The CIA falsely represented its role in a number of UK-related terror plots in a bid to justify its "brutal" interrogation techniques, a US intelligence watchdog has said.
In a long-awaited report, the Senate Intelligence Committee said the capture of al Qaida UK operative Dhiren Barot, arrest of shoe-bomber Saajid Badat and disruption of plans by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to attack Heathrow and Canary Wharf were among the CIA's eight most frequently cited examples of how using torture methods - including waterboarding - "saved lives".
But the Committee said these representations were inaccurate as the arrests of Barot and Badat were down to UK law enforcement, while Mohammed's plans to launch attacks in the UK were disrupted by a series of detentions, none of which were attributable to CIA interrogation.
In a damning indictment of CIA practices after the 9/11 attacks, the report said CIA personnel, aided by two outside contractors, "decided to initiate a programme of indefinite secret detention and the use of brutal interrogation techniques in violation of US law, treaty obligations, and our values".
Among torture methods approved by the CIA were the use of insects placed in a confinement box, sleep deprivation and waterboarding. Other techniques included the attention grasp, which involves grasping an individual with both hands on each side of a collar opening; walling, which is when an individual is pushed against a wall quickly; and stress positions.
In the report, which is a 480-page executive summary of the more than 6,000-page original, chair of the Committee Senator Dianne Feinstein said: "The major lesson of this report is that regardless of the pressures and the need to act, the intelligence community's actions must always reflect who we are as a nation, and adhere to our laws and standards."
The Committee concludes that the CIA's use of interrogation techniques was not an effective means of acquiring intelligence or gaining co-operation from detainees. It also found that the CIA's justification for the use of these torture methods "rested on inaccurate claims of their effectiveness".
Among cases cited were a number of UK-linked plots or arrests, which the CIA said were assisted by its interrogation programme. One is the case of convicted terrorist Barot, who was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in 2006 to life, with a minimum term of 30 years, for planning to plant radioactive, chemical or toxic gas bombs and pack limousines with nails and explosives in the UK and America.
Over a number of years, the CIA used the capture of the north London schoolboy and thwarting of his plots as evidence for the "effectiveness" of enhanced interrogation techniques. The report concluded their claims were "inaccurate".
It said: "The operation that resulted in... Dhiren Barot's arrest, and the thwarting of his plotting, resulted from the investigative activities of UK government authorities."
The CIA also claimed that the smashing of a plot hatched by suspected 9/11 mastermind Mohammed to fly hijacked planes into Heathrow Airport and Canary Wharf as evidence for the "effectiveness" of their interrogation tactics. After the Twin Towers atrocity, Mohammed was said to have "sought to target the United Kingdom using hijacked aircraft and surmised that Heathrow Airport and a building in Canary Wharf, a major business district in London, were powerful economic symbols".
It went on: "The initial plan was for al Qaida operatives to hijack multiple airplanes departing Heathrow Airport, turn them around, and crash them into the airport itself. Security was assessed to be too tight at Heathrow Airport and the plan was altered to focus on aircrafts departing from mainly Eastern European airports to conduct attacks against Heathrow Airport. Al-Qaida was unable to locate pilots to conduct these attacks."
The purported disruption of a plot against Heathrow and Canary Wharf was one of the eight most frequently cited examples used by the CIA to justify its interrogation activities, but again the Committee said the claims were "inaccurate".
It said: "The CIA represented that its enhanced interrogation techniques were effective and produced critical, otherwise unavailable intelligence, which thwarted plots and saved lives.
"Over a period of years, the CIA provided the identification and thwarting of the Heathrow Airport plot as evidence for the effectiveness of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques. These representations were inaccurate. A review of records indicates that the Heathrow Airport and Canary Wharf plotting had not progressed beyond the initial planning stages when the operation was fully disrupted."
Over a period of years, the CIA also flagged the identification, discovery, capture and arrest of Badat to support its controversial practices. Badat was jailed in 2005 after he admitted plotting to explode a shoebomb on a transatlantic flight in December 2001 at the same time as fellow shoebomber Richard Reid, but changed his mind and decided not to go through with it.
Again, the CIA representations were inaccurate, the report added: "UK domestic investigative efforts, reporting from foreign intelligence services, international law enforcement efforts, and US military reporting resulted in the identification and arrest of Saajid Badat."
Politicians React To CIA Torture Report
Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)(01 of15)
Open Image Modal“As we have both stated before, we are opposed to this study and believe it will present serious consequences for U.S. national security. Regardless of what one’s opinions may be on these issues, the study by Senate Democrats is an ideologically motivated and distorted recounting of historical events. The fact that the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation program developed significant intelligence that helped us identify and capture important al-Qa’ida terrorists, disrupt their ongoing plotting, and take down Usama Bin Ladin is incontrovertible. Claims included in this report that assert the contrary are simply wrong.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
President Barack Obama(02 of15)
Open Image Modal"Today’s report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence details one element of our nation’s response to 9/11—the CIA’s detention and interrogation program, which I formally ended on one of my first days in office. The report documents a troubling program involving enhanced interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects in secret facilities outside the United States, and it reinforces my long-held view that these harsh methods were not only inconsistent with our values as nation, they did not serve our broader counterterrorism efforts or our national security interests. Moreover, these techniques did significant damage to America’s standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners. That is why I will continue to use my authority as President to make sure we never resort to those methods again." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen Mark Udall (D-Colo.)(03 of15)
Open Image Modal"We can protect our national security without compromising who we are as Americans. This landmark study — and the millions of pages of agency documents and testimony it is based upon — shows that torture is not effective and does not make us safer." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)(04 of15)
Open Image Modal“The revelations contained in this report are truly horrifying, and I appreciate my colleagues’ work to make sure the American people finally know the truth. Torturing people not only violates our laws, it violates our country’s most basic values. This dark period in our history and the grave errors in judgment made by key leaders in our government must never be repeated.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)(05 of15)
Open Image Modal“Despite the unquestionable professionalism of the vast majority of CIA personnel, the study demonstrates that the detention and interrogation program was mismanaged, that some within the leadership of the CIA actively impeded congressional oversight, and that agency officials misrepresented the program’s effectiveness." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)(06 of15)
Open Image Modal“I joined the Senate Intelligence Committee after this report was completed, and I share concerns about the process for developing it. However, the report raises serious concerns about the CIA’s management of this detention and interrogation program and the treatment of certain detainees. Torture is wrong and fundamentally contrary to American values. The report should be made public to allow the American people to reach their own conclusions and to make sure lessons are learned from the mistakes made so that they never happen again.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)(07 of15)
Open Image Modal“After years of effort and millions of documents reviewed, the Senate report at last lays out in painstaking detail how the CIA under President Bush and Vice President Cheney turned down the dark path to torture, and then to cover its tracks misled Congress and executive officials about the efficacy of the torture program. These are hard facts to face as Americans, but it’s important that the facts be known. Chairman Feinstein and our Intelligence Committee staff deserve our country's deep appreciation for their extraordinary efforts.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)(08 of15)
Open Image Modal"This is how we, as Americans, make our nation stronger. When we realize there is a problem we seek the evidence, we study it, we learn from it, and then we set about to enact change. Americans must learn from our mistakes – as we did with the Pentagon papers, the Iran-Contra affair, and more recently, Abu Ghraib. I believe that the United States can protect our national security without resorting to methods, like torture, that are contrary to our fundamental values. I call upon the Administration, the Intelligence Community, and my colleagues in Congress to join me in that commitment." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Secretary of State John Kerry(09 of15)
Open Image ModalRelease of this report affirms again that one of America's strengths is our democratic system’s ability to recognize and wrestle with our own history, acknowledge mistakes, and correct course. This marks a coda to a chapter in our history. President Obama turned the page on these policies when he took office and during week one banned the use of torture and closed the detention and interrogation program. It was right to end these practices for a simple but powerful reason: they were at odds with our values. They are not who we are, and they're not who or what we had to become, because the most powerful country on earth doesn't have to choose between protecting our security and promoting our values. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)(10 of15)
Open Image Modal"Those who served us in aftermath of 9/11 deserve our thanks not one sided partisan Senate report that now places American lives in danger." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)(11 of15)
Open Image Modal"Torture, covert wars, and illegal surveillance more often than not harm, not enhance, our national security. America cannot be the world’s leader on civil liberties and human rights if our actions don’t match our rhetoric. When this gulf exists between what we claim to stand for, and what the world sees us do, it creates bulletin board material for extremist groups in their effort to recruit against us." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)(12 of15)
Open Image Modal“The CIA developed the Detention and Interrogation Program in a time of great fear, anxiety and unprecedented crisis; but it is at these times of crisis when we need sound judgment, excellence, and professionalism from the CIA the most. When mistakes are made, they call for self-reflection and scrutiny. For that process to begin, we first have to make sure there is an accurate public record of what happened. The public release of the Executive Summary and Findings and Conclusions is a tremendous and consequential step toward that goal.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.)(13 of15)
Open Image Modal“The release of today's report has been controversial, but it's an important step forward in addressing a stain on our nation’s history. While we can understand the intelligence community’s desire to prevent another attack, a civilized nation should never resort to torture in the name of security. My hope is that this report informs future generations of Americans and ensures that we never undertake programs like this again.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)(14 of15)
Open Image Modal“As these acts are violations of both American law and morality, we must hold those accountable and prevent such abuses from happening in the future." (credit:Andrew Burton via Getty Images)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)(15 of15)
Open Image Modal“To those who question whether the release of this report threatens our national security, I have but one thing to say: Living up to the core principles and beliefs that make this country great is in our national interest. It is only by building international credibility with the rest of the world that we will ever be confident about our national security here at home.” (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)