Only CIA Agent Jailed for Torture Program Is Whistleblower Who Confirmed Its Existence

[RiverLover]

Only CIA Agent Jailed for Torture Program Is Whistleblower Who Confirmed Its Existence
12/10/2014

Former operative John Kiriakou, currently in prison, was charged with a crime after helping expose widespread abuses conducted by agency

?itok=sOGy9NZS

There is only one U.S. government employee who has gone to jail in connection with the widespread torture program by the CIA documented in the executive summary (pdf) of the Senate report that was partially released Tuesday: the man who helped expose it six years ago.

John Kiriakou, who worked for the CIA between 1990 and 2004, stepped forward in 2007 and confirmed to press outlets some of the first details about the agency's widespread use of torture.

Among Kiriakou's revelations was an account to ABC News of the repeated water-boardings of Abu Zubaydah—a man currently imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay without charges whose 12 years of torture and abuse at the hands of the U.S. were further exposed in the Senate report.

In 2013, Kiriakou—a father of five—was prosecuted by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act for allegedly revealing classified information to a reporter. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison, which he is still serving. His incarceration came after the Obama administration refused to prosecute any of the higher-up government officials who designed, authorized, or otherwise took part in implementation of the torture program.


http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/12/10/only-cia-agent-jailed-torture-program-whistleblower-who-confirmed-its-existence

USA!

[newfie11]

1. Go figure

This country is screwed

[adirondacker]

2. Bitter Irony.

[sendero]

3. But Obama..

.. wanted the most transparent administration ever, so this couldn't be HIS fault

[msanthrope]

61. He should count this prosecution as a triumph....Kiriakou pled guilty to leaking the name

of a covert CIA operative in the field. And he did it in order to sell his book.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-officer-john-kiriakou-sentenced-for-leaking-name-on-agencys-use-of-torture/

Are we defending the whistleblowing of Scooter Libby, next?

[Triana]

4. We are a F*cked Up Nation n/t

[heaven05]

5. If this true

and I have no reason to believe it isn't, George Carlin warned us that the people protecting the war criminals are in a VERY exclusive club and we and Kiriakou will NEVER be able to affect or change in makeup. Not by protest, screaming, hollering, VOTING, nothing!!!!!! The WAR CRIMINAL(s) WILL BE PROTECTED, no matter what administration is 'in charge'. That's a guarantee.

[msanthrope]

29. It's not true.....read this thread, and its links, this has already been debunked...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025938245

This is an exCIA agent trying to drum up donations from the FDL crowd...relying on their ODS.

In reality, Kiriakou went on 60 Minutes and bragged about waterboarding. Then he outed a CIA agent in the field to sell his 2010 book.

He pled guilty, and he's running a long con.

[heaven05]

31. thanks

I looked at the links and I surmised he was a braggart, but didn't lie about the 'understating' of total actual times waterboarding was used by interrogators on ALL detainees in question here. I assume "officer B, was the 'outed' agent who's identity never reached public light? Otherwise I see no indication in the links of a charge of outing an agent, except to the co-author of his book who knew and didn't disclose identity of said agent. His only 'crime' was the disclosure of secrets charge. And that I see is the only reason, he is spending 30months in federal prison. FDL crowd? Is that the Firedoglake blog..crowd you're referring to? As far as the book goes, hell if a seal on the team that killed bin laden went looking for fame and glory in the great american money machine, no fault to this agent. The reason for his prison sentence is because this country's PTB wanted to HIDE the horrible things done to detainees, CHILDREN!!!!! and women in the name of USA! USA! USA! HORRIBLE THINGS!!!!!

[msanthrope]

48. Okay...revealing the name of an operative in the field, even to your co-author, is a crime. He pled

Last edited Thu Dec 11, 2014, 01:40 PM - Edit history (2)

guilty to leaking to a reporter...

A former CIA officer was sentenced Friday to more than two years in prison by a federal judge who rejected arguments that he was acting as a whistleblower on the agency's use of torture when he leaked a covert officer's name to a reporter.

A plea deal required the judge to impose a sentence of 2 1/2 years. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said she would have given John Kiriakou much more time if she could.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-officer-john-kiriakou-sentenced-for-leaking-name-on-agencys-use-of-torture/

And yes.....this guy had absolutely no problem with waterboarding until he was charged.

Watching him run a long con has been pretty eye opening.

[ctsnowman]

6. K & R

[Dustlawyer]

7. Does this guy have a fund set up so we can help him and show other "would be" Whistle Blowers

that we are behind them!

[RiverLover]

9. He needs to be freed, too. nt

[msanthrope]

23. You want to free a guy who bragged the waterboarding was effective?

John Kiriakou didn't whistleblow...he bragged on 60 Minutes how well waterboarding works. He defended his involvement in torture, and now, as a former CIA operative, he tries to convince the gullible that he's persecuted.

Like I wrote last night....he's in prison. Not for torture, true. But I once had a client beat an attempted murder charge only to go to prison for perjury.

The victim was just as happy his ass was in prison.


FYI....kiriakou leaked the name of a covert operative to sell his 2010 book...and that's why he was charged. Did you think Scooter Libby should have gone free?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-agent-likely-betrayed-trust-to-sell-book/

[joshcryer]

67. Kiriakou should be in prison for torture.

Bragging about telling Zubaydah that he had "one more opportunity to cooperate." 83 times they waterboarded that poor bastard. They literally tortured an insane man and spent millions chasing ghosts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrogation_of_Abu_Zubaydah

[msanthrope]

71. He should be...but instead he's in for the same crime Scooter Libby pulled....

outing a CIA operative in the field. Kiriakou did it to sell a book...Libby was carrying out orders. Which is more craven?

[Dustlawyer]

75. Sorry I jumped the gun. Thanks for setting me straight.

[msanthrope]

77. It's easy to do when certain agenda-driven sources are promoted on this site. nt

[belzabubba333]

8. it's part of his 3 dimensional chess

[raouldukelives]

10. When dealing with criminals, only the honest are at a disadvantage. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

15. +1000000

[mn9driver]

11. The facts speak for themselves.

We are all done as a nation of laws. And we have been for some time now.

[Overseas]

12. K&R. He should be released.

[woo me with science]

13. Corrupt, morally bankrupt government.

Ghouls.

[msanthrope]

28. Indeed..imagine putting someone in jail after they got on 60 Minutes and

bragged about waterboarding, and then outed a CIA agent in the field to sell a book....

This ex-CIA operative is running a great con on the FDL/ODS wing of the Party, and it's pretty sad to watch...

Here's the thread from yesterday that thoroughly debunked Kiriakou....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025938245

[heaven05]

32. The name of the agent "outed"

Last edited Thu Dec 11, 2014, 02:42 PM - Edit history (1)

WAS NEVER disclosed to the public...NEVER. on edit: I was wrong about trueblue on many levels. You have my apologies.

[msanthrope]

36. Um...disclosure to his co-author and publisher is "the public." FYI..it was to a reporter...

Last edited Thu Dec 11, 2014, 01:37 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-officer-john-kiriakou-sentenced-for-leaking-name-on-agencys-use-of-torture/

[heaven05]

41. ummmmm

you are correct, but his name, like maybe like, Valerie Plame is not known. Remember that outing and who did that outing???? The co-author and publishers NEVER disclosed the name. I HAVE been keeping up, since 2000 on this whole bunch and their "crimes", their MANY CRIMES.

[msanthrope]

43. His name is known. Which is why you can find it, and the assignment he was

pulled from fairly easily, assuming you can read languages other than English.

[heaven05]

44. Ohhh

you have to insult to CYA. Fine. Nuff to know about you.......

[msanthrope]

46. It wasn't an insult. It's a suggestion for how you can find it.

The curious thing about leaked cables and info and such?

So few Americans ever bothered to read the stuff not in English.

[heaven05]

78. Okay

Last edited Thu Dec 11, 2014, 03:24 PM - Edit history (1)

and after reading more trueblue responses, he is off base in many areas and needs to sharpen his critical thinking and deduction skills. He really is attacking the wrong group in his misdirected OP. Sorry for any confusion on my part.

[woo me with science]

34. Propaganda is a low, disreputable occupation.

Torturers, criminals who break legs, rape children in front of their parents, Wall Street criminals who impoverish millions are not just safe from prosecution, but actively assisted in covering up their crimes and even praised as patriots.

I couldn't live with myself, distributing talking points for today's corrupt, totalitarian, morally bankrupt neoliberals. And I mean that in utter seriousness. My conscience is worth more than anyone could possibly pay me to rec something like this:

Forgive me if I roll my eyes at your precious outrage about torture.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025935916

How familiar that all your effort goes into attacking those who opposed torture all along, and not at the torture and its apologists.


____________________________________

Ignore morally bankrupt propaganda smears of whistleblowers. Kirakou, who confirmed these outrages, is a patriot, *not* the ones raping and breaking bones in our name:

John Kiriakou: “There are some things we should not do, even in the name of national security.”
- All about Kiriakou: http://www.whistleblower.org/bio-john-kiriakou#sthash.nGN3LmKM.dpuf

______________________________________

Shun the Third Way spin, diversion, distortion, and talking points
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5767160

Propaganda is a low, disreputable occupation
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5927391

I'm sorry Obama, those who sodomized Iraqi boys in front of their mothers, are NOT patriots
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5940281

[msanthrope]

42. I guess when you don't bother to google the people you defend, and you get called

on it by a woman with links and facts, the only possible explanation must be that she is what, a paid propagandist? That's actually a pretty funny variant of mansplaining!

As Orrex suggested in the thread I posted, a glance at a person's Wikipedia page, BEFORE you champion them, might prevent you from mistakes like this.

I actually find it hysterically funny that rather than admit you made a mistake, you are accusing me of being a government agent. I'm gonna try blaming the NSA the next time I make a typo.

[joshcryer]

63. Kiriakou was a torture defender.

He was literally the face of the pro-torture movement. He made waterboarding out to be "no big deal."

Once he got charged for revealing identities, and went to jail, he got conspiracy movement people to jump on his behalf, and he's somehow contorted history and revised it to make it seem like he was a good guy.

All that torture he was involved in was, after all, just an "ugly little episode."

[msanthrope]

73. Which agency is paying you to post this? Can I make buck, too,

typing facts available to all on google?

[joshcryer]

74. Who could forget that smug face of his?

I mean he parroted the term "enhanced techniques" like a good old boy. Waterboarding is merely an "unpleasant experience," don't you know?

[msanthrope]

76. I'll tell you exactly who "forgot." People who weren't paying attention the first time this joker

pushed his crap, and those craven Libertarians who not only didn't give a shit back then, but now use their ODS/political agenda to push lies.

[Thespian2]

14. Made in America

[ReRe]

16. A judge needs to step in....

.... and free that man immediately. And give him his whistle-blowing reward.

[msanthrope]

24. He pled guily because he released the name of a CIA covert agent to sell his book.

John Kiriakou didn't whistleblow...he bragged on 60 Minutes how well waterboarding works. He defended his involvement in torture, and now, as a former CIA operative, he tries to convince the gullible that he's persecuted.

Like I wrote last night....he's in prison. Not for torture, true. But I once had a client beat an attempted murder charge only to go to prison for perjury.

The victim was just as happy his ass was in prison.


FYI....kiriakou leaked the name of a covert operative to sell his 2010 book...and that's why he was charged. Did you think Scooter Libby should have gone free?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-agent-likely-betrayed-trust-to-sell-book/

[JonLP24]

37. I think Libby took the fall for others in the administration

Didn't someone ask why isn't Cheney there? Its been so long since I had a close knowledge of the trial.

[RiverLover]

54. You say with certainty, but your linked article has uncertainty

"Ex-CIA agent likely betrayed trust to sell book"

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-agent-likely-betrayed-trust-to-sell-book/


The analyst interviewed here, John Miller~

John Miller previously worked across the intelligence community with the CIA, NSA, FBI and other agencies.

Do you think he "likely" has some friends in high places to spin things for?

[msanthrope]

56. Wow...five seconds of google to find out his guilty plea...for leaking the name....

A former CIA officer was sentenced Friday to more than two years in prison by a federal judge who rejected arguments that he was acting as a whistleblower on the agency's use of torture when he leaked a covert officer's name to a reporter.

A plea deal required the judge to impose a sentence of 2 1/2 years. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said she would have given John Kiriakou much more time if she could.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-officer-john-kiriakou-sentenced-for-leaking-name-on-agencys-use-of-torture/

[RiverLover]

58. You said he did it to sell a book. Then have a guy with CIA ties as your linked source.

And yes he outed someone who tortured. He did it privately.

He tried to get the word out about the torture & you're being a tool to criminalize HIM and not the torture.

I find that disconcerting.

[msanthrope]

59. Um no....as a way to drum up sales for his 2010 book, he decided to leak to a particular

reporter the name of a CIA covert operative so that the reporter would write a puff piece on him, detailing the reliability of information in his upcoming work.

It was a marketing move that other Washingtonians with books have tried, but this one failed, spectacularly.

So he copped a plea. He's an admitted felon, and watching a certain crowd at DU fall all over an exCIA operative who is currently doing time for the same crime Scooter Libby did is pretty amusing.

[RiverLover]

65. Fine. We just disagree. nt

[msanthrope]

66. Indeed..and Kiriakou's own plea seems to disagree with you, too. nt

[RiverLover]

69. That's not what I disagree with. Read my post again. Seriously.

[ReRe]

86. I spoke without reading about this fellow...

Please disregard what I said. Am going to delete that after I'm sure you've rec'd this reply.
Thanks msanthrope.

[Octafish]

17. Who are the real crooks?

A guy who told the truth or the traitors who lied America into war and tortured and killed innocent people?

[font color="blue"][font size="5"]"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell[/font size][/font color]

[Enthusiast]

21. +1

[msanthrope]

27. Okay...you are defending the guy who 1) Defended waterboarding on

60 Minutes, and 2) outed a CIA agent to sell a book.

This guy was hung out and debunked thoroughly in this thread, yesterday....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025938245

Octafish....do you realize that you are taking the side of an ex-CIA operative who is running a con?

[Octafish]

30. You keep repeating that, msanthrope.

“There are some things we should not do, even in the name of national security.” – John Kiriakou

Full bio: http://www.whistleblower.org/bio-john-kiriakou

If the nation was led by people with integrity, msanthrope, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today.

[msanthrope]

45. Kiriakou's 60 Minutes interview where he defends waterboarding is

available...

Who you gonna believe? Kiriakou then, or now?

I'm watching an exCIA operative run a long con...and the irony of who is buying it isn't lost on me.

[Octafish]

51. So what? He said he learned he was wrong. What's important is CIA Tortures.

Present tense.

[msanthrope]

55. He learned he was wrong? Was that before or after his book contract?

Before or after he learned he could fleece FDL readers of donations if he lied and called himself a "whistleblower?"

Like any good CIA operative, he's merely adapted to his environment.

Watching you defend him? Wow....

[freebrew]

18. Typical...no words

[Oilwellian]

19. John Kiriakou, a man with a conscience

THIS is who Obama should have referred to as a patriot.

[msanthrope]

25. Um, no....go watch his 60 Minutes interview where he defends waterboarding,

and then tell me how much conscience he has.

[JEB]

20. If the cops, the CIA, Presidents, administration officials etc are above the law,

then prison doors should just be thrown open. Fuck this fucking shit.

[Enthusiast]

22. +1

[woo me with science]

35. +1000000

[msanthrope]

26. This trope was completely and utterly debunked yesterday in this thread....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025938245

I find it shameful to defend a man who outed a CIA operative in order to sell a book....a man who defended waterboarding on national tv.

But I'm not surprised at how many DUers fell for a CIAs agent's lies.

[Iggo]

33. Kinda like the only guy arrested when Eric Garner was murdered is the guy who recorded it.

Hmm...

[jwirr]

38. If President Obama pardons anyone this is the man he should pardon. NOW.

[msanthrope]

47. The guy who went on 60 Minutes and defended the use of waterboarding?

That's who he should pardon?

[jwirr]

50. He is a little fish. I am sick of letting the little guys take the rap so the leaders can get off.

[msanthrope]

53. The guy who leaked a covert field operative's name to sell a book is a

little fish? He tried to make a buck off of torture, and yet you think he should be let off, just because he can write convincing lies?

He's a con man.

[librechik]

39. Of course. This is who we are now. New Pearl Harbor, remember?

Like the guy that got indicted for filming the Eric Garner murder.

The PTB make up their own reality now, and it sure isn't constitutional. No one has rescinded the State of Emergency order Cheney issued in 9/11. So...

[Jack Rabbit]

40. This is the patriot who served his country

He should be released, pardoned (with an apology for prosecuting him at all) and given the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Immediately.

Keep his cell tidy for the Frat Boy and the Big Dick.

[woo me with science]

49. [phone] War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Torturers are Patriots.

The ones raping children in front of their parents and breaking bones are excused and even lionized as the "patriots," while the CIA agent who confirmed these atrocities gets trashed and sent to prison.

Sometimes there is a perfect crystallization of the moral bankruptcy, the utter craven evil, of the cabal that is now running our government, ...and its vile propaganda machine.

[Jack Rabbit]

52. . . . and Corporate Tyranny is Democracy

the cabal that is now running our government
[center]


Big Brothers are Watching You
[/center][font size="1"]From The Everlasting GOP Stoppers
[/font]

[msanthrope]

57. He didn't serve anyone but himself...he leaked the name of a covert operative in the field to a

reporter to secure a book deal......and that's what he admitted in his plea....

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-cia-officer-john-kiriakou-sentenced-for-leaking-name-on-agencys-use-of-torture/

You should check out his 60 minutes interview...where he defends the use of waterboarding.

[joshcryer]

70. Yup, all that torture was just an "ugly little episode."

What passes for patiotism shocks me these days.

[napkinz]

60. ...

The only CIA officer prosecuted for torture is John Kiriakou, who leaked classified details of the program to national reporters, for which he is currently serving a 30-month prison sentence. Share if you agree John Kiriakou should be pardoned and the real criminals prosecuted.

https://www.facebook.com/usauncut/photos/a.190167221017767.44131.186219261412563/880680395299776/

[progressoid]

62. Rec!

[Rex]

64. I don't know if I can feel sorry for this guy, he defended the use of water boarding.

So how is he a good guy again?

[msanthrope]

72. Because, Obama. nt

[Rex]

79. Seriously, it all looked good until I read he defended the CIAs use of torture.

He must be really brainwashed to still want to defend them from prison imo.

[msanthrope]

80. Can you cite that? nt

[Rex]

81. Which part? nt

[Savannahmann]

68. Well there was one other convicted.

Robert Lady was convicted in an Italian Court, but we won't extradite him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Seldon_Lady

[hifiguy]

82. Why would ANYONE who has been paying attention for the last 40 years

find anything about this surprising? Seriously. The law only applies, however twisted it has to be to get there, to little people. The People In The Club know no law save for the divine rights of Money and Power.

[woo me with science]

83. kick. Priorities, priorities.

Kind of like when the administration wasn't prosecuting corrupt bankers, so they had plenty of time to send up a guy who tried to identify them:

Bradley Birkenfeld, UBS Whistleblower, Finds Himself in Federal Prison
http://www.cnbc.com//id/41257962

[RiverLover]

85. R & K woo! messed up priorities, priorities...

[Octafish]

84. Kick for Those working to end Wars without End.

Kiriakou is a patriot.