The Central Intelligence Agency is perhaps bracing itself for what may be the future cause of violence and many deaths overseas, now that, the long-awaited Senate Intelligence Report on the agency’s use of torture is set for release. ?While some of the report indeed was redacted, ?the small 10% released, is expected to spark outrage.
Here’s what you need to know:
The author(s) of the report
Democrats out of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Republicans, opted not to formally participate in the report. The reason? Unknown at this time. The report, was compiled by Democrats ?in 2009 through 2013, and includes up to 6,000 pages.
What’s?not in the report?
What one?won’t? find in the report? The locations of secret prisons overseas. The locations of such prisons have been redacted from the parts of the report that were indeed released. The New York Times describes it as ‘the most detailed report on the CIA’s torture program’ to date.
CIA operatives reportedly fear that even the release of 10% of the report, will result in some discovering their names. ?Why? Some feel that contextual clues and information in the report could be used to identify those whom may or may not have been involved in torture cases across the globe.
Is any part of this real news?
Sort of. But, over the years, we have Freedom of Information Act requests and the variant for revealing the things we’ve already known about the CIA. ?However, Reuters revealed several instances in which weren’t known to the public before today: ?Fairly graphic cases of torture by the Central Intelligence Agency, involving cruel and unusual instruments.
Reuters spoke to sources yesterday who noted that the CIA has used items like power drills, and broomsticks (in a sexual manner) to intimidate and interrogate prisoners in the past.
The Agency’s response to the report
While agency officials indeed agree with some of the findings, others are widely disputed. There are some, like, Senate ?Intelligence Committee Chair Diane Feinstein, who have previously argued that such reports like these are ‘overly blacked out; however today’s report appears to be a compromise.
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