FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2014
CONTACT: Benny Witkovsky, West End Strategy Team - Office: (202) 776-7700; cell: (202) 765-4290;
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Brennan Admits CIA Uncertain Torture Produced Intelligence
WASHINGTON – In a statement today, CIA Director John Brennan said that the agency has not concluded that EITs “allowed us to obtain useful information from detainees.” He followed by saying that he believes “effective, non-coercive methods are available to elicit such information, methods that do not have a counter-productive impact on our national security and on our international standing.” He also said that in his view “the use of coercive methods has a strong prospect for resulting in false information.”
Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, responded to Director Brennan’s remarks by saying:
“Torture is wrong. It is contrary to the core principles of all faiths and it violates the values of our country. It is also illegal. Those who defend torture argue that it is needed to produce intelligence. Now, the CIA Director himself says that the agency doesn’t know whether torture produced useful intelligence and that techniques are likely to produce false information.
Our moral compass tells us to oppose torture regardless of its efficacy. But for the love of reason, now that Brennan admits that torture might not work, let’s move on, agree that the program was a mistake, and pass new laws ensuring that we never do it again.”
Director Brennan’s remarks follow the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s torture report earlier in the week. The reactions of many faith leaders to the information revealed by the Torture Report can be found at: www.nrcat.org/TortureReport.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 300 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.
NRCAT.org @NRCATtweets facebook.com/nrcat
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