Shocking new information has emerged. Ruthless CIA thugs blew second hand cigar smoke in the direction of a detainee. The horror. ********************** Blowing Smoke at Terrorists Wednesday, August 26, 2009 By Terence P. Jeffrey Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, according to the 9-11 commission report, was the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors. Nashiri was also the target of an "unauthorized" CIA interrogation technique (that had not been legally vetted by the Justice Department) that is described in a May 7, 2004, CIA inspector general's report that was partially declassified by the Obama administration this week. CIA officers blew smoke in Nashiri's face, according to the report, and they used cigars. The IG's office described this smoke-blowing as one of several "unauthorized or undocumented techniques" it discovered had been used in isolated incidents by CIA employees interrogating high-level al-Qaida terrorists. "An Agency (redacted phrase) interrogator admitted that, in December 2002, he and another (redacted phrase) smoked cigars and blew cigar smoke in al-Nashiri's face during the interrogation," said the IG report. The IG, however, was unable to clearly establish that the smoke-blowing was intended to force Nashiri to cough up what he knew about al-Qaida's plans. "The interrogator claimed they did this to 'cover the stench' in the room and to help keep the interrogators alert late at night," said the IG report. "This interrogator said he would not do this again based on 'perceived criticism.' Another agency interrogator admitted that he also smoked cigars during two sessions with al-Nashiri to mask the stench in the room. He claimed he did not deliberately force smoke into al-Nashiri's face." The interrogators learned their lesson: Don't blow smoke at terrorists. In a more serious incident, a CIA interrogator reported that some unspecified interrogators told Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the mastermind of the 9-11 attacks, that they would kill his children if America was attacked again. "An experienced agency interrogator reported that the (redacted) interrogators threatened Khalid Sheikh Muhammad (redacted)," said the IG report. "According to this interrogator, the (redacted) interrogators said to Khalid Sheikh Muhammad that if anything else happens in the United States, 'We're going to kill your children.' According to the interrogator, one of the (redacted) interrogators said (redacted)." An obvious question: What is the word or phrase in this passage that has been redacted in three instances from immediately before the word "interrogators"? All we know for sure is the government thinks it should remain secret. Presumably there's a good reason: national security. Having survived his exposure to second-hand smoke, Nashiri was exposed to the most serious unauthorized interrogation technique documented by the IG. "Sometime between 28 December 2002 and 1 January 2003, the debriefer used an unloaded semi-automatic handgun as a prop to frighten al-Nashiri into disclosing information," said the IG report. "After discussing this plan with (redacted) the debriefer entered the cell where al-Nashiri sat shackled and racked the handgun once or twice close to al-Nashiri's head. "On what was probably the same day," the report continued, "the debriefer used a power drill to frighten al-Nashiri. With (redacted) consent, the debriefer entered the detainee's cell and revved the drill while the detainee stood naked and hooded. The debriefer did not touch al-Nashiri with the power drill." Now, this truly idiotic behavior led the CIA's inspector general to conscientiously refer the case to the Criminal Division of the Justice Department â six years ago, immediately after it happened. The Justice Department declined to prosecute. Other reported instances in which CIA interrogators used unauthorized techniques did not merit a separate IG investigation, according to the report. "These included the making of threats, blowing cigar smoke, employing certain stress positions, the use of a stiff brush on a detainee and stepping on a detainee's ankle shackles," said the report. "For all of the instances, the allegations were disputed or too ambiguous to reach any authoritative determination regarding the facts." In the end, the IG dodged a definitive judgment on the productive value of the enhanced interrogation techniques that the Justice Department did approve for use by the CIA, saying that the "effectiveness of particular interrogation techniques in eliciting information that might not otherwise have been obtained cannot be so easily measured." But CIA interrogations of detainees, according to the report, did uncover plots against the U.S., including plans to "loosen spikes in an attempt to derail a train," "blow up several gas stations to create panic and havoc," "hijack and fly an airplane into the tallest building in California in a west coast (sic) version of the World Trade Center attack" and "cut the lines of suspension bridges in New York in an effort to make them collapse." In the eight years since Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida has not managed to strike America again. As a reward for the CIA's part in this success, President Obama has now stripped the agency of its lead role in questioning terrorists and Attorney General Eric Holder has named a special prosecutor to investigate its interrogation practices. Like this story? Then sign up to receive our free daily E-Brief newsletter Viewer CommentsThe following comments are posted by our readers and are not necessarily the opinions of either CNSNews.com or the storyâs author. To be considered for publication, comments must adhere to the Terms of Use for posting to this Web site. Thank you. Showing 1-10 of 26 Comments Newer to Older Older to Newer 1 2 3 Next Loading... Granny Teabagger (26 minutes ago) Eric Holder now has a new policy, not only can you can terrorize voters in front of the polls, his newest policy is the al Qaida Assistance Plan for homeland insecurity. After all he did get a pardon for those terrorists under Bill Clinton and his office did represent other terrorists. New T shirt - Eric Holder a terrorists best friend. platypus (44 minutes ago) Oh, the humanity!!! Kaguya (55 minutes ago) And the obama people want us to take them seriously. Good God, anyone equating empty threats and secondhand smoke with torture is a complete idiot. Do veiled threats count as torture? If so, the obama administration is guilty of torture. Get the idiot holder on that investigation immediately. I'm sure both barrack and michelle have threatened their children at one time or another. Investigate their asses. Osamas Pajamas (57 minutes ago) I'd have fed these cats pork 'n' beans. mwernimont (1 hour ago) Secondhand smoke purposely blown into the face of an islamic terrorist murderer? Please dear God say it ain't so, how could American intelligence be so cruel! It's no wonder the Obama White House has directed Eric Holder to open an investigation. I've even heard rumor that some of these terrorist detainees were denied whipped cream for their mocha lattes......oh, the inhumanity of it all. We can only hope that Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg were not subjected to anything as inhumane as the examples above. http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2009/08/obama-admin-uncovers-most-heinous-cia.html coondangy (2 hours ago) The only second hand smoke I would expose them to would escape from the end of my gun after I put a 9mm slug between the terrorists' eyes. Of course, at that point you could attribute their deaths to "lead poisoning" and not smoke inhalation. www.cafepress.com/ConservaTshirts not hannity (3 hours ago) i wonder if they blew smoke in the face of the afgany that they kicked and bludgeoned with a metal flashlight to death, now that would be cruel RufusVonDufus (3 hours ago) Oh, heaven forbid, we were using second hand smoke when they were using serrated knives to cut off heads. Who would ever have thunk it? The more Obama's minions carry on, the more I realize he and they are absolute idiots who will shortly be gone! ColJimW (3 hours ago) I was assigned to the Pentagon when 9/11 occured. What about the second smoke, much more toxic, then cigarettes, that I and hundreds had to inhale both there and at the twin towers...of which many died from instantantly. Mightymouse (3 hours ago) Terence Jeffrey seems to be apologizing for the discomfort of second hand smoke being blown in the faces of a few terrorists. How pathetic! If the Geneva conventions on torture can be interpreted to mean that anyone who exposes detainees to second hand smoke is criminal, then I guess my mom and dad and most of the people in my family were all criminals! In fact, most of my former employers were criminals. They all tortured me with second hand smoke!!! I don't smoke and never have, but this nonsensical argument about cigarette smoke as a form of 'torture' crosses the line into lunacy. By the way, are prisoners of war protected by the Geneva conventions? Of course! Are members of al Qaeda terrorists or are they POWs? They wear no uniform, have no formal rank or badges, and have no country they can legitimately call home. Some al Qaeda have no citizenship papers or even a birth certificate that can prove where they come from, so should they be accorded the same protections under law?
Nothing short of murder, delayed perhaps, but murder none-the-less. Second hand smoke kills, I should know, I'm smoking a cigar at this very moment, a cheap one and it stinks to high heaven. Prosecute these CIA bastards for crimes against humanity.
You're right of course. 9/11 was orchestrated by Dick Cheney. He may have been flying one of the planes and bailed out at the last second. The first WTC attack, the african embassy bombings, USS Cole attack, saudi barracks bombings, even Black Hawk down, all pure fabrications by Rush and Bush to keep people afraid of our peaceful muslim brothers. That hotel attack in India? I smell blackwater, trying to foment war. The only real terror attack was Oklahoma City, which was planned by Rush. Reason enough to shut down talk radio and conservative internet sites.
Obama thinks he can score cheap political points by bringing up CIA interrogations and blaming Bush and Cheney. This will fail miserably. He will do anything to get his poll numbers back up. Unfortunately for him, the statute of limitations for blame Bush is quickly closing in. "Hope", it turns out, was false hope and "Change" was a bogus campaign slogan. Now "blame Bush" is drying up as well.
Rush sells Club Gitmo gear on his website. Maybe he should add a line of "al qaeda interrogation" cigars. A churchill is good for an entire interrogation. A robusto will handle the lulls when the drill is off and no fake executions are taking place.
Why oh why do the klannish claim to be the supporters of the Constitution and the original intent of founders, yet support a secret police agency that acts with impunity?
I dunno.. sometimes here in Southern California, moreso on Friday nights.. second hand smoke can be real pleasant, just unreal pleasant... maybe this smoke thing is a bogus issue, a smoke screen if you will?