Burkle Fellow Amy Zegart on KCRW: Prisoner Abuse and National Security

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Duration: 30:00

KCRW's To The Point with Host Warren Olney on "Prisoner Abuse & National Security"

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A lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union forced the Obama Administration to release a CIA Inspector General’s report kept secret since 2004. Now we know that CIA interrogators used a gun and a power drill, faked an execution, choked one prisoner and threatened to kill another one’s children. Former Vice President Dick Cheney says they deserve America’s gratitude.  Attorney General Eric Holder wants them investigated for possible crimes. President Obama established a new, Interagency Interrogation Group led by the FBI. Should policy-makers in the Bush White House be held accountable, too? Can the CIA still do its job? What’s the new role of the FBI? What does it take to protect America’s safety and obey the law?

 Guests:

• R. Jeffrey Smith: National Investigative Correspondent, Washington Post
• Jane Mayer: Investigative Reporter, The New Yorker
• Tim Weiner: Author, 'Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA'
• Amy Zegart: Associate Professor of Public Policy, UCLA

Related Links:

• Smith's article on Bush, Obama Administrations on 2004 CIA report
• Mayer's article about VP Cheney on executive privilege
• Mayer's 'The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals'
• Weiner's 'Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA'