John Kiriakou: The Wrong Direction for the CIA

In this week’s episode of “Scheer Intelligence,” host and Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer speaks to former CIA counterterrorism official John Kiriakou, who served nearly 15 years with the agency. Kiriakou, who spoke openly about his opposition to the CIA’s torture program, served two years in prison after being charged with espionage and penned the book “Doing Time Like a Spy: How the CIA Taught Me to Survive and Thrive in Prison.”

Scheer and Kiriakou discuss the nomination of Gina Haspel for CIA director. Kiriakou says that “Haspel should be disqualified for her past at the top of the CIA’s illegal torture program.” He also says that her nomination sends the message that CIA agents to not have to respect the law in order to move ahead within the agency.

Scheer cites a poll that says a majority of Americans see torture as a tool that makes the nation more secure. “What’s happened here?” he asks Kiriakou.

“We’ve decided that, as a matter of policy, whatever is expedient is okay, because we’re the good guys, so we can do whatever we want. And that’s clearly wrong,” he says.

Kiriakou also says that torture has become a partisan issue, with the majority of Republicans supporting its use and the majority of Democrats opposing it. Yet, he adds that progressive politicians knew more than they revealed about the extent of the CIA torture program.

Listen to the interview in the player above and check back for the full transcript tomorrow. Find past episodes of “Scheer Intelligence” here.

–Posted by Emily Wells