Panetta Obliterates The Myth That Torture led to Bin Laden

By: Adalia WoodburyFeb. 3rd, 2013more from Adalia Woodbury

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta

During an interview on Meet the Press, Leon Panetta obliterated the mythology of torture enthusiasts and the inferred message of Zero Dark Thirty that torture led to Bin Laden’s capture. According to CBS:

Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday that “We could have gotten bin Laden without” enhanced interrogation techniques, despite the implication in the film “Zero Dark Thirty” that the techniques, called torture by opponents, played a pivotal role in finding bin Laden.

He went on to say the following: ”Yes, some of it came from some of the tactics that were used at that time, interrogation tactics that were used,” he admitted. “But the fact is we put together most of that intelligence without having to resort to that.”

In response to Chuck Todd’s follow up asking if we could have gotten the information without any use of torture (or as some call it enhanced interrogation” Panetta replied: ”I think we could have gotten bin Laden without that.”

This is consistent with Panetta’s explanation in a letter to Senator John McCain right after we got Bin Laden.

Let me further point out that we first learned about the facilitator/courier’s nom de guerre from a detainee not in CIA custody in 2002. It is also important to note that some detainees who were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques attempted to provide false or misleading information about the facilitator/courier. These attempts to falsify the facilitator/courier’s role were alerting.

In the end, no detainee in CIA custody revealed the facilitator/courier’s full true name or specific whereabouts. This information was discovered through other intelligence means. (my emphasis)

Then, as now, torture enthusiasts are trying desperately to spin this to mean the very opposite of the truth simply because lies and distortion is all they have. This is despite statements by Senator Diane Feinstein, joined by Senators John McCain and Carl Levin who are also in the best position to know the facts since they reviewed all the available CIA records.

This also discredits (again) similar claims that torture led to Bin Laden made by Jose Rodriguez during a 60 Minutes Interview last year.

Everyone who has access to the facts about the sources of information that led us to Bin Laden says the same thing. What part of that is so hard to understand?

Panetta Obliterates The Myth That Torture led to Bin Laden was written by Adalia Woodbury for PoliticusUSA.

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14 Responses to Panetta Obliterates The Myth That Torture led to Bin Laden

Reynardine

Feb. 3rd, 2013 at 9:28 pm

Well, those who like hurting people who can’t fight back will use casuistry to justify it, as will those who like placing weapons of mass murder in the hands of those likely to be deranged by right-wing propaganda.
What do you think? 0 0
Thinking Person

Feb. 3rd, 2013 at 9:45 pm

Thank you.

Might I also say, Get the Army out of Hollywood. For gosh sakes! Even Hansel and Gretal were given an arsenal.

That movie is an embarrassment and putting a woman in charge of making it didn’t change the facts that it was meant to promote torture.

How about a movie that we trained OBL ourselves.

I am so over the rules and laws we have broken/break all the time in the name of terror but now its the US spying on its own citizens, planning sniper attacks for peaceful protestors, and basically, we watch the rule of law and JUSTICE faked every day, in and out.

As a lawyer, it really bothers me.
What do you think? 0 0
Nessa

Feb. 3rd, 2013 at 10:59 pm

I’m not really thrilled about having used torture or “enhanced interrogation techniques” at all. As far as I’m concerned the fact that we didn’t learn much from it is really moot.
What do you think? 0 0
Mr. Anon

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 12:34 am

Even if torture helped is get Bin Laden, does that make it right?
What do you think? 0 0
Sammy

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 2:56 am

I doubt that that old clown McCain read any documents. He might have learned something but learning the facts might not have allowed him to perform his daily clown routine.
What do you think? 0 0
peterlo

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 9:36 am

Well,those “pesky” little facts didn’t make it over to Fox Nation. I accessed the site yesterday, just for fun, and they had a heading “Panetta Admits Waterboarding Helped Lead to US to Bin Laden”. They are definitely in a different universe where things are reversed. It’s a sad commentary when they can’t even understand simple logic because it doesn’t fit their narrative. BTW, it’s still there as I just validated.
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jackiestbird

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 8:18 pm

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/...
‘In order to put the puzzle of intelligence together that led us to Bin Laden, there were a lot of pieces out there that were a part of that puzzle. Yes, some of it came from some of the tactics that were used at that time, interrogation tactics that were used,’ Panetta said Sunday during an appearance on Meet The Press.

Maybe politicusUSA should tell you the whole story first. Not censor 1/2 of it. OR you can see it on CBS
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- Adalia Woodbury
  
  Feb. 4th, 2013 at 10:00 pm
  
  For the record, that quote is included in the article. Perhaps you should read the article first before commenting.
  What do you think? 0 0
jackiestbird

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 8:25 pm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m...
Don’t fool your readers with 1/2 truths
What do you think? 0 0
- Shiva(Moderator)
  
  Feb. 4th, 2013 at 8:45 pm
  
  No half truth. He never said any of the torture led to the courier
  
  Read Panetta’s letter to McCain above, then learn manners
  What do you think? 0 0
jackiestbird

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 8:26 pm

FOX didn’t have to do it, PMSNBC did it. So bitch to them
What do you think? 0 0
- djchefron(Moderator)
  
  Feb. 4th, 2013 at 8:35 pm
  
  What is it with you people defending the idea of torture?
  What do you think? 0 0
jackiestbird

Feb. 4th, 2013 at 9:32 pm

Shiva, did you HEAR his words? Don’t write things that did not happen, he SAID it.
What do you think? 0 0
- Shiva(Moderator)
  
  Feb. 4th, 2013 at 9:52 pm
  
  I heard his words. What they got was insignificant. All the info they got was not truthful. read the letter to McCain
  What do you think? 0 0