Page 7 - Michael Scheuer News Today

You refuse to call this torture. in other words, you dont think this was necessarily torture. >> no, i dont think. i think it was not, sir. these people knew we were americans, ultimately torture to be effective has to have a certain amount of -- the torturer or the tortury, rather, has to be confident hes going to be killed. he knew he wasnt going to be killed. he was just going to be uncomfortable. more than that, though, all of these operations, michael, were proved by multiple layers of atto...

Michael, thanks so much for being here. you refuse to call this torture. am i right? # in other words, you dont think this was necessarily torture. >> no, i dont think. i think it was not, sir. these people knew we were americans, ultimately torture to be effective has to have a certain amount of -- the torturer or the torturee, rather, has to be confident hes going to be killed. he knew he wasnt going to be killed. he was just going to be uncomfortable. more than that, though, all of these oper...

It seems to me much of the criticism leveled against the enhanced interrogation techniques could be made exponentially about some of the casualties that result from use of the drone campaign. where do you think this debate is going next? >> oh, i think the drone will stop also. and thats kind of the last step, you know. right now were defending ourselves with peripheral things, michael. the rendition interrogation program is over. the drone strikes will be over and special forces raids are great...

Where information isnt shared between the cia and the congress, who is at fault? is it because colleagues of yours -- former colleagues of yours, they frankly didnt want to be in the loop? or is it that the agency doesnt tell you what they should be telling you? >> i think this -- the answer to your question depends upon the specific situation. i think in the issues involving 9/11, including the withholding of information about who supported the hijackers while they were in the united states, an...

Indeed detailed briefings. often, congressmen and senators dont come to meetings, because they dont want to know. and in their place, they send staff members to be briefed on this. on a particular program. and then they can say they never attended or that they didnt know. >> well, im going to stick with this theme. michael su michael scheuer, thank you for being here. >> pleasure, sir. what did congress know about the cias griffin itter gas stations, a key senator who says i was never told is ...

Without gathering any useful intelligence. the head of the cia disagreed. >> it is our considered view that the detainees who were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques provided information that was useful and was used in the ultimate operation to go against bin laden. >> so heres what im thinking. that the cia was put in an untenable position with no desire other than to protect the nation. it wasnt pretty, mistakes were made. but they did their best. and i refuse to believe that there...

That these techniques were working, because i cant believe that they would have otherwise conducted themselves in this fashion. >> well, they may have, you know, been the good soldier who does what they are directed to do. i dont -- i dont think the directive for this activity came from the cia or any other part of the american intelligence community. i believe that it, like a number of other things involving 9/11, came directly from the white house. >> director brennen on thursday said that the...

Is a body of research out there that says thats true. >> well, we had never done it before, michael. one thing. second thing, we are at war, and third, we were directed to do it. do you want to say to the president, well, mr. president, you want this done, but let us research it for a year-and-a-half or six months or however long. this is not the way the world works, michael. and i have to say that the reason these enhanced interrogation techniques that the drones came about is because president...

Has the -- have the will to do what youve just described? i think that the drone campaign is utilized, because america has lost her stomach to send men and women overseas to war with the islamic state. >> i think thats -- entirely right, michael. its going to take a calamity to turn things around. shakespeare said first kill all the lawyers. well, i think its first kill all the teachers. weve taught several generations of american students that war never solves anything, we have idiots in the mi...

Eits, they could have had whatever information they want on it, and they were given indeed detailed briefings. often, congressmen and senators dont come to meetings, because they dont want to know. and in their place, they send staff members to be briefed on this. on a particular program. and then they can say they never attended or that they didnt know. >> well, im going to stick with this theme. michael scheuer, thank you for being here. i appreciate your time. >> pleasure, sir. just ahead, ...