comply with the ACLU's request for documents related to the CIA's detainment and interrogation of suspected terrorists. The agency was told to delve into its operations files for any responsive documents to produce for in camera review. If the timing is right, that would put Rizzo, who oversees the litigation division that handles FOIA requests, right in the thick of things.Joe Palazzolo
By mid-2002, the CIA had worked out secret black-site deals with two countries, including Thailand and one Eastern European nation, current and former officials said. An estimated $100 million was tucked inside the classified annex of the first supplemental Afghanistan appropriation.
On March 28, 2002. Pakistani forces took Abu Zubaida, al Qaeda's operations chief, into custody and the CIA whisked him to the new black site in Thailand, which included underground interrogation cells, said several former and current intelligence officials. By Dana Priest, November 2, 2005 here
Labels: Abu Zubaydah, CIA, detainee, detention, erased, flight, Jose A. Rodriguez, rendition, tapes, Thailand, torture
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