Rep. Reyes: Since Torture Might Be Necessary, Obama Should Keep Torture Apologists Hayden, McConnell

Think Progress
Thursday, Dec 11, 2008

Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told Congress Daily that President-elect Obama should keep Mike McConnell on as Director of National Intelligence and Michael Hayden as head of the CIA. He said Obama should keep “continuity” in the intelligence sector because we live in “a world that is very dangerous.”

Reyes dismissed concerns over Hayden and McConnell’s records as apologists for torture. He insisted that that “there are some options that need to be available” to interrogators — presumably beyond the Army Field Manuel — to get the best information:

Regarding the CIA’s alternative interrogation program, Reyes indicated that his recommendations concerned finding a balance so the agency does not use torture but can get valuable information from suspected terrorists or other detainees.

“There are those that believe that this particular issue has to be dealt with very carefully because there are beliefs that there are some options that need to be available,” Reyes said.

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“We don’t want to be known for torturing people. At the same time we don’t want to limit our ability to get information that’s vital and critical to our national security,” he added. “That’s where the new administration is going to have to decide what those parameters are, what those limitations are.”

As the Washington Independent’s Spencer Ackerman notes, Reyes “framed the debate as between effective torture and ineffective compliance with the law.” In fact, torturing does not provide reliable intelligence, as former interrogator (and author) Matthew Alexander told Jon Stewart Monday night:

STEWART: Did you ever see coercive methods pay off?

ALEXANDER: No. … When I was in Iraq, the few times that I saw people use harsh methods, it was always counterproductive. Because the person hunkered down, they were expecting us to do that, and they just shut up. And then I’d have to send somebody in and build back up rapport, reverse that process, and it’d take us longer to get that information.

McConnell and Hayden share Reyes’ approval of torture. McConnell has explained his refusal to move the CIA to the Army Field Manuel rules by denigrating Army servicemen, saying the Field Manuel was “designed for young and inexperienced” soldiers. He apparently does not consider waterboarding to be torture. Similarly, Hayden has dismissed torture as a mere “legal term,” saying we use the term “in a far too casual way.” Hayden apparently retaliated against the CIA’s inspector general for being an outspoken critic of waterboarding, and he may have destroyed interrogation videotapes to cover up the CIA’s use of torture.

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8 Responses to “Rep. Reyes: Since Torture Might Be Necessary, Obama Should Keep Torture Apologists Hayden, McConnell”

1. Darth Chaos Says:
   December 11th, 2008 at 9:15 am

   Reyes is a torturemonger. I linked to this article on my blog.

   http://darthchaosofrspw.wordpr.....mcconnell/

2. Dr. Dan Says:
   December 11th, 2008 at 10:23 am

   If they can resurrect TORTURE, they can resurrect SLAVERY. Plenty of Black folks engaged in slavery. The 13th Amendment means as much as the 4th ……… nothing.

3. Far From Over Says:
   December 11th, 2008 at 10:50 am

   Although it is known that new presidents have never changed laws set by their predecessor or at least none that I know of. You can be reasonable assured that Obama will not restore the constitution by starting to burn the patriot act and start to dismantle homeland security. I think he would go as far to pass the law to indefinitely incarcerate suspects of terrorism and kidnap foreigners for experimental torture very soon. Guess most will be silenced by a promise that only people they really suspect will endure these gestures of mutual respect.

4. prosecutor needed Says:
   December 11th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

   “Hayden apparently retaliated against the CIA’s inspector general for being an outspoken critic of waterboarding, and he may have destroyed interrogation videotapes to cover up the CIA’s use of torture.”

   These are serious allegations and they need to be looked into.

   Remember the Japanese officer who got 15 years hard labor for waterboarding. Waterboarding is torture. Also this regime admitted it waterboarded three detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Please look into this.

5. Lane Says:
   December 11th, 2008 at 5:15 pm

   I have a good idea-let`s send Mr. Reyes and Mr. Mconnell and Mr. Hayden off to Guantanamo Bay for some of that good old fashioned torture.

   Now that would be taxpayer money well spent!

6. Deborah Says:
   December 11th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

   Just a note…”Manuel” is a Spanish name, “manual” with an “a” is the word you should be using here. Sorry, I’m a professional editor, and just thought I should mention it. Great article…Thanks for putting it out there. How these guys can ignore the wealth of experience that shows that torture is counterproductive is beyond me. How they can live with themselves is a greater mystery. Thanks for all the blowback, idiots….

7. Steve Williams Says:
   December 13th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

   Evilness stinks! And it stinks very badly.

8. tonto Says:
   December 13th, 2008 at 11:05 pm

   The proponents of torture claim that is necessary to extract Vidal information , I disagree with there assessment ,because a man will confess to anything under torture .Hayden is nothing more then a Bush stooge willing to commit atrocities to further his military and future career ,A disgrace to his uniform and the country.