Scott Shane's NY Times article on KSM

[thatsmystory]

The very fact that Mr. Martinez, a career narcotics analyst who did not speak the terrorists’ native languages and had no interrogation experience, would end up as a crucial player captures the ad-hoc nature of the program. Officials acknowledge that it was cobbled together under enormous pressure in 2002 by an agency nearly devoid of expertise in detention and interrogation.

Full text of article

This is incredible. The CIA chose an analyst with no Arabic language skills and AFAIK a lack of counterterrorism and interrogation experience to interrogate Abu Zubaydah, al-Nashiri, bin al-Shibh and KSM.

Did Tenet put CIA employee names in a hat to decide who would interrogate al Qaeda detainees?

 

[T.A.M.]

The bigger question, is was there anyone within, that SPOKE ARABIC, and had considerable COUNTERTERRORISM skills, who was able to do this, or was readily able to be pulled from an assignment?

TAM

 

[TexasJack]

This is incredible. The CIA chose an analyst with no Arabic language skills and AFAIK a lack of counterterrorism and interrogation experience to interrogate Abu Zubaydah, al-Nashiri, bin al-Shibh and KSM.

Did Tenet put CIA employee names in a hat to decide who would interrogate al Qaeda detainees?

You do know that KSM is a college graduate of North Carolina A & T and does speak english, broken as it may be?

It is interesting that the article said KSM wasn't tortured by Martinez, using soft tactics instead.

 

[Norseman]

It is interesting that the article said KSM wasn't tortured, using soft tactics instead.

I think you should read the article again.

 

[Norseman]

This is incredible. The CIA chose an analyst with no Arabic language skills and AFAIK a lack of counterterrorism and interrogation experience to interrogate Abu Zubaydah, al-Nashiri, bin al-Shibh and KSM.

Did Tenet put CIA employee names in a hat to decide who would interrogate al Qaeda detainees?

The reasons why is explained in the article.

 

[TexasJack]

I think you should read the article again.

Oops, forgot to put the interrogator in there, I amended it.

 

[johnny karate]

thatsmystory, you seem to share the same shock and dismay at KSM's indictment that other Truthers on this forum have expressed. Can I take it that you also feel the proof of his involvement in the events of 9/11 are dubious at best?

 

[thatsmystory]

thatsmystory, you seem to share the same shock and dismay at KSM's indictment that other Truthers on this forum have expressed. Can I take it that you also feel the proof of his involvement in the events of 9/11 are dubious at best?

The shock and dismay are related to CIA/White House conduct. For example, the gall of Addington and Yoo to act like jerks and cowardly refuse to stand up for the interrogation program they claim was necessary and legal. There is quite a disconnect between claiming torture was a required tactic and the failure of CIA to choose a qualified interrogator.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if KSM was involved in 9/11. So no I don't ascribe to the "patsies, dupes or psychotics" characterization made by Tarpley (and accepted by many 9/11 truthers). That said, I don't know the extent of his role in the plot. I suspect the account we've heard thus far is not the full story.

 

[Blender Head]

This is incredible. The CIA chose an analyst with no Arabic language skills and AFAIK a lack of counterterrorism and interrogation experience to interrogate Abu Zubaydah, al-Nashiri, bin al-Shibh and KSM.

Did Tenet put CIA employee names in a hat to decide who would interrogate al Qaeda detainees?

The Bush Administration kicked out Arabic translators cause they were homosexuals.

 

[MaGZ]

I still suspect KSM was meeting with the hijacker teams in Las Vegas in 2000 and 2001.