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Memo Release Paralyzes CIA 'Shadow Warriors'

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 22, 2009 12:25 PM CDT

(Newser) – The ripples from the release of the torture memos continue to ruffle the CIA, David Ignatius writes for the Washington Post. “America will be better off, in the long run, for Obama's decision to expose the past practice of torture,” he acknowledges. “We all knew the political wind would change,” said one officer. Still, his complicit colleagues—despite Obama’s assurances that they won't be prosecuted—are “broken and bewildered.”

CIA operatives fear “a new season of investigation and retribution,” Ignatius writes, and are avoiding “politically sensitive” work. Some even refuse to interrogate terror suspects, wary of the fallout. The reticence isn’t just internal: Foreign intelligence services are now reluctant to share information with the tainted CIA. Transparency is good, Ignatius writes, but the US “needs to take care that the sunlight of exposure doesn't blind its shadow warriors.”

[Images (3)]

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President Barack Obama speaks at the Central Intelligence Agency. (AP Photo)

Former President Bush at the CIA. (AP Photo)

Protestors demonstrate the use of waterboarding. (AP Photo)

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Now, field officers are more careful. They want guidance from headquarters. They need legal advice. I'm told that in the case of an al-Qaeda suspect seized in Iraq several weeks ago, the CIA didn't even try to interrogate him.
- David Ignatius

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COMMENTS

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woodyTX

Apr 22, 2009 8:34 AM CDT

Is there not an approved (as opposed to bootleg) interrogation manual that describes in detail what procedures are allowed ? The Army and CIA have manuals for everything don't they ? If you're a CIA operative and you follow the approved manual that respects the Genva Convention, you will be OK. If you're asked to do something not in there, tell your boss to do it himself. If you get fired for that then the CIA isn't the place you wanted to work anyway. Correct ? Take them to court and sue their collective asses. Settle for some $$ and move on thankful that you didn't waste any more of your valuable career there.

PosterNutbag

Apr 22, 2009 5:50 AM CDT

If you are a shadow warrior, I suggest you find another line of work. "I was only following orders...it was legal at the time..." This is what the Nazis said, but the US, along with the other world powers concluded at Nuremberg that this kind of reasoning was not a legitimate defense for war crimes or crimes against humanity. Why should we hold ourselves to a different standard now? Because Dick Cheney says it was worth it? I don't think so.

PosterNutbag

Apr 22, 2009 5:45 AM CDT

If you are a shadow warrior, I suggest you find another line of work. "I was only following orders...it was legal at the time..." That is what the Nazis said, and reps from the US and other powers concluded at Nuremberg that just following orders was not a legitimate defense for crimes against humanity. Why should we hold ourselves to a different standard now? Because Dick Cheney says it was worth it? I don't think so.

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