[A-List] US imperialism: "intelligence" gathering

["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

US told to give captives truth drugs 

IAN BRUCE
The Herald, 29 April 2002 

      THE US should consider using drugs to crack the
      resistance of al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners to
      interrogation, according to William Webster, former
      chief of both the CIA and FBI.

      After reports that the terrorist suspects held at
      Guantanamo Bay in Cuba were not responding to
      questioning, he said the use of drugs such as
      sodium pentothal or scopalomine could speed up
      intelligence-gathering.

      "We ought to look at the options and consider
      invasive procedures short of torture to enable our
      people to penetrate al Qaeda's worldwide network,"
      said Mr Webster.

      Months of intensive interrogation have produced
      few nuggets of information useful to allied forces in
      Afghanistan and Pakistan, or insights into terrorist
      organisation or plans worldwide.

      Abu Zubaydah, the most senior of Osama bin
      Laden's lieutenants in custody, has caused two
      security alerts over pending attacks on American
      east coast banks and the creation of a radioactive
      "dirty bomb".

      Intelligence sources say Zubaydah, who is
      recovering from gunshot wounds sustained during
      his capture in Pakistan last month, may be playing
      mind games to sow fear and confusion.

      Manuals found in al Qaeda camps instructed
      captured fighters to spread disinformation and
      reveal nothing of military value.

      Bound by laws banning torture techniques, US
      agents have been forced to rely on repeated and
      prolonged interrogation and applied psychology to
      elicit information from prisoners.

      More hard intelligence has been gained from
      captives in Jordan and Egypt. Neither country is
      squeamish about applying coercion. Amnesty
      International, the human rights watchdog, has
      criticised the transfer of suspects by the US to
      Cairo's jurisdiction.

      "Egyptian jails are full of guys who are missing
      toenails and fingernails," says Vincent Cannistraro,
      former head of the CIA's counter-terrorist
      department.

      Although US teams must carry out interrogations
      without violating a prisoner's rights and risking
      having the case thrown out, the imperative is to
      obtain quality intelligence to smash al Qaeda and
      thwart its plans.

      Truth drugs like sodium pentothal are barbiturates
      routinely used as anaesthetics. In small doses,
      they loosen inhibitions and make people willing to
      share their thoughts.

      An intelligence source told The Herald: "These truth
      serums were used on agents of both sides during
      the cold war. They do not guarantee the truth, only
      the likelihood that someone under their influence
      will be less likely to resist questioning and become
      more talkative."

      In other developments in the war against terrorism,
      Pakistan has freed 1400 of the 2000 Islamic
      militants held in a security sweep three months ago
      ahead of this week's referendum on giving General
      Pervez Musharraf another five years in power.

      Those freed include Hafiz Saeed, leader of the
      Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group outlawed by the US
      after September 11 for fomenting trouble in
      Kashmir and India. Masood Azhar, head of the
      Jaish-e-Mohammed organisation also banned for
      its role in terrorism, has been moved from prison to
      house arrest, leaving him free to organise a new
      spring campaign in Kashmir.

      About half of those picked up in the crackdown
      belonged to groups involved in the long-running
      Kashmir insurgency. More than 500,000 Indian
      troops remain massed along the border with
      Pakistan as a response to suicide attacks on the
      Indian parliament in December which were blamed
      on the two proscribed terror groups.

      While Musharraf has declared that "no organisation
      will be allowed to perpetuate terrorism behind the
      garb of the Kashmiri cause", his policy falls short of
      active steps to stop cross-border incursions by
      rebels.

      Analysts say the general is playing to the domestic
      gallery by not cracking down on organisations
      which can be portrayed as local freedom fighters,
      while placating the White House by helping in the
      war against international terrorism.

      US sources say Musharraf would risk being
      deposed by his own army if he tried to halt support
      for the conflict in Kashmir.

Full article at:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/29-4-19102-0-18-35.html

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney@xxxxxx