Up In Smoke: CIA Subjected Cole Bomber To Second-Hand Smoke

August 26, 2009 · Filed Under War on Terror

Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, according to the 9-11 commission report, was the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors.

Nashiri was also the target of an "unauthorized" CIA interrogation technique (that had not been legally vetted by the Justice Department) that is described in a May 7, 2004, CIA inspector general’s report that was partially declassified by the Obama administration this week.

CIA officers blew smoke in Nashiri’s face, according to the report, and they used cigars.

The IG’s office described this smoke-blowing as one of several "unauthorized or undocumented techniques" it discovered had been used in isolated incidents by CIA employees interrogating high-level al-Qaida terrorists.

"An Agency (redacted phrase) interrogator admitted that, in December 2002, he and another (redacted phrase) smoked cigars and blew cigar smoke in al-Nashiri’s face during the interrogation," said the IG report.

I know it sounds like a brutal war crime, but the interrogators had a reason for blowing smoke:

"The interrogator claimed they did this to ‘cover the stench’ in the room and to help keep the interrogators alert late at night," said the IG report. "This interrogator said he would not do this again based on ‘perceived criticism.’ Another agency interrogator admitted that he also smoked cigars during two sessions with al-Nashiri to mask the stench in the room. He claimed he did not deliberately force smoke into al-Nashiri’s face." The interrogators learned their lesson: Don’t blow smoke at terrorists.

Only in America could something this absurd actually be real. Second-hand smoke is considered an “unauthorized” interrogation technique?

I guess if you happen to break wind in front of a detainee you have to report that as well.

What he should have done is put that cigar out in al-Nashiri’s eye. Now that’s what I call an “unauthorized” technique. Oh yeah!!!

-Chris Jones