General Discussion

Karmadillo

(9,253 posts) Sat Apr 7, 2012, 09:58 AM Apr 2012

Obama Justice Department indicts ex-CIA agent for exposing torture

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/apr2012/pers-a07.shtml

Obama Justice Department indicts ex-CIA agent for exposing torture

7 April 2012

Thursday’s indictment of John Kiriakou for exposing CIA torture of detainees confirms yet again that the Obama administration is continuing and deepening the crimes carried out by the Bush White House. Kiriakou, a CIA agent for 14 years, is being prosecuted for speaking to two journalists about the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah.

In December 2007, he appeared in an ABC News interview, becoming the first CIA official to confirm the use of waterboarding of so-called “enemy combatants” and to describe the practice as torture. It is now known that Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in the space of one month while being held in a series of CIA “black sites” from Thailand to Poland to Diego Garcia.

Zubaydah, severely wounded when he was captured by US and Pakistani intelligence agents, had already been suffering the effects of a shrapnel wound to the head he received during the CIA-backed war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Under US control, he was beaten, placed in extreme temperatures, and subjected to music played at debilitating volumes, sexual humiliation and sleep deprivation.

<edit>

More fundamentally, the prosecution of Kiriakou is part of a policy of state secrecy and repression that pervades the US government under Obama, who came into office promising “the most transparent administration in history.” This marks the sixth government whistleblower to be charged by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act, twice as many such prosecutions as have been brought by all preceding administrations combined. Prominent among them is Private Bradley Manning, who is alleged to have leaked documents exposing US war crimes to WikiLeaks. He has been held under conditions tantamount to torture and faces a possible death penalty.

more...

15 replies

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Highlight:

Obama Justice Department indicts ex-CIA agent for exposing torture (Original Post) Karmadillo Apr 2012 OP

Oh Oh Oh 90-percent Apr 2012 #1

Too bad ProSense Apr 2012 #2

is he charged with revealing the torture or just outing the CIA agents? bigtree Apr 2012 #4

Was the Obama hope, change, & transparency we voted for just a lie? think Apr 2012 #3

There's a new one every day. woo me with science Apr 2012 #5

there was a time bigtree Apr 2012 #6

Of course the difference is that Valerie Plame was not involved in a global torture program. n/t EFerrari Apr 2012 #10

I don't see where it says the two agents tortured anyone bigtree Apr 2012 #11

It's not fuzzy at all. He disclosed waterboarding. EFerrari Apr 2012 #13

Ding ding ding, well said! Zalatix Apr 2012 #15

From promoting privatized chicken inspections, to doing the right thing Baitball Blogger Apr 2012 #7

However the torturers, and those who allowed it, remain unindicted. Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2012 #8

Crucial reminder, indeed. dixiegrrrrl Apr 2012 #9

Yep. Whistleblowers face trial and punishment..torturers get protected. Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2012 #12

That's what it comes down to, and talk is just talk saras Apr 2012 #14

90-percent

(6,829 posts)

1. Oh Oh Oh

Reply to Karmadillo (Original post)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 10:09 AM

Apr 2012

I remember this fellow. He had been on Keith and other shows concerning CIA torture. I don't recall if he was a good guy or bad guy at that time. I recall some of his info wasn't very correct at one or two points?

Kinda fell off the radar like poor Scott Ritter, who's online solicitation hobby sabotaged his correct message that he was in a great position to know about, being a middle east weapons inspector and all that.

I got to school up on this, as punishing whistle blowers in this age that needs government transparency so desperately, is pretty important for all of us still clinging in the hope that not all of our Constitutional Rights become inoperative.

How to monetize modern American fascism:

register the website:

igotstripsearchedforabustedtaillight.com

-90% Jimmy

ProSense

(116,464 posts)

2. Too bad

Reply to Karmadillo (Original post)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 10:09 AM

Apr 2012

In December 2007, he appeared in an ABC News interview, becoming the first CIA official to confirm the use of waterboarding of so-called “enemy combatants” and to describe the practice as torture. It is now known that Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in the space of one month while being held in a series of CIA “black sites” from Thailand to Poland to Diego Garcia.

...he didn't leak this information prior to 2004 when he worked for the CIA. It would have been a coup. Bush might not have been re-elected.

Former CIA officer charged with revealing information to journalists

By Carol Cratty

A former CIA officer was indicted Thursday for allegedly disclosing classified information to journalists and lying to a CIA review board about material in a book he wrote.

John Kiriakou, who worked for the CIA from 1990 to 2004, faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges. The five-count indictment includes three charges under the Espionage Act, alleging Kirakou revealed national defense information to individuals not authorized to receive it –specifically, reporters.

No reporters were identified by name in the indictment.

One count charges that Kiriakou violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act in 2008 by identifying a covert agent called Officer A in the indictment.

Kiriakou also allegedly told reporters the name and contact information of an analyst known as Officer B, who was involved in the 2002 operation to capture alleged al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah. Zubaydah is one of three detainees the CIA later admitted waterboarding during interrogations. A government report revealed the technique was used on Zubaydah 83 times.

A CIA review board examines all books and other writings by former or current CIA employees to make sure no classified information is revealed.

- more -

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/05/former-cia-officer-charged-with-revealing-information-to-journalists/

bigtree

(86,005 posts)

4. is he charged with revealing the torture or just outing the CIA agents?

Reply to ProSense (Reply #2)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 10:47 AM

Apr 2012

. . . to reporters (and subsequently to detainees)?

think

(11,641 posts)

3. Was the Obama hope, change, & transparency we voted for just a lie?

Reply to Karmadillo (Original post)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 10:38 AM

Apr 2012

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)

5. There's a new one every day.

Reply to Karmadillo (Original post)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 10:54 AM

Apr 2012

Occupy.

bigtree

(86,005 posts)

6. there was a time

Reply to woo me with science (Reply #5)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 10:58 AM

Apr 2012

. . . when we didn't take kindly to outing CIA agents.

I wonder what the reaction here would have been to an Obama administration subject to the same type of reporting that Bush was correctly confronted with about the Plame outing? What if his Justice Dept. had knowledge of it and looked the other way -- much like Bush and Cheney swept what they knew under a rug?

EFerrari

(163,986 posts)

10. Of course the difference is that Valerie Plame was not involved in a global torture program. n/t

Reply to bigtree (Reply #6)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 01:26 PM

Apr 2012

bigtree

(86,005 posts)

11. I don't see where it says the two agents tortured anyone

Reply to EFerrari (Reply #10)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 01:34 PM

Apr 2012

maybe they did torture, or were accomplices, but this is a fuzzy story. Is he really on trial for exposing the tortures?

I think it's interesting how the distinction is made here on the basis of the charges. Outing CIA agents is a pretty serious crime. I thought we established that. If we could pick and choose when to prosecute on the basis of how we feel about their mission, then I guess we should just abandon the entire defense against the right-wing who defended their attacks and support of Bush-Cheney on that issue based on their impression of what the Plames were up to.

EFerrari

(163,986 posts)

13. It's not fuzzy at all. He disclosed waterboarding.

Reply to bigtree (Reply #11)

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 02:27 PM

Apr 2012

That's why he is being punished.

And yes, we should make a distinction between government agents that are involved in crimes against humanity and those that are not.