The Bush administration had to empty its secret prisons and transfer terror suspects to the military-run detention centre at Guantánamo this month in part because CIA interrogators had refused to carry out further interrogations and run the secret facilities, according to former CIA officials and people close to the programme.
The former officials said the CIA interrogators’ refusal was a factor in forcing the Bush administration to act earlier than it might have wished.
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But the former CIA officials said Mr Bush’s hand was forced because interrogators had refused to continue their work until the legal situation was clarified because they were concerned they could be prosecuted for using illegal techniques. One intelligence source also said the CIA had refused to keep the secret prisons going.
Senior officials and Mr Bush himself have come close to admitting this by saying CIA interrogators sought legal clarity. But no official has confirmed on the record how and when the secret programme actually came to an end.
During the President’s temper tantrum Press Conference last Friday, I wondered if it weren’t something like this. He kept talking about having to get clarity for his "professionals." And then there was that snit about shutting down the program if we wouldn’t go along. What he was dealing with is his "professionals" were shutting it down on their own [if he couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t end up in prison themselves].
Good for them! They, at least, knew they were doing something wrong. And forget compromising with Bush on this point. We don’t need any legislation here. What we’ve got is just fine. If laws were broken, let the indictments begin…
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