National Security Council Ignored FBI
The Bush administration's National Security Council ignored concerns raised by the FBI over the abusive treatment of terrorism suspects, a four-year Justice Department probe found.
The report released on Tuesday also found that the FBI, alarmed by interrogation techniques such as the use of snarling dogs and forced nudity, clashed with the Defense Department over their use. It instructed its agents not to participate in coercive techniques, but gave little guidance in whether such abuse should be reported for further investigation.
Critics say the techniques employed by the CIA and U.S. military in questioning some terrorism suspects since the September 11 attacks on the United States amounted to torture.
The inspector general's 370-page report said the FBI and Justice Department officials raised concerns over the effectiveness of abusive interrogations with the National Security Council, which comprises top security-agency officials, and with officials at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The United States has held terrorism suspects at a U.S. naval base in Cuba since early 2002.
"Ultimately, neither the FBI nor the DoJ had a significant impact on the practices of the military with respect to the detainees," the report said.
It also said there are "significant and unresolved" problems with the FBI's continued involvement in interrogations of prisoners who have been interviewed by the CIA, which has fewer restraints on interrogation techniques.
The report released on Tuesday also found that the FBI, alarmed by interrogation techniques such as the use of snarling dogs and forced nudity, clashed with the Defense Department over their use. It instructed its agents not to participate in coercive techniques, but gave little guidance in whether such abuse should be reported for further investigation.
Critics say the techniques employed by the CIA and U.S. military in questioning some terrorism suspects since the September 11 attacks on the United States amounted to torture.
The inspector general's 370-page report said the FBI and Justice Department officials raised concerns over the effectiveness of abusive interrogations with the National Security Council, which comprises top security-agency officials, and with officials at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The United States has held terrorism suspects at a U.S. naval base in Cuba since early 2002.
"Ultimately, neither the FBI nor the DoJ had a significant impact on the practices of the military with respect to the detainees," the report said.
It also said there are "significant and unresolved" problems with the FBI's continued involvement in interrogations of prisoners who have been interviewed by the CIA, which has fewer restraints on interrogation techniques.