Investigation of “Brutal Treatment” by C.I.A.

The lead story in the New York Times this morning (two-column headline) is titled, “Investigation is Ordered Into C.I.A. Abuse Charges.” It describes the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday to name a federal prosecutor to look into criminal wrongdoing by the C.I.A. Mr. Holder’s directive coincides with the release yesterday of a 2004 report by the Inspector General of the C.I.A. and a recommendation to investigate by the Justice Department’s ethics department.

The article goes on to describe abuse listed in the 2004 report, some of it extremely shocking. It includes threats against a prisoner’s family, blowing cigar smoke into a detainee’s face until he vomits, intimidation with a power drill after stripping a prisoner naked, and more. 

In my opinion, these facts gave Attorney General Eric Holder no alternative. Any decent-thinking American must be shocked at these tactics, and the Attorney General’s first responsibility is to uphold the law of the land.

Mr. Holder was very wise in choosing John H. Durham as federal prosecutor. He had already been looking into the erasure of interrogation tapes by the C.I.A. and so is quite familiar with the subject and will be able to conclude the initial inquiry in a timely manner.

I just hope that the junior officers don’t end up as scapegoats as they did during Abu Ghraib. It was the directives of senior officials and their attitude of anything goes that created the atmosphere in which these abuses occurred.