CIA Distorts Role of Enhanced Interrogation in Finding Bin Laden Ally

The CIA misreported to the US Justice Department in 2005 that information, leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden's facilitator Abu Ahmedal-Kuwaiti, was gained ''after'' the use of enhanced interrogation techniques.

WASHINGTON, December 9 (Sputnik) – The CIA misrepresented the role enhanced interrogation techniques played in acquiring intelligence leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden's facilitator Abu Ahmedal-Kuwaiti, the US Senate Intelligence Committee stated in a report released on Tuesday.

Although the CIA reported to the US Justice Department in 2005 that information from detainee Hassan Ghul regarding Kuwaiti was gained ''after'' the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, the CIA's own data tells otherwise.

"CIA records indicate that the most accurate CIA detainee, reporting on the facilitator, who led to Usama bin Laden (UBL) was acquired from Hassan Ghul—prior to the use of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques," the Intelligence Committee report said.

The assertion that the information from Ghul was gathered prior to these techniques is supported by 21 CIA intelligence reports and an official from the CIA's Office of the Inspector General.

The official said during a 2004 interview that "[Ghul] sang like a tweetie bird. He opened up right away and was cooperative from the outset".

The US Senate Intelligence Committee released on Tuesday a 500-page summary of the detailed investigation into the CIA interrogation techniques that were used on alleged al-Qaeda agents, following the 9/11 attacks on Washington and New York.