Greenwald & Maas for The Intercept: Alfreda Bikowsky, CIA Offices at the center of torture scandals.

[Luminous Animal]

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/19/senior-cia-officer-center-torture-scandals-alfreda-bikowsky/

NBC News yesterday called her a “key apologist” for the CIA’s torture program. A follow-up New Yorker article dubbed her “The Unidentified Queen of Torture” and in part “the model for the lead character in ‘Zero Dark Thirty.’” Yet in both articles she was anonymous.

The person described by both NBC and The New Yorker is senior CIA officer Alfreda Frances Bikowsky. Multiple news outlets have reported that as the result of a long string of significant errors and malfeasance, her competence and integrity are doubted — even by some within the agency.

The Intercept is naming Bikowsky over CIA objections because of her key role in misleading Congress about the agency’s use of torture, and her active participation in the torture program (including playing a direct part in the torture of at least one innocent detainee). Moreover, Bikowsky has already been publicly identified by news organizations as the CIA officer responsible for many of these acts.

The executive summary of the torture report released by the Senate last week provides abundant documentation that the CIA repeatedly and deliberately misled Congress about multiple aspects of its interrogation program. Yesterday, NBC News reported that one senior CIA officer in particular was responsible for many of those false claims, describing her as “a top al Qaeda expert who remains in a senior position at the CIA.”

[GeorgeGist]

1. The PTB have their scapegoat.

[Luminous Animal]

2. Actually her name and role in torture has been known for years.

[grasswire]

3. comments section is a good read

Here's one:

JLocke
19 Dec 2014 at 3:21 pm

As the holidays approach, let’s take advantage of this magical time to reflect on the opportunity for the US government to agitate for yet another war. This time against a country in Asia that “US officials” say they are almost totally sort of, kind of, maybe 90% completely sure is behind the hacking of the Japanese multinational, Sony. So let’s save space in our hearts for the special people in the US government, those patriots toiling away in obscure torture chambers like Bikowsky who may be missing Christmas this year as she keeps the rest of us safe by torturing false information out of prisoners that might in turn bolster anonymous government claims.

I’m reminded of the classic tale…”Rudolpha, the Sadistic, Soulless Reindeer”. One day, Santa had his sack of presents stolen, even though Rudolpha had been warned that present robbers were at the north pole and she was tasked with protecting it. Rudolpha got caught napping. The next day, Rudolpha made up for her mistake by torturing innocent elves until they confessed that the presents were being held by black Muslims in Arizona. The end.

But Christmas is more than heart warming stories, It is a time to give thanks. It is a time to give thanks that we live in a world where no matter who you are, no matter how poor you are, no matter your ethnic origin or faith, if you are loyal to the CIA and obey orders, regardless of law and morality, you too, can stay out of jail and even be the subject of a torture glorifying Hollywood move, like Zero Dark thirty.

Ah, holiday movies!….White Christmas, The Grinch, and what would have been the greatest holiday release of all…”The Interview”. A story of journalists being used by the CIA to murder the vilified head of state of one of America’s enemies. Following in the tradition of the Zapruder film about the Kennedys, “The Interview”, like “The Triumph of the Will” before it, is a victory for free speech. Created by a multinational, with US State Department coordination, this celebration of state sponsored assassination would not be possible without the trail blazing efforts of the CIA agents, like Bikowsky, who inspired it.

[Luminous Animal]

4. Excellent comment!