Why were the experts ignored?

The release of the report on CIA interrogation methods by Senate Democrats has prompted accusations and denials of the use of torture against detainees. In searching for the truth, it helps to define torture and determine why the interrogation methods were used.

The claim has been made repeatedly that the U.S. does not torture. If the so-called enhanced interrogation methods (EIT) were used against our military personnel being held captive, would we consider those acts to be torture? How valid would our objections be if we have been doing the same acts against prisoners we held in detention? In fact, would our actions actually encourage an enemy to treat our troops the same way?

The justification for the enhanced interrogation techniques was to discover intelligence critical to stopping terrorist activities. In response to this report CIA Director John Brennan said, "Let me be clear, we have not concluded that it was the use of EITs that allowed us to obtain useful information from detainees subject to them." The CIA has not determined that other interrogation methods would not have produced the same or even more information.

While the CIA has a 54-year history, they do not have in depth training and experience with conducting interrogations. The U.S. Army, though, has been conducting interrogations of enemy prisoners and collecting intelligence since 1775, and their field manuals and policies prohibit the use of EITs.

The Department of Justice has been conducting interrogations with the Bureau of Investigations (name changed to FBI in 1921). The FBI website says, "With the April 1917 entry of the U.S. into World War I during Woodrow Wilson's administration, the bureau's work was increased again. As a result of the war, the bureau acquired responsibility for the Espionage, Selective Service, and Sabotage Acts and assisted the Department of Labor by investigating enemy aliens. During these years, special agents with general investigative experience and facility in certain languages augmented the Bureau."

It is interesting to note that Sen. John McCain, the only member of Congress with direct experience in torture, was ignored when he objected to the methods being used.

The unanswered questions are why, with all of this available experience in interrogations, was the CIA tasked with this new mission, and why were the experienced experts in interrogations ignored when developing procedures?

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He resides in Chaffee, Missouri.