Obama's New Interrogation Unit

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 07:25:00 AM EST
Tags: interrogation (all tags)

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Update: It's official. President Obama's spokesperson has announced the creation of the new interrogation unit.

Last month we reported on the Obama Administration's plan to shift interrogation of high-value detainees from the CIA.

The Washington Post reports the new plan has now been approved.

Obama signed off late last week on the unit, named the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, or HIG. Made up of experts from several intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the interrogation unit will be housed at the FBI but will be overseen by the National Security Council -- shifting the center of gravity away from the CIA and giving the White House direct oversight.

[More...]

Under the new guidelines, interrogators must stay within the parameters of the Army Field Manual when questioning suspects. The task force concluded -- unanimously, officials said -- that "the Army Field Manual provides appropriate guidance on interrogation for military interrogators and that no additional or different guidance was necessary for other agencies," according to a three-page summary of the findings. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters freely.

...Members of the new interrogation unit will have the authority to travel around the world to talk to suspects and will be trained to handle certain high-interest people, such as al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Linguists and cultural and interrogation specialists will be assigned to the group and will have "some division of responsibility" regarding types of detainees, a senior administration official said. Most of the group's members will work there full time, although they will have part-time support from the FBI.

The CIA will still have a key role:

The director of the HIG is expected to come from the FBI, and the deputy will be selected from one of the intelligence agencies, such as the CIA.

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Obama's New Interrogation Unit | 20 comments (20 topical)

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I'm not sure that the answer to (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Anne on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 09:06:56 AM EST

questions about the treatment and interrogation of high-value (or any other value) detainees is to give the WH direct oversight; while that seems to some to be better than having the program in the hands of the people who implemented treatment and conducted interrogations in accordance with what most sane people believe was an illegal policy, what would be best is if we cleaned up the mess created under Bush, held people accountable for it, and ensured that there would be consequences for avoiding Congressional oversight.

If we don't trust the CIA enough to handle a new program within the structure that exists, even with new guidelines, we owe it to ourselves to fix whatever the problems are - not just take programs out of their hands, and out of the reach of the Congress - which is supposed to have oversight responsibility.

: I also do not approve of taking (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by MO Blue on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 10:51:00 AM EST

the program out of the reach of the Congress. Of course, it would help if the Congress would faithfully perform their oversight duties.

: The fox (none / 0) (#12)
by mmc9431 on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 10:00:39 AM EST

gusrding the hen house

Although (none / 0) (#1)
by lilburro on Sun Aug 23, 2009 at 11:44:51 PM EST

as Valtin has noted, there are problems with the AFM, this is good news - the task force hasn't decided to make up sh*t when it comes to the rules governing interrogation. Sigh of relief here.

Good first step (none / 0) (#2)
by mmc9431 on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 06:58:16 AM EST

I hope your right. Setting parimeters to stay within the Army Field Manual is a good step I am a little concerned with the following statement:

giving the White House direct oversight

What would a Bush/Cheney adminstration do with this. Look at what they did anyway. As we've seen, there are WH's that don't feel they're subject to oversight.

: concern is right (none / 0) (#14)
by Dadler on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 10:20:14 AM EST

it is abundantly clear at this point that obama is an easy sell on too much of this nonsense. if the insurance industry can sell him on their invincibility so easily to sell out the american people, i can only imagine what the military/ industrial/fear complex can fill him with.
we shall see.

I'll pretty much promise that NOBODY (none / 0) (#3)
by tokin librul on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 07:39:35 AM EST

would want to be 'interrogated' under the Army Field Manual.

This is just more kabuki. Torture continues--you ever been force-fed?

It's all a crock of crap, propaganda to distract the proles...

My first thought as well... (none / 0) (#5)
by kdog on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 08:50:41 AM EST

a new agency that behaves the same as the old agency...change only a fool could believe in.

I sure hope we're wrong, but I suspect torturous interrogations to continue unabated.


Force feeding is one (none / 0) (#18)
by Socraticsilence on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 02:34:10 PM EST

of the most ethically ambigous areas I can think of in regards to prisoner treatment- is it really more humane to allow an inmate to starve themselves to death? I'm sorry but I don't see a good answer for that?


: I used to feel that way (none / 0) (#21)
by sj on Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 10:13:57 AM EST

But it's not ambiguous to to me anymore. Force feeding is wrong. A hunger strike is NOT suicide. It's not an action taken in a moment of weakness. True, like suicide, it takes great despair but it can never be an impulsive action -- it takes too much fortitude to conduct.
A being in confinement has almost all choice removed from life. Where they sleep, when they sleep, when they go to the bathroom, when they shower, what they wear, when they rise, and when they retire for the day. When they eat and what they eat. All this is mandated by others. Now a choice of whether to eat? That's pretty much the only choice left. It's the only voice they really have. The only way to be heard. And even if that voice is in the wilderness, it's a voice.
It's wrong to take it away. Force-feeding is wrong. If you don't want a prisoner to starve him/herself then give them another voice.

wow (none / 0) (#4)
by Capt Howdy on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 08:32:31 AM EST

...Members of the new interrogation unit will have the authority to travel around the world to talk to suspects and will be trained to handle certain high-interest people, such as al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Linguists and cultural and interrogation specialists will be assigned to the group and will have "some division of responsibility"

sounds like they might need matching spandex suits

Don't we have to find bin Laden first? (none / 0) (#7)
by oculus on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 09:20:04 AM EST

I think (none / 0) (#9)
by CST on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 09:30:45 AM EST

that's where the spandex suits would come in handy.

Along with the batmobile.


But (none / 0) (#10)
by jbindc on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 09:41:46 AM EST

I don't want to see bin Laden in a spandex suit. Or Obama for that matter. And certainly not Leon Panetta.


no no (none / 0) (#11)
by CST on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 09:45:56 AM EST

the interrogation unit, if I'm reading this correctly, would need the suits. You don't think Obama would actually go get him himself? And the villian doesn't get a suit unless he makes it for himself.


: I thought (none / 0) (#13)
by jbindc on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 10:01:54 AM EST

Obama was Superman.....no? :)

Panetta threatening to resign over (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 11:01:52 AM EST

this plan and possible DOJ prosecutions of CIA torturers? abcnews

: if this comes down (none / 0) (#17)
by Capt Howdy on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 11:38:35 AM EST

to another Lynde England situation, I agree with him.

I Find This Hard To Countenance (none / 0) (#19)
by Labradorman on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 02:36:12 PM EST

The news regarding the Obama Administration continuing the policy of Rendition makes me sick in my soul. I find it hard to believe that any person of conscience could allow such a practice to continue. The fact that the President has essentially bought into the bogus idea that there is value in interrogating people by employing other countries is certainly suspect, if not a downright end run around the constitutional guarantees against such heinous behavior.

Personally, I cannot think of any other single act so despicable and so wrongheaded as to continue to secret individuals out of the country to more strenuously interrogate them. If we cannot question people here in our own territory, there s something evil brewing in the idea of continuing the practice started by the Bush administration. I fear I have badly misjudged Mr. Obama. He is nowhere near the man I thought him to be.

Brutus needs rendition, of course (none / 0) (#20)
by diogenes on Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 07:52:33 PM EST

If Obama and Holder are going to self-righteously go on about the evil torture that took place under Bush, then of course they need rendition to allow them to get the needed information while keeping their own hands clean.