THAT MEMORY OF GOING TO
ARLINGTON TO BURY ONE OF MY
OFFICERS FROM THE C.I.A.,
ELIZABETH HANSON, IS ONE THAT
WILL BE WITH ME FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE
TO SERVE THIS COUNTRY, AND
THAT'S WHAT ELIZABETH HANSON
DID.
I KNEW THAT THE C.I.A. OFFICERS
WERE THERE BECAUSE I ORDERED
THEM TO BE THERE.
I HAD TO BEAR SOME OF THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HAVING TAKEN
THIS RISK.
INITIAL REPORTS INDICATE THE
BOMBER WAS BEING RECRUITED BY
THE C.I.A. AS A SOURCE.
THIS WAS THE WORST, SINGLE
LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE C.I.A.
SINCE 1983, WHEN A TRUCK BOMBER
BLEW UP THE AMERICAN EMBASSY.
THIS PERSON OBVIOUSLY TURNED
OUT TO BE A DOUBLE AGENT AND HAD
BLOWN HIMSELF UP, AS WELL AS OUR
OFFICERS.
IT'S HARD TO FIND THE WORDS WHEN
SUDDENLY YOU'RE TOLD THAT SEVEN
OF YOUR OFFICERS HAVE BEEN
KILLED AND OTHERS SERIOUSLY
WOUNDED.
WHAT WENT THROUGH MY MIND WAS
THE FAMILIES OUT THERE WHO,
WITHIN A FEW HOURS, WERE GOING
TO BE INFORMED THAT SOMEONE
WHO... WHO THEY LOVED HAD BEEN
KILLED.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHO WERE THE ONES WHO
PUSHED THAT BUTTON.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SOURCES THAT WE
RELY ON, SPIES.
AND SO WE IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE
QUESTION, "WHO THE HELL WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS TRAGIC SUICIDE
BOMBING?"
WE WERE ABLE TO GET PRETTY GOOD
INTELLIGENCE.
AND SO, WE KNEW WHO THE
INDIVIDUAL WAS.
THIS WAS A BAD GUY, AND HE WAS
CLEARLY A LEADER.
HAD BEEN INVOLVED NOT ONLY IN
GOING AFTER OUR OFFICERS, BUT IN
KILLING MEMBERS OF OUR OWN
FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN.
AND IT WAS ON THE DAY OF
ELIZABETH HANSON'S FUNERAL THAT
I GOT A CALL FROM OUR OPERATIONS
CENTER.
THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD PRETTY
GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE
THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS INDIVIDUAL
HAD FAMILY AND WIFE AND CHILDREN
AROUND HIM, AND SO ONE OF THE
TOUGH QUESTIONS WAS, YOU KNOW,
"WHAT SHOULD WE DO?"
STANDBY.
DO NOT ENGAGE.
DO NOT ENGAGE THE MOSQUE.
ROGER.
IF THERE WERE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN IN THE SHOT, WE
NORMALLY WOULD NOT
TAKE THE SHOT.
I REMEMBER CALLING THE WHITE
HOUSE, AND THEY WERE AWARE HOW
TOUGH A DECISION THIS IS AND
BASICALLY SAID, "LOOK, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A
JUDGMENT HERE."
SO I KNEW AT THAT POINT THAT IT
WAS A DECISION THAT I WAS GOING
TO HAVE TO MAKE.
I MEAN, I'M THE ONE WHO'S GOING
TO HAVE TO SAY HAIL MARYS HERE.
I WAS RAISED A CATHOLIC, I
BELIEVE IN MY FAITH, AND I RELY
A GREAT DEAL ON MY FAITH
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
I'VE ALWAYS CARRIED A ROSARY AND
ALWAYS SAID A HELL OF A LOT OF
HAIL MARYS IN TOUGH SITUATIONS.
AND SUDDENLY, YOU KNOW, I FOUND
THAT I WAS MAKING DECISIONS ON
LIFE AND DEATH AS DIRECTOR, AND
THOSE DECISIONS ARE NEVER EASY,
AND FRANKLY THEY SHOULDN'T BE
EASY.
I FELT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT
IN THAT JOB TO DO WHAT I COULD
TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY, SO I
PASSED ON THE WORD.
I SAID, IF YOU CAN ISOLATE THE
INDIVIDUAL AND TAKE THE SHOT
WITHOUT IMPACTING ON WOMEN OR
CHILDREN, THEN DO IT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE
AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT GET
AWAY, THEN TAKE THE SHOT.
LET'S GO.
ROLL IT IN.
WILDFIRE, WE'RE CLEARED ON THE
BUILDING.
WE'RE CLEARED ON THE BIG
SQUARE BUILDING.
GO AHEAD AND LEVEL IT.
ROGER THAT.
YEAH, DIRECT HITS RIGHT THERE.
AND IT DID INVOLVE COLLATERAL
DAMAGE, BUT WE GOT HIM.
IT'S DONE.
THESE ARE TOUGH DECISIONS,
AND YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT, THEY ARE
TOUGH DECISIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WAR.
THIS IS A WAR.
9/11, THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T
HESITATE A MOMENT TO KILL 3,000
PEOPLE AND TAKE DOWN THE TRADE
CENTERS AND HIT THE PENTAGON.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD
NOT HESITATE TO ATTACK US AGAIN.
IN THE END, WHAT YOU DO I THINK
HAS TO BE BASED ON WHAT YOUR
GUTS TELL YOU IS RIGHT.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ALL
ABOUT.
YOU HAVE TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
AS TO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT
AND HOPE THAT ULTIMATELY GOD
AGREES WITH YOU.
Narrator: INSIDE THE C.I.A...
I'M FORCED TO MAKE DECISIONS
EVERY DAY.
Narrator: DIRECTOR JOHN
BRENNAN CARRIES THE BURDEN OF
COMMAND.
A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT WE
RECOGNIZE HAVE RISKS ASSOCIATED
WITH THEM, SIGNIFICANT RISKS
THAT SOMETIMES CAN RESULT IN
DEATHS.
THE C.I.A.'S ACTIONS A DECADE
AGO ARE A STAIN ON OUR VALUE AND
ON OUR HISTORY.
YOU CAN'T CLAIM THAT TYING
SOMEONE TO THE FLOOR AND HAVING
THEM FREEZE TO DEATH IS NOT
TORTURE.
TORTURE WAS WHAT THE AL QAEDA
TERRORISTS DID TO 3,000
AMERICANS ON 9/11.
I WISH THE WORLD WERE
SIMPLER.
I WISH WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE
COMPLEX CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE
WHERE THERE IS NOT A RIGHT AND
WRONG ANSWER, WHERE IT'S NOT
BLACK AND WHITE.
ON THOSE DAYS WHEN I'M THINKING
ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WORRY ME
MOST, THERE IS THE BIOLOGICAL
AGENT, THERE IS THE DEVASTATING
STRATEGIC TYPE OF TERRORIST
ATTACK, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE SO
DETERMINED TO CAUSE AS MUCH
HAVOC AND DESTRUCTION AND DEATH
AS POSSIBLE.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THIS
PHENOMENON THAT WE'RE FACING AS
FAR AS TERRORISM, LIKE ISIS AND
THEIR WANTON, MURDEROUS
ACTIVITIES?
ISIS RULES WITH BRUTALITY AND
FEAR, PUBLICLY EXECUTING THOSE
WHO OFFEND ITS STRICT VERSION OF
ISLAMIC LAW.
WELL, WE CAN LET THESE
TERRORIST ORGANITIONS THRIVE
AND NOT TAKE ACTION AGAINST
THEM, OR WE CAN TRY TO TAKE
ACTION THAT'S GOING TO DISRUPT
THEIR PLANS.
Narrator: IN A CONFLICT
AGAINST A RUTHLESS ENEMY, WHAT
ARE THE RULES FOR AMERICA'S
SPYMASTERS?
GO FOR THE VEHICLE.
YOU ARE NOW FREE TO ENGAGE THE
MOVING VEHICLE.
Narrator: DOES THE C.I.A. GO
TOO FAR...
(UNINTELLIGIBLE COMMANDS)
Narrator: ...OR NOT FAR
ENOUGH?
KILLING PEOPLE, NO MATTER HOW
BAD THEY ARE, IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT SHOULD EVER REST EASILY IN
ANYBODY'S SOUL OR IN ANYBODY'S
BRAIN.
SOMETIMES I THINK WE GET
OURSELVES INTO A FRENZY, INTO
BELIEVING THAT KILLING IS THE
ONLY ANSWER TO A PROBLEM.
AND THE TRUTH IS, IT'S NOT.
Narrator: ONLY 12 MEN ALIVE
TODAY HAVE MADE THE
LIFE-AND-DEATH DECISIONS THAT
COME WITH RUNNING THE WORLD'S
MOST POWERFUL INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY.
LET ME BARE MY SOUL JUST A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
Narrator: THE KEEPERS OF
AMERICA'S SECRETS,
THE SPYMASTERS AND THEIR TOP
OPERATIVES SHARE THEIR
CONVICTIONS AND, FOR THE FIRST
TIME, THEIR PASSIONATE
DISAGREEMENTS, ABOUT THE
AGENCY'S PAST, ITS CURRENT
MISSION AND ITS FUTURE.
IT IS A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF
THE C.I.A.
WHEN YOU'RE CONFRONTING AN
ENEMY THAT'S PREPARED TO BLOW UP
AND KILL INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN, YOU HAVE TO GO AT THEM
USING THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE
HAVE.
FOR ME, THAT'S THE BASIC RULE:
DO WE PROTECT OUR PEOPLE OR DO
WE NOT PROTECT THEM?
Narrator: DID THE WHITE HOUSE
IGNORE THE C.I.A.'S WARNINGS
ABOUT 911?
3,000 AMERICANS HAD BEEN
KILLED.
THERE WAS AN EMOTIONAL PIECE OF
THIS BECAUSE WE HAD WOKEN UP
EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES TRYING TO
STOP WHAT JUST HAD HAPPENED.
Narrator: WHAT'S FAIR GAME
AGAINST TERRORISTS HELL-BENT ON
ATTACKING US AGAIN?
BLACK SITES, INDEFINITE
DETENTION?
YOU'RE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AND SOMEBODY COMES
FORWARD AND SAYS TO YOU, "WE GOT
THESE BAD GUYS, WE KNOW THEY'RE
BAD GUYS.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO
WITH THEM?"
WELL, THE OLD TRADITIONAL WAY
WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PUT THEM IN
THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND SHOOT
THEM.
WELL, THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD
IDEA, IS IT?
Narrator: ARE BRUTAL
INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES EVER
ACCEPTABLE?
THE SENATE REPORT HAS
PUBLICLY REVEALED GRAPHIC NEW
DETAILS.
...AND THE REPORT SAYS
DETAINEES WERE KEPT IN TOTAL
DARKNESS, SHACKLED TO THE WALL
IN 45-DEGREE TEMPERATURES.
WE WERE ASKED TO DO SOME VERY
HARD THINGS.
ARE WE HAPPY WE DID THEM?
OF COURSE NOT.
WOULD WE DO THEM AGAIN?
I WOULD HOPE SO IF WE FOUND
OURSELVES IN THOSE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
I JUST DON'T THINK A COUNTRY
LIKE OURS SHOULD BE CULPABLE OF
CONDUCTING TORTURE.
I JUST THINK IT'S BENEATH OUR
DIGNITY.
I THINK IT'S POOR FOR OUR
REPUTATION AND THE WORLD.
I'M NOT GOING TO EVER ACCEPT
THE USE OF THE WORD "TORTURE" IN
FRONT OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
I'M NOT GOING TO FALL TO THAT.
Narrator: HAS THE C.I.A.
BECOME A SECRET ARMY, A KILLING
MACHINE?
YOU'RE SITTING THERE IN THE
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN NEVADA, AND
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SCREEN THAT
IS TELEVISING WHAT LOOKS FOR ALL
THE WORLD LIKE A BIG VIDEO GAME.
AND PUSH A BUTTON AND A PICKUP
TRUCK EXPLODES HALF A WORLD
AWAY.
I MEAN, IF THEY'RE BAD GUYS
AND THEY'RE DOING US HARM,
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
NOW THE DARK SIDE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BE PERFECT.
THERE IS COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
(CRYING)
WE FEED THE JIHADI
RECRUITMENT VIDEO THAT THESE
AMERICANS ARE HEARTLESS KILLERS.
WE MAY HAVE TO USE THESE
KINDS OF WEAPONS, BUT, IN THE
END, LET ME TELL YOU
SOMETHING--IF WE FAIL TO DO THIS
AND GOD FORBID THIS COUNTRY
FACED ANOTHER 9/11, YOU KNOW
WHAT THE FIRST QUESTION WOULD
BE: WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET
THIS HAPPEN?
WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET THIS
HAPPEN?
IF YOU ARE A TERRORISM
ANALYST FOR LONG ENOUGH, YOU
WILL HAVE MANY MOMENTS WHERE YOU
WILL FEEL RESPONSIBLE.
RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT HAVING
STAYED LONG ENOUGH, NOT HAVING
STAYED LATE ENOUGH, NOT HAVING
THOUGHT HARD ENOUGH.
NOT HAVING PLOWED THROUGH ENOUGH
DATA TO CONNECT THOSE PROVERBIAL
DOTS.
AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE OTHER END
OF THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HURT
OR KILLED.
I GAVE BIRTH TO MY FIRST SON IN
WHAT WAS A VERY EMERGENCY
C-SECTION.
HE WAS QUITE EARLY.
I WAS LYING DOWN IN MY HOSPITAL
BED, STILL TRYING TO GET OVER
SOME OF THE PAIN.
MY PHONE RANG, AND I HEARD MY
BOSS SCREAMING ON THE OTHER END,
"YOUR PEOPLE DID THIS, YOUR
PEOPLE DID THIS."
AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT SHE WAS
TALKING ABOUT, BUT I KNEW SHE
MEANT SOMETHING BAD HAD
HAPPENED.
AND I TURNED ON THE TELEVISION,
AND I SAW, AND I KNEW WHAT SHE
MEANT.
Narrator: FEBRUARY 26, 1993.
WE HEARD A TREMENDOUS
EXPLOSION.
THE ENTIRE BUILDING.
Narrator: IN AN UNDERGROUND
GARAGE IN NEW YORK CITY, A VAN
PACKED WITH EXPLOSIVES
DETONATES, KILLING SIX PEOPLE
AND INJURING MORE THAN A
THOUSAND.
IT WOULD BE THE FIRST ATTACK ON
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
THE FACT IS, AT THIS HOUR,
POLICE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW WHO DID
THIS OR WHY.
THE BIG MESSAGE THAT COMES
OUT OF THE 1993 TRADE CENTER
BOMBING IS THAT A THRESHOLD HAS
BEEN CROSSED.
THEY'VE HIT US HERE.
BUT YOU KNOW, THINKING BACK ON
IT, I'M NOT SURE THAT MESSAGE
WAS AS POWERFULLY ABSORBED AS WE
CAN SEE IT IN RETROSPECT.
Narrator: THE TRAIL WOULD
LEAD TO A SHADOWY NETWORK OF
JIHADISTS IN AFGHANISTAN THAT
THE WORLD WOULD COME TO KNOW AS
AL QAEDA, AND A CHARISMATIC
SAUDI MULTI-MILLIONAIRE.
I HAD LIKENED OSAMA BIN LADEN
AT THE TIME TO-- I KNOW THIS IS
HORRIBLE TO SAY, BUT TO DONALD
TRUMP.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS LIKE THE DONALD
TRUMP OF THE TERRORISM
UNDERWORLD.
HE HAD THE WHEREWITHAL AND A
VISION THAT WAS CLEARLY
CONTROVERSIAL AND DIFFERENT FROM
EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT, YOU KNOW,
THE TENACITY TO FOLLOW IT.
I DEFINITELY DREW A LOT OF
SNICKERS FROM MY... FROM MY
COLLEAGUES WHO THOUGHT I WAS
MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A
MOLEHILL AND BLOWING HIM OUT OF
PROPORTION.
Narrator: AUGUST 7, 1998.
SUICIDE TRUCK BOMBERS STRIKE
AMERICAN EMBASSIES IN TANZANIA
AND KENYA, EAST AFRICA.
224 PEOPLE LIE DEAD, TWO OF THEM
C.I.A. OFFICERS.
AFTER THE EAST AFRICA
BOMBINGS, I SAT AT HOME AND
FURIOUSLY DRAFTED A MEMO CALLED
"WE'RE AT WAR."
ENOUGH SWATTING AT FLIES; WE
NEED TO PUT A WORLDWIDE PLAN IN
PLACE WHERE WE CAN START
DEMONSTRATING THAT WE CAN
PENETRATE THIS ADVERSARY, GET
INTO THE SANCTUARY, PENETRATE
HIS MAJOR OPERATIONAL HUBS AND
SET US UP FOR REALLY PROVIDING
POLICYMAKERS WITH HARD
INTELLIGENCE WITH WHICH THEY
COULD MAKE DECISIONS.
Narrator: COFER BLACK, A
LEGENDARY OPERATIVE, HAD ESCAPED
AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BY AL
QAEDA WHILE SERVING IN KHARTOUM.
THE FIRST WEEK THAT I WAS IN
THE COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER, NEW
CHIEF COMES IN, AND THEY STICK
YOU IN A CONFERENCE ROOM, AND
PEOPLE START COMING IN AND
BRIEFING YOU ON ALL THEIR AREAS
OF ACTIVITY.
I DON'T SHOCK EASY, BUT I WAS
SHOCKED.
THIS WAS A WAVE OF THREATS
COMING AT THE UNITED STATES.
THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND
THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS GOING
TO BE STRUCK AND STRUCK HARD.
LOTS OF AMERICANS WERE GOING TO
DIE.
SANDY BERGER, THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR AT THE END OF
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION,
ASKED US FOR A VERY IMPORTANT
PIECE OF PAPER.
WE CALLED IT THE "BLUE SKY
PAPER."
HE SAID, "I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE
THAT YOU HAD ALL THE AUTHORITIES
YOU NEEDED AND ALL THE RESOURCES
YOU NEEDED TO TAKE DOWN AL
QAEDA.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?"
GETTING INTO THE AFGHAN
SANCTUARY, LAUNCHING A
PARAMILITARY OPERATION-- WE KNEW
EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
WE WERE READY TO DO IT.
THE IMPORTANT PART IS, NO
ACTION WAS TAKEN.
IT WAS NOT ADVANCED.
Narrator: AS AL QAEDA GROWS
MORE LETHAL, C.I.A. DIRECTOR
GEORGE TENET FACES A TEST THAT
WILL DEFINE HIS PLACE IN
HISTORY: CAN THE C.I.A. STOP BIN
LADEN BEFORE HE STRIKES THE
UNITED STATES AGAIN?
ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2000, WE
WERE TESTING DRONES OVER
AFGHANISTAN WHEN WE SAW A VERY
TALL MAN IN WHITE ROBES WHO WE
ASSUMED AT THE TIME WAS BIN
LADEN.
I MEAN, I LOVE THIS.
THIS IS SUCH A WASHINGTON THING.
OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO CAPTURE
HIM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE
ATTEMPTED TO DO.
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CAPTURING, I WOULD THINK, AND
THE ALTERNATIVE IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND THE GAP IS LARGE.
KILLING BIN LADEN IN THE TIME
PERIOD WE OPERATED WAS NEVER AN
OPTION BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
COULD ONLY BE KILLED IN THEAT HE
CONTEXT OF A CAPTURE OPERATION.
DID YOU TELL THE WHITE HOUSE,
DID YOU TELL JANET RENO, "LOOK,
YOU DON'T GET IT.
WE HAVE TO KILL THIS GUY.
WE HAVE TO TAKE HIM DOWN"?
NO.
I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
I HAVE AN INSTITUTIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY; I PLAY IN A
PROCESS WHERE THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES AND THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAVE TO ACCEPT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE.
Narrator: BUT THE EAST AFRICA
BOMBINGS IN 1998 HAD CHANGED THE
CALCULUS FOR PRESIDENT BILL
CLINTON.
HE LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILE
STRIKES IN AN EFFORT TO KILL BIN
LADEN, BUT THEY MISSED.
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
SPENT EIGHT YEARS LEARNING TO
APPRECIATE THIS THREAT, AND ONLY
AT THE VERY END DID THEY GET IT.
I, GEORGE WALKER BUSH, DO
SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL
FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE OFFICE OF
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT
POLICYMAKERS ACROSS TWO
ADMINISTRATIONS UNDERSTOOD FROM
ME, AND UNDERSTOOD FROM COFER
AND ALL OF OUR ANALYSTS AND
PEOPLE WHO BRIEFED THEM,
UNDERSTOOD THE MAGNITUDE OF THE
THREAT IN FRONT OF THEM.
IN THE SPRING OF 2001, WE
SUBMITTED AUTHORITIES TO THE
INCOMING BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND
ESSENTIALLY ADVOCATING A
PARAMILITARY OPERATION.
AND THE WORD BACK WAS, "WE'RE
NOT QUITE READY TO CONSIDER THIS
WE DON'T WANT THE CLOCK TO START
TICKING."
WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU?
THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS
NOT QUITE READY TO CONSIDER WHAT
ITS OPTIONS WERE WITH REGARD TO
TERRORISM.
I THINK THEY WERE MENTALLY
STUCK BACK EIGHT YEARS AGO.
WHEN THEY WERE IN POWER, THEY
WERE USED TO TERRORISTS BEING
EURO LEFTIES-- DRINK CHAMPAGNE
BY NIGHT, BLOW THINGS UP DURING
THE DAY-- AND IT WAS A VERY
DIFFICULT SELL TO COMMUNICATE
THE URGENCY TO THIS.
FOR US, THE SYSTEM WAS
BLINKING RED IN THE SENSE THAT
WE THOUGHT WHAT WE WERE
UNCOVERING WAS A TOP-DOWN PLOT,
SOMETHING BEING ORDERED FROM
AFGHANISTAN OUT.
BUT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS.
Narrator: THE CRISIS COMES TO
A HEAD ON JULY 10, 2001.
RICHARD BLEE, THE HEAD OF THE
BIN LADEN UNIT, BARGES INTO
COFER BLACK'S OFFICE.
HE COMES AND HE GOES, "OKAY,
ROOF'S FALLEN IN."
I SAID, "GREAT, WHAT'CHA GOT?"
THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD NOW
COMPILED WAS ABSOLUTELY
COMPELLING.
IT WAS MULTIPLE-SOURCED, AND IT
WAS... IT WAS SORT OF THE LAST
STRAW.
PICKED UP THE PHONE, CALLED THE
SECRETARY, "HAVE TO SEE THE
DIRECTOR, I'M COMING UP WITH
RICH."
SHE SAYS, "WELL, I'M SORRY, HE'S
IN WITH THE HEAD OF SOME FOREIGN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICE."
I SAID, "WE'RE COMING UP.
KICK THE GUY OUT.
WE'RE COMING NOW.
TELL HIM TO GET READY."
GEORGE TENET IS A VERY SMART
GUY.
CHEWING ON HIS CIGAR, GOING BACK
AND FORTH, JUMPING UP AND DOWN.
HIS EYES ARE FLASHING.
WISH I HAD A FILM OF IT.
HE GOT IT, ALL RIGHT.
IT'S NOT JUST RED LIGHTS.
RED LIGHTS AND CHATTER IS A
CONVENIENT WAY THIS IS
PORTRAYED.
THERE WERE REAL PLOTS BEING
MANIFESTED.
THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN SANA'A
IS GOING TO BE BOMBED, BRITISH
AND AMERICAN SCHOOLS IN JEDDAH
ARE GOING TO BE BOMBED.
THE WORLD WAS ON THE EDGE OF
ERUPTION.
[PARENT EXPLOSION]
NOW, WHAT HAPPENS THEN IN THIS
PERIOD OF TIME IN JUNE AND JULY,
THE THREAT CONTINUES TO RISE.
PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENTS BY PEOPLE
IN AL QAEDA WAS, THERE WOULD BE
EIGHT MAJOR CELEBRATIONS COMING.
THE WORLD WAS GOING TO BE
STUNNED BY WHAT WOULD SOON
HAPPEN.
TERRORISTS WERE DISAPPEARING.
CAMPS WERE CLOSING.
THREAT REPORTING ON THE RISE.
AND THIS STARTED BUILDING TO A
CRESCENDO.
WE DECIDED THE NEXT THING TO
DO WAS PICK UP THE WHITE PHONE,
CALL THE WHITE HOUSE, "WE'RE
COMING DOWN RIGHT NOW."
I SAID, "CONDI, I HAVE TO
COME SEE YOU."
IT WAS ONE OF THE RARE TIMES IN
MY SEVEN YEARS AS DIRECTOR WHERE
I SAID, "I HAVE TO COME SEE YOU.
WE'RE COMING RIGHT NOW."
Narrator: PRESENT AT THE JULY
10 WHITE HOUSE MEETING ARE
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR
CONDOLEEZZA RICE AND OTHER TOP
OFFICIALS.
SO RICH STARTED BY SAYING,
"THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT
TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST THE
UNITED STATES IN THE COMING
WEEKS OR MONTHS.
THE ATTACKS WILL BE SPECTACULAR.
THEY MAY BE MULTIPLE.
AL QAEDA'S INTENTION IS THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE UNITED
STATES."
AND I SAID, "THIS COUNTRY'S
GOT TO GO A WAR FOOTING NOW."
I SLAMMED MY HAND ON THE TABLE.
AFTER IT WAS OVER, RICH BLEE AND
I SORT OF CONGRATULATED EACH
OTHER IN THE SENSE THAT, "I
THINK WE FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO
THESE PEOPLE.
WE HAVE EXECUTED OUR
RESPONSIBILITIES."
WHAT HAPPENED?
YEAH.
WHAT DID HAPPEN?
YEAH.
WHAT HAPPENED?
ESSENTIALLY, NOTHING
HAPPENED?
YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
Narrator: CONDOLEEZZA RICE
WOULD LATER WRITE THAT HER
MEMORY OF THE MEETING WAS "NOT
VERY CRISP BECAUSE WE WERE
DISCUSSING THE THREAT EVERY
DAY."
HAVING RAISED THE ALERT LEVELS
FOR U.S. PERSONNEL ABROAD, SHE
ADDED, "I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING
WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE."
IF ON THE 10th OF SEPTEMBER
WE'D BEEN ABLE TO WALK INTO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND SAY, "WE THINK U.S.
AIRLINERS ARE GOING TO BE
HIJACKED TOMORROW," JUST THINK
ABOUT IT.
IF WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO GIVE HIM
THAT VERY SPECIFIC PIECE, AS THE
PRESIDENT, HE MAY VERY WELL HAVE
HELD ALL THE AIRLINERS FROM
FLYING, UNTIL WHEN?
WE MIGHT HAVE STOPPED 9/11 FROM
HAPPENING ON 9/11, BUT I THINK
IT WOULD'VE HAPPENED ON THE 10th
OF OCTOBER OR THE 12th OF
NOVEMBER.
IF YOU DON'T PUT A SYSTEM OF
DEFENSE IN PLACE, IF YOU DON'T
BUTTON UP YOUR AIRPORTS, BUTTON
UP YOUR BUILDINGS, CHANGE YOUR
VISA POLICIES, HAVE SOME
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
IN THE UNITED STATES, CREATE A
MECHANISM WHERE THERE'S A...
WHERE THERE'S A QUICK SWIVEL
BETWEEN FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET HURT.
YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY DOES
PISS ME OFF?
WHEN PEOPLE CALL THIS AN
INTELLIGENCE FAILURE.
WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING,
AMERICAN INTERESTS ARE GOING TO
BE ATTACKED, AND IT COULD VERY
WELL BE IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S SERIOUS, IT'S COMING.
SOMETIMES WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR I
THINK ABOUT IT, AND TO ME IT
REMAINS INCOMPREHENSIBLE STILL.
I MEAN, HOW IS IT THAT YOU COULD
WARN SENIOR PEOPLE SO MANY TIMES
AND NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE "TWILIGHT
ZONE."
YOU ALMOST SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE
YOU WANT TO PINCH YOURSELF.
AT THE END OF JULY, WE WERE
SITTING IN MY CONFERENCE ROOM
JUST THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS
AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW
THIS ATTACK MIGHT OCCUR, AND
I'LL NEVER FORGET THIS TILL THE
DAY I DIE.
RICH BLEE LOOKED AT EVERYBODY
AND SAID, "THEY'RE COMING HERE."
AND THE SILENCE THAT FOLLOWED
WAS DEAFENING.
YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP.
"THEY'RE COMING HERE."
THE HEAD OF MY SECURITY
DETAIL CAME OVER TO ME TO SAY A
PLANE HAD HIT ONE OF THE TOWERS
OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
MY INSTINCTUAL REACTION WAS,
"THIS IS AL QAEDA.
I'VE GOT TO GO."
THERE ARE FIRE CREWS JUST
STREAMING INTO THIS AREA FROM
EVERY CONCEIVABLE DIRECTION.
AND WE ALL LOOKED AROUND AND
WE THOUGHT, "OH, MY GOODNESS.
TRAGIC ACCIDENT."
AND PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT
A PRIVATE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN
INTO... INTO THE TOWER.
I THOUGHT, "GEEZ, THIS MUST
BE THE WORLD'S WORST PILOT."
I JUMPED IN THE CAR.
IT WAS THE WORLD'S LONGEST
CAR RIDE.
IT TOOK 12 MINUTES, BUT THE
PHONES WEREN'T WORKING.
LOOKING UP AT THE TV, IN REAL
TIME WE SAW THE SECOND PLANE HIT
THE OTHER TOWER.
WE KNEW, WE ALL KNEW, "WE'RE
UNDER ATTACK."
HOLY SHIT, THE FIRST ONE WE
THOUGHT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
WHEN WE HEARD THERE WAS A SECOND
ONE, WE DEFINITELY THOUGHT IT
WAS TERRORISM.
AND I HEARD A ROAR, AND I
LOOKED UP AND SAW THE SECOND
PLANE HIT.
PEOPLE WERE CRYING, HOLDING
ON TO EACH OTHER.
STAY CALM.
STAY CALM, STAY CALM.
PLEASE, GOD.
YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
AND SOMEBODY SAID, "MY GOD,
THEY HIT THE PENTAGON, THEY HIT
THE PENTAGON."
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S
KEEP MOVE... AWAY FROM THE
BUILDING.
LET'S GET AWAY FROM THE
BUILDING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
SO DIRECTOR TENET SAID, "OKAY
WE HAVE TO EVACUATE
HEADQUARTERS."
EVERYBODY OUT, EVERYBODY OUT.
IF THEY STAY, THEY COULD DIE.
I SAID, "WE'RE NEEDED.
THAT'S WHERE OUR COMPUTERS ARE.
WE NEED TO RESPOND.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WE'LL
JUST HAVE TO DIE."
Narrator: THAT DAY, MICHAEL
MORELL, THE PRESIDENT'S BRIEFER,
IS WITH GEORGE W. BUSH IN
FLORIDA.
IT WAS OUR JOB TO PREVENT AN
ATTACK, AND WE DIDN'T DO IT.
ON OUR WATCH, THIS HAPPENED.
WE WENT BACK TO "AIR FORCE ONE."
THERE WAS A RING OF SECRET
SERVICE AGENTS AROUND "AIR FORCE
ONE" WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS.
WE TOOK OFF.
WE WENT UP AT A VERY STEEP
ASCENT.
AND I REMEMBER SAYING TO THE
PRESIDENT'S MILITARY AIDE,
"WHERE ARE WE GOING?"
HE SAID, "WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE
FLYING AROUND FOR A BIT UNTIL WE
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON."
WE WERE WATCHING TELEVISION
IMAGES FROM NEW YORK, AND IT WAS
IN THERE THAT WE SAW THE TWO
TOWERS COLLAPSE.
WAIT A SECOND.
IS THIS A LIVE PICTURE?
THIS IS A LIVE PICTURE.
WE'RE SEEING THE SECOND WORLD
TRADE TOWER CENTER.
THE SECOND WORLD TRADE CENTER
HAS JUST COLLAPSED --
TODAY, OUR FELLOW CITIZENS,
WAY OF LIFE, OUR VERY FREEDOM
CAME UNDER ATTACK IN A SERIES OF
DELIBERATE AND DEADLY TERRORIST
ACTS.
THE VICTIMS WERE IN AIRPLANES--
THE CITY I GREW UP IN HAD BEEN
BLOWN UP.
SECRETARIES, BUSINESSMEN AND
WOMEN, MILITARY AND FEDERAL,--
NEIGHBORS.
NOBODY COMES TO OUR TOWN AND
MESSES WITH OUR PEOPLE.
IN HIS OFFICE ON "AIR FORCE
ONE," THE PRESIDENT SAID TO ME,
"MICHAEL, WHO DID THIS?"
AND I SAID, "MR. PRESIDENT, BOTH
IRAN AND IRAQ HAVE ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING TO GAIN AND HAVE
EVERYTHING TO LOSE FROM DOING
THIS.
I WOULD BET MY CHILDREN'S FUTURE
THAT THIS IS AL QAEDA.
THIS IS BIN LADEN."
AND CERTAINLY, LOOKING AT THE
FLIGHT MANIFESTS, THAT
CORROBORATED THE FACT THAT IT
HAD BEEN AL QAEDA.
Narrator: IT TAKES ONLY
MOMENTS TO DISCOVER WHAT HAS
BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.
THERE, IN BLACK AND WHITE, ON
THE PASSENGER MANIFEST OF THE
PLANE THAT HIT THE PENTAGON ARE
KNOWN AL QAEDA TERRORISTS--
NAWAF AL HAZMI AND KHALID AL
MIDHAR.
TWO OF THE HIJACKERS ON BOARD
THE AIRLINER WHICH ATTACKED THE
PENTAGON HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED
MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF
BEFORE AS SUSPECTED TERRORISTS,
YET NOTHING WAS DONE TO STOP
AL-HAZMI AND AL-MIDHAR FROM
ENTERING THE U.S, AND NO
ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO FIND THEM
UNTIL JUST THREE WEEKS BEFORE
SEPTEMBER 11.
WHY DIDN'T THE C.I.A., WHY
DIDN'T SOMEBODY PICK UP THE
PHONE TO THE F.B.I. AND SAY,
"HEY, THESE TWO GUYS ARE HERE?"
AT ROOT HERE IS, WE DIDN'T
HAVE THE SEAMLESS INTERACTION.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO
FUSE THINGS QUICKLY.
OUR POLICIES WERE OUT OF DATE.
THE INFORMATION THAT THE
C.I.A. HAD ABOUT THE TWO
HIJACKERS IN THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY
SHARED WITH THE F.B.I., AND IT
WASN'T.
Narrator: TWO GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES CHARGED WITH PROTECTING
THE UNITED STATES WERE BARELY
COMMUNICATING.
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS
ACKNOWLEDGE BOTH THE C.I.A. AND
F.B.I. FAILED TO FOLLOW UP ON
LEADS THAT COULD HAVE POINTED
THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE
9/11 HIJACKERS.
IN ESSENCE, AL QAEDA BEING A
SMART INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION,
LOOKED AT OUR BANKING POLICIES,
OUR BORDER POLICIES, OUR AIRLINE
PROTECTION POLICIES, OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE POLICIES AND CAME
TO A CONCLUSION THAT THE COUNTRY
WAS ABSOLUTELY UNPROTECTED.
I THINK THERE'S HUGE FAILURES
AT THE C.I.A. AND THE F.B.I.
THE C.I.A. MISSED THE CHANCE
TO NAB TWO SUSPECTS AFTER THEY
ENTERED THE UNITED STATES.
OUR GOVERNMENT FAILED TO
PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AN ELECTED OFFICIAL CAME UP
TO ME AND SAID, "SO, COFER, HOW
DOES IT FEEL TO BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE LARGEST INTELLIGENCE
FAILURE SINCE PEARL HARBOR?"
THIS WAS A FAILURE OF POLICY,
MANAGEMENT, CAPABILITY, AND,
ABOVE ALL, A FAILURE OF
IMAGINATION.
NONE OF THE MEASURES ADOPTED BY
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
BEFORE 9/11 DISTURBED OR EVEN
DELAYED THE PROGRESS OF THE AL
QAEDA PLOT.
ABOVE ALL ELSE, 9/11 WAS A
FAILURE OF OUR IMAGINATION.
WE ALL KNEW SOMETHING WAS GOING
TO HAPPEN; WE JUST FOUND IT
VERY, VERY HARD TO CONCEIVE THAT
WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT DAY WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
I'VE NEVER LIKED THIS
"FAILURE OF IMAGINATION" THING.
I THINK 9/11 IS A NATIONAL
FAILURE.
IT ACTUALLY TOOK 9/11 FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO GET TO THE
POINT WHERE THEY WOULD AGREE
WITH ALL THE DEFENSIVE MEASURES
THAT NEEDED TO BE PUT IN PLACE.
THERE WAS NEVER A MOMENT IN
ALL OF THIS TIME WHEN YOU BLAMED
YOURSELF?
WELL, LOOK, THERE... I'M... I
STILL LOOK AT THE CEILING AT
NIGHT ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS--
AND I'LL KEEP THEM TO MYSELF
FOREVER-- BUT WE'RE ALL HUMAN
BEINGS.
I DO REMEMBER THE WHOLE
EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF 9/11 STRUCK
ME VERY HARD AS I SAT ON MY
FRONT LAWN AFTER THANKSGIVING
ONE DAY.
THE HORROR OF WHAT HAPPENED HIT
ME.
THERE WAS NO TIME BETWEEN 9/11
AND THAT MOMENT.
I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANY TIME.
Narrator: NO TIME, BECAUSE
THE C.I.A. WOULD NOW BE CALLED
UPON TO PUT ITS WAR PLAN AGAINST
AL QAEDA INTO ACTION, THAT
AUDACIOUS "BLUE SKY" MEMO THAT
HAD BEEN IGNORED BEFORE 9/11.
ON SEPTEMBER THE 15th, WE
ESSENTIALLY OUTLINE OUR PLAN--
SEAL THE BORDERS OF AFGHANISTAN,
GO AFTER THEIR LEADERSHIP, SHUT
OFF THEIR MONEY, DESTROY AL
QAEDA.
WE'RE SAYING, "TAKE OUR PLAN.
LET US GO FIRST."
AND I SAID, "MR. PRESIDENT, WHEN
WE'RE DONE, THESE GUYS ARE GOING
TO HAVE FLIES WALKING ACROSS
THEIR EYEBALLS."
AND I COULD SEE THE PRESIDENT
WAS THINKING, "WAIT, FLIES ON
EYEBALLS..."
THEN HE GOT IT.
AND HE SAYS, "WE'LL USE THE
C.I.A. PLAN.
C.I.A. WILL BE FIRST BOOTS ON
THE GROUND."
Narrator: 110 C.I.A. OFFICERS
AND 300 SPECIAL FORCES SWEEP
INTO THE TRIBAL AREAS...
NINER FOUR FIVE OVER.
COPY THAT.
Narrator: ...WHERE THEY WILL
JOIN WITH WARRIORS OF THE
NORTHERN ALLIANCE AND UPROOT THE
TALIBAN AND AL QAEDA FROM THEIR
SAFE HOLD IN AFGHANISTAN.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE
COMMUNICATION)
Narrator: THE C.I.A.'S
MESSAGE: IF YOU ARE WITH US,
YOU'LL BE REWARDED...
OUR OFFICERS OFTEN SLEPT ON
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CASH AT
NIGHT.
Narrator: ...BUT IF YOU ARE
AGAINST US...
YOU WERE MORE THAN LIKELY TO
GET A 2,000-POUND BOMB DOWN YOUR
THROAT.
THERE WAS NEVER A GENERAL ON THE
GROUND.
THERE WAS NEVER A COMMAND
STRUCTURE ON THE GROUND.
THIS WAS A REAL
COUNTERINSURGENCY.
[GUNSHOTS]
WE'VE GOT THE AIRPLANE ON
THAT TARGET FIRST.
OVER.
WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY TALIBAN
AT THIS TIME.
OVER.
IN ABOUT NINE WEEKS, ALL
CITIES CONTROLLED BY THE TALIBAN
HAD BEEN OVERTHROWN.
ALL AL QAEDA IN AFGHANISTAN HAD
EITHER BEEN KILLED, CAPTURED,
WERE RUNNING FOR THE BORDER, OR
CROSSED THE BORDER.
Narrator: BIN LADEN'S
SANCTUARY, TORA BORA, IS BLOWN
TO PIECES, BUT THE C.I.A.'S
LIGHTNING VICTORY IS FLEETING
BECAUSE THE TERRORIST LEADER
CROSSES THE BORDER INTO PAKISTAN
AND DISAPPEARS.
I'M NOT SURE I EVER SAW THE
PRESIDENT GET MAD EXCEPT THIS
ONE OCCASION, AND HE WAS
FURIOUS.
Narrator: AND NOW THE
AGENCY'S FINEST HOUR IS ABOUT TO
BE FOLLOWED BY ONE OF ITS
DARKEST CHAPTERS, BECAUSE THE
WHITE HOUSE IS EYEING ANOTHER
TARGET: IRAQ.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SADDAM
HUSSEIN NOW HAS WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION, AND HE HAD
ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP WITH AL
QAEDA.
THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
AL QAEDA AND IRAQ THAT STRETCHED
BACK TEN YEARS.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I THOUGHT
OF, THAT'S WHAT THE DIRECTOR OF
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE WAS TELLING
US.
THIS CONNECTION DID NOT
EXIST.
WE INTERVENED ON NUMEROUS
OCCASIONS TO SAY SO.
EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT OUR POINT OF
VIEW WAS.
AND I REMEMBER ONCE GOING TO THE
PRESIDENT AND SAYING, "LOOK,
WE... THIS HAS GOT TO STOP.
WE CAN'T SUPPORT THIS LANGUAGE."
NEITHER C.I.A. NOR ANY OTHER
GOVERNMENT AGENCY EVER FOUND ANY
EVIDENCE THAT IRAQ PLAYED ANY
ROLE AT ALL IN 9/11.
WE STUCK WITH THAT VIEW
THAT SADDAM WAS NOT INVOLVED IN
9.11.
Narrator: BUT ON THE CENTRAL
QUESTION, DOES SADDAM HUSSEIN
HAVE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION?, THE C.I.A.'S
ANSWER IS YES.
IN THE OVAL OFFICE, DIRECTOR
TENET REASSURES GEORGE W. BUSH
WITH A METAPHOR THAT BECOMES
INFAMOUS.
I SAID, "WE CAN MAKE THIS
BETTER.
IT'S A SLAM DUNK."
IT WAS TENET WHO ASSURED
PRESIDENT BUSH THE QUESTION OF
IRAQ HAVING WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION WAS A SLAM DUNK.
A "SLAM DUNK."
NOW, THE WAY IT WAS PORTRAYED
WAS, THIS WAS THE SEMINAL MOMENT
IN THE PRESIDENT'S LIFE IN TERMS
OF DECIDING WHETHER TO GO TO WAR
OR NOT, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT
HAPPENED AT ALL.
THE DECISION TO GO TO WAR AND
ORDERS TO SEND TROOPS HAD
ALREADY BEEN SIGNED.
I MEAN, WE... WE WERE WAY DOWN
THE ROAD HERE.
WHAT I WANTED TO CONVEY IS THERE
WAS PROBABLY A BETTER WAY FOR US
TO MAKE THIS A BETTER PUBLIC
CASE.
Narrator: THAT PUBLIC CASE TO
GO TO WAR WILL BE MADE BY
SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL
IN A PIVOTAL SPEECH VETTED BY
THE C.I.A. AND GEORGE TENET.
WE WORKED AS HARD AS WE KNEW
HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
SECRETARY WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO
THE WORLD ON THE BASIS ON THE
TRUTH AS WE UNDERSTOOD IT.
NOW, WE WERE ALSO LIVING IN A
TIME PERIOD WHERE THERE WAS NO
OUTSIDE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OR
EXPERTS OR ANYBODY WHO BELIEVED
HE DID NOT HAVE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION.
WE KNOW THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN
IS DETERMINED TO KEEP HIS
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION;
HE'S DETERMINED TO MAKE MORE.
LEAVING SADDAM HUSSEIN IN
POSSESSION OF WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION FOR A FEW MORE
MONTHS OR YEARS IS NOT AN
OPTION.
Narrator: AND COLIN POWELL
MAKES A STARTLING CLAIM ABOUT
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THAT COMES
FROM A DUBIOUS SOURCE, A SOURCE
SOME IN THE C.I.A. KNEW WAS
UNRELIABLE.
WE HAVE FIRSTHAND
DESCRIPTIONS OF BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS FACTORIES ON WHEELS AND
ON RAILS.
HE HAS THE ABILITY TO DISPENSE
THESE LETHAL POISONS AND
DISEASES IN WAYS THAT CAN CAUSE
MASSIVE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.
IT SHOULD'VE NEVER BEEN IN
THE SPEECH.
THIS WAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF
SOME PROPORTIONS INSIDE C.I.A.
OUR SENIOR OFFICER IN GERMANY
WAS WRITING CABLES IN THAT THERE
WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE SOURCE,
"DON'T USE THIS SOURCE."
NEVER SURFACED TO US, EVER
SURFACED TO US.
YOU KNOW, WE LET HIM DOWN.
AND HE KNOWS HOW I FEEL ABOUT
ALL THIS.
MY FELLOW CITIZENS, AT THIS
HOUR, AMERICAN AND COALITION
FORCES ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES
OF MILITARY OPERATIONS TO DISARM
IRAQ, TO FREE IT'S PEOPLE.
FROM GRAVE DANGER.
IT'S BEEN 21 MONTHS SINCE
PRESIDENT BUSH LAUNCHED THE
INVASION OF IRAQ BASED IN LARGE
PART ON THE FAULTY INTELLIGENCE
THAT SADDAM HAD WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION.
THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE HAS ISSUED A SCATHING
REPORT ON C.I.A. INTELLIGENCE
FAILURES ON THE THREAT LEVEL OF
PREWAR IRAQ.
WE WENT TO WAR IN IRAQ BASED
ON FALSE CLAIMS.
WE WERE ALL VERY SURPRISED,
FRANKLY, THAT THERE WERE NOT
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
FOUND.
WE GOT W.M.D. VERY WRONG.
OUR BLAME IN THIS WAS NOT
JUST THAT WE WERE WRONG.
WE WERE AND THAT'S BAD, BUT WE
DID NOT COMMUNICATE OUR
AMBIGUITY.
WE DID NOT COMMUNICATE THAT WE
HAD ANYTHING EXCEPT FULL
CONFIDENCE IN OUR ESTIMATES TO
THE POLICY-MAKERS, AND THAT'S
REALLY THE ISSUE.
OUR ANALYSTS WERE GOOD AND
HONEST PEOPLE.
THERE'S NO POLITICAL MOTIVATION
HERE.
WE BASICALLY CAME TO THOSE
CONCLUSIONS.
NOBODY COOKED THE BOOKS?
NO.
LOOK... LOOK, IF WE WANTED TO
COOK THE BOOKS, IF YOU WANTED TO
COOK THE BOOKS, ALL YOU NEEDED
TO DO WAS SAY "IRAQ WAS DIRECTLY
INVOLVED IN 9/11."
GAME, SET, MATCH POINT, OVER.
WE NEVER DID THAT.
SO WE WERE WRONG, AND WE HAVE TO
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
POLICYMAKERS NEED TO BE A LITTLE
BIT MORE FORTHCOMING ABOUT WHAT
THEIR OWN MOTIVATIONS WERE-- IN
THIS INSTANCE, PERHAPS, HOW TO
REMAKE THE MIDDLE EAST.
Narrator: THE WAR RAGES ON
FOR EIGHT YEARS, SOWING CHAOS
AND DESTRUCTION...
NO ELECTRICITY, NO WATER,
EVERYBODY IS SUFFERING.
MY COUNTRY, NOT BRITISH OR
AMERICAN.
Narrator: ...AND LEAVING
NEARLY 5,000 AMERICANS DEAD,
30,000 WOUNDED AND HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF IRAQIS KILLED.
AN INTELLIGENCE FAILURE SUCH
AS THAT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2003
CHANGES HISTORY.
Narrator: RISING FROM THE
ASHES OF IRAQ, A TERROR GROUP
KNOWN AS ISIS.
RUTHLESS AND BARBARIC, THEY WILL
BE A FORMIDABLE ENEMY IN THE
YEARS AHEAD.
BUT IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9/11,
THE C.I.A. FACES A MORE
IMMEDIATE THREAT: AL QAEDA IS
POISED TO STRIKE AMERICA AGAIN.
WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO BE HIT
AGAIN.
EVERYTHING THAT WE HOLD DEAR WAS
AT RISK.
THE GREATEST WORRY WAS IF
THEY WERE THAT COMMITTED TO THE
ATTACK THAT TOOK PLACE ON 9/11,
AND THEY HAD THAT MUCH HATE IN
THEM, WOULD THEY RESORT TO A
NUCLEAR WEAPON SOMEPLACE?
AFTER 9/11, WE RECEIVED A
REPORT FROM A FOREIGN SERVICE
THAT SAID THAT IN AUGUST OF
2001, BIN LADEN AND ZAWAHIRI SAT
AT A CAMPFIRE WITH PAKISTANI
NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS REPRESENTING
A NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION.
THESE NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS HAD
TALKED TO AL QAEDA ABOUT THE
PRACTICALITIES OF DEVELOPING A
NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY.
THE PAKISTANIS SAID, "WELL, YOU
KNOW, THE HARD PART ABOUT THIS
IS ACQUIRING THE FISSILE
MATERIAL."
AND THEN, BIN LADEN LOOKED AT
HIM AND SAID, "WELL, WHAT MAKES
YOU THINK WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE
IT?"
Narrator: THE C.I.A. BELIEVES
BIN LADEN HAS THE DESIGN,
MATERIALS AND TARGET FOR A
NUCLEAR WEAPON.
WE BEGAN TO RECEIVE REPORTING
THAT AL QAEDA HAD PLACED A
NUCLEAR WEAPON IN NEW YORK CITY.
Narrator: INTELLIGENCE POINTS
TO SUBWAYS, BUILDINGS, BRIDGES--
ALL TARGETED FOR DESTRUCTION AND
CHILLING EVIDENCE THAT THE EAST
COAST OF AMERICA WAS NOT THE
ONLY TARGET AL QAEDA HAD CHOSEN.
THE 9/11 PLOT HAD ALSO A PLOT
TO ATTACK THE WEST COAST OF THE
U.S. SIMULTANEOUSLY USING
AIRPLANES HIJACKED FROM ASIA.
BIN LADEN TURNED DOWN THIS PART
OF THE OPERATION BECAUSE HE
CONSIDERED IT TOO COMPLICATED.
Narrator: BUT NOW, THAT PLOT
TO ATTACK AMERICA'S WEST COAST
IS GIVEN NEW LIFE.
THE C.I.A. GOES INTO OVERDRIVE,
KNOWING THAT THE COST OF ANOTHER
9/11 WOULD BE BEYOND
MEASUREMENT.
THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WITH
WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT THEIR
INTEREST IN WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION AND WHAT WE KNEW
ABOUT THE CONVENTIONAL THREATS
THAT WE WERE SEEING EVERY DAY
MADE IT FEEL AS IF WE WERE
LIVING A TICKING TIME BOMB EVERY
SINGLE DAY FOR A PERIOD OF THREE
YEARS.
THEY NEVER STOPPED PLOTTING
AGAINST US.
WE CAPTURED PEOPLE ALL ALONG FOR
THE NEXT TEN YEARS, AND THERE
WAS ALWAYS A PLOT INVOLVED.
RASHID RAUF WAS THE PAKISTANI
END OF A PLOT GOING ON IN GREAT
BRITAIN CALLED THE WIDE-BODY
PLOT-- INCREDIBLY SIGNIFICANT
ATTACK, MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS ON
MULTIPLE WIDE-BODIES ALMOST
SIMULTANEOUSLY FLYING OUT OF
GREAT BRITAIN TO A VARIETY OF
CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA.
CAN YOU IMAGINE TEN AIRPLANES
FULL OF INNOCENT PEOPLE
DISAPPEARING EN ROUTE TO CITIES
LIKE NEW YORK, WASHINGTON,
MIAMI, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES,
MONTREAL?
IT WOULD HAVE RIVALED 9/11.
Narrator: BRITISH
INTELLIGENCE, MI5, TRACKS RASHID
RAUF'S AL QAEDA CELL, HIS PLANS
AND HIS IMPROVISED WEAPONS OF
DESTRUCTION.
THEY HAD GATHERED UP AN AWFUL
LOT OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN A
HOMEMADE RECIPE, TURN IT INTO AN
EXPLOSIVE AND THEN PUT IT INTO
SPORTS BOTTLES.
SO WE HAD GREAT CONCERN ON OUR
SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC ABOUT
"LET'S BREAK THIS UP."
THE BRITISH WANTED TO BUILD UP
AS MUCH PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AS
POSSIBLE, SO WE'RE SAYING, "THEY
BOUGHT THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE."
AND THEY'RE SAYING, "WE NEED TO
BUILD UP MORE EVIDENCE."
THE PLOTTERS HAD ALREADY
SELECTED THE TEN FLIGHTS THEY
WERE GOING TO BLOW UP, AND I
SAID TO MYSELF, "THIS IS
IMMINENT."
Narrator: WITH THE LONDON
PLOT HEATING UP, RAUF IS IN
PAKISTAN AND SO IS THE C.I.A.
SO, NOW I'M ON A TRIP IN
PAKISTAN IN AUGUST 2006 WITH MY
HEAD OF THE NATIONAL CLANDESTINE
SERVICE, JOSE RODRIGUEZ.
I WAS CALLED IN BY THE CHIEF
OF PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE AND
TOLD, "WE MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO
CAPTURE RAUF TONIGHT.
HE'S GOING TO GO FROM POINT A TO
POINT B, AND IN BETWEEN THERE IS
A POLICE CHECKPOINT.
WE CAN STOP THE BUS, AND WE CAN
GRAB HIM."
OUR HEADQUARTERS PERSONNEL HAD
PLEDGED TO MI5 THAT VERY DAY
THAT WE WOULD NOT CAPTURE RAUF,
AND I WAS TOLD THAT PRIME
MINISTER BLAIR HAD SPOKEN WITH
PRESIDENT BUSH THAT DAY, AND
THEY HAD AGREED THAT THEY NEEDED
MORE TIME.
I WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WITH
CHIEF OF STATION.
HE GETS A CALL SAYING, "THE BUS
IS COMING.
WE NEED AUTHORIZATION TO GO IN."
AND THE CHIEF OF STATION TURNS
TO ME AND SAYS, "WHAT DO WE DO,
BOSS?"
SO JOSE, IN A VERY SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME, HAS TO MAKE A
REALLY BIG DECISION.
IF I TOOK THE TIME TO CALL
HEADQUARTERS, IT WOULD BE THE
EQUIVALENT OF SAYING NO TO THE
OPERATION.
HAD AIRPLANES FALLEN FROM THE
SKY, I COULD SEE MYSELF BEING
HAULED UP TO THE CONGRESS.
"LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT, MR.
RODRIGUEZ.
YOU HAD A TERRORIST THAT WANTED
TO BLOW UP U.S. AIRLINERS WITHIN
YOUR GRASP AND YOU DID NOT MAKE
A DECISION?
OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"
THE DECISION HE MADE WAS, "I
CAN'T PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO
GRAB RASHID RAUF."
SO HE DOES.
WE STOPPED A MAJOR ATTACK
AGAINST US.
SINCE THEN, OF COURSE, WE CAN'T
TAKE MORE THAN-- WHAT IS IT--
3.6 FLUID OUNCES ON AIRPLANES,
BUT THAT'S A SMALL PRICE TO PAY.
Narrator: THE PLOTS KEEP
COMING, WITH OSAMA BIN LADEN
STILL AT LARGE.
WHERE THE HELL WAS THIS GUY
THAT WAS OUR NUMBER ONE ENEMY?
EVERY LEAD LED NOWHERE FOR
ALMOST TEN YEARS, AND IT WAS
PRETTY FRUSTRATING.
BUT THEN WE HAD AN INDICATION
FROM JORDAN THERE WAS A DOCTOR,
THAT IF THEY WERE ABLE TO GET
HIM IN TO PAKISTAN HE MIGHT...
HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEAD US TO
ZAWAHIRI, WHO WAS THE SECOND IN
COMMAND.
Narrator: THE C.I.A. BELIEVES
IT HAS STRUCK GOLD.
HUMAM AL-BALAWI, A JORDANIAN
DOCTOR, NOW PROMISES TO LEAD
THEM TO THE MOTHER LODE.
HE HAD BEEN A JIHADIST.
THE JORDANIAN INTELLIGENCE
OPERATION THOUGHT THEY HAD BEEN
SUCCESSFUL IN FLIPPING HIM.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT
AND, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW,
OFFICERS WHO SPENT THEIR WHOLE
LIFE IN INTELLIGENCE AND WORKING
ON THESE KINDS OF ISSUES FELT
THAT, "BOY, THIS MIGHT BE A BIG
BREAK."
Narrator: C.I.A. OFFICERS
LIKE 30-YEAR-OLD ELIZABETH
HANSON AND STATION CHIEF
JENNIFER MATTHEWS, A 20-YEAR
AGENCY VETERAN.
JENNIFER MATTHEWS WAS IN
CHARGE OF THE OFFICERS WHO WERE
THERE.
I WOULDN'T HAVE HESITATED A
MOMENT TO PUT HER INTO THAT
POSITION BECAUSE OF HER
CAPABILITY AND HER PROVEN
RECORD.
JENNIFER I MET IN THE LATE
1990s WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE
COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER.
WE WERE BOTH WORKING ON
UNDERSTANDING THE SUPPORT
NETWORK TO AL QAEDA IN
AFGHANISTAN, AND WE WERE ALSO
PREGNANT AT THE SAME TIME,
MULTIPLE TIMES.
SHE HAD THREE CHILDREN.
HER THREE TRACKED WITH MY... MY
THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH.
SHE WAS CHASING BIN LADEN
BEFORE CHASING BIN LADEN WAS
COOL, AND SHE HAD ACTUALLY BASED
HER PROFESSIONAL CAREER ON
TRACKING AL QAEDA AND
IDENTIFYING ITS ADHERENTS.
Narrator: BUT TO GET TO
OSAMA BIN LADEN, MATTHEWS AND
HER C.I.A. TEAM WANT A
FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH
AL-BALAWI.
IT'S A GAMBLE THAT MUST BE
APPROVED BY DIRECTOR PANETTA.
WE AT THE C.I.A. FELT WE HAD
TO ESTABLISH OUR OWN CREDIBILITY
WITH THIS GUY, AND, TO DO THAT,
YOU REALLY HAVE TO SIT DOWN WITH
HIM AND DO A MEETING TO REALLY
GAIN SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHO
WE'RE DEALING WITH.
THE VEHICLE COMES IN TO THE
BASE.
THEY BROUGHT HIM THROUGH SOME OF
THE CHECKPOINTS.
THEY MAKE THE DECISION THAT THEY
ARE ALL GOING TO GO OUT TO GREET
HIM.
ONE OF THE MISTAKES THAT WAS
MADE WAS THERE WAS NO BODY
SEARCH.
THERE WAS NO CHECK.
THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD SHOW
THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WERE
FRIENDLY AND THAT THEY WERE ALL
ANXIOUS TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH
HIM.
Narrator: BUT AL-BALAWI IS
NOT ABOUT TO TURN INTO A C.I.A.
SPY.
WE WILL BEAT YOU, C.I.A.
TEAM.
INSHALLAH, WE WILL BEAT YOU
DOWN.
DON'T THINK THAT YOU JUST
PRESSING A BUTTON, KILLING
MUJAHIDEEN, YOU ARE SAFE.
INSHALLAH, DEATH WILL COME TO
YOU.
Narrator: THIS IS THE VIDEO
HE MADE LAYING OUT HIS PLANS,
HIS MARTYR SUICIDE VIDEO.
LOOK, THIS IS FOR YOU.
IT'S NOT WATCH.
IT'S DETONATOR TO KILL AS MUCH
AS I CAN, INSHALLAH.
THIS IS MY JOB, TO KILL YOU.
Narrator: AL-BALAWI IS AN AL
QAEDA AGENT READY TO KILL, READY
TO DIE.
AND YOU WILL BE SENT TO THE
HELL.
HIS HANDS WERE HIDDEN.
THEY DEMANDED THAT HE TAKE HIS
HANDS OUT.
THEY KEPT YELLING AT HIM.
AND BEFORE THEY KNEW IT, HE HAD
DETONATED HIS SUICIDE VEST.
IT BLEW UP EVERYONE WHO WAS IN
THE AREA, AND THE BALL BEARINGS
FROM THE VEST ACTUALLY WENT
UNDER THE VEHICLE AND TORE THE
LEGS OF SEVERAL OTHER OFFICERS
WHO WERE THERE SO THAT ALMOST
EVERYBODY WHO WAS IN THAT
SEMICIRCLE WAS WOUNDED OR
KILLED.
IT WAS A VERY, VERY GRIM
REMINDER ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH OUR
OFFICERS PUT THEMSELVES AT RISK.
THAT WAS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE
LOSS FOR THE AGENCY AND REALLY,
REALLY SHOOK IT.
Narrator: SEVEN C.I.A.
OFFICERS ARE DEAD, INCLUDING
ELIZABETH HANSON AND HER FRIEND,
JENNIFER MATTHEWS.
I HAVE ONE MEMORY OF JENNIFER
THAT IS THE ONE I CHOOSE TO
RECALL.
ONE TIME, JENNIFER AND I WERE
TRAVELING OVERSEAS, AND WE WERE
IN A TINY LITTLE BEAT-UP CAR.
SHE HAS THE RADIO UP, ALL
CRACKLY AND HORRIBLE.
BUT YOU HEAR THE UNMISTAKABLE
PIANO INTRO TO GLORIA GAYNOR'S
"I WILL SURVIVE," WHICH ANY
WOMAN CAN TELL YOU IS ONE OF OUR
ANTHEMS.
AND JENNIFER CRANKS THAT RADIO
ALL THE WAY UP, BELTING OUT, "AS
LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I
KNOW I WILL SURVIVE," JUST
DANCING.
AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE
I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVE
THAT'S HOW I REMEMBER HER
LIVING, LARGER THAN LIFE.
SHE JUST WAS ALL HEART.
AS MUCH AS AL QAEDA THINKS THEY
DESTROYED HER THAT DAY, THEY
MADE HER IMMORTAL.
SHE WILL ALWAYS SURVIVE.
IT WAS VERY PERSONAL,
PERSONAL FOR ME, PERSONAL FOR
THE OTHER OFFICERS AT THE C.I.A.
Narrator: IT ISN'T LONG
BEFORE LEON PANETTA MAKES THAT
LIFE-AND-DEATH DECISION, CALLING
IN A DEADLY DRONE STRIKE ON THE
MASTERMIND OF THAT SUICIDE
BOMBING-- THE STRIKE THAT ALSO
KILLED HIS FAMILY.
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST
CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT THE GUT
FEELING IN EVERY OFFICERS' INNER
BEING THAT THAT THEIR GOAL WAS
TO GO AFTER THE LEADERSHIP OF AL
QAEDA.
WE NEEDED TO GET REAL-TIME
INFORMATION AS FAST AS WE
POSSIBLY COULD TO PROTECT THE
COUNTRY AND ENSURE THERE WASN'T
ANOTHER ATTACK ON THE HOMELAND.
Narrator: THE C.I.A. UNDER
GEORGE TENET NOW EMBARKS ON A
CONTROVERSIAL INTERROGATION
PROGRAM THAT WILL COME BACK TO
HAUNT IT, ONE THAT BEGINS WITH A
SINGLE PRISONER.
ABU ZUBAYDAH WAS A MAJOR
TERRORIST FACILITATOR AND
PLANNER ON THE PART OF AL QAEDA.
WE BELIEVED THAT HE HAD
IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT
INFORMATION TO PROVIDE.
AND THROUGH AN INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT TARGETING EFFORT, WE
WERE ABLE TO FINALLY CAPTURE HIM
IN MARCH OF 2002.
THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT AND ABU
ZUBAYDAH IS SEVERELY WOUNDED, SO
WE NEEDED TO TAKE HIM SOMEWHERE
WHERE WE COULD INTERROGATE HIM
OURSELVES, AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC
LIGHT.
WE NEEDED A PLACE TO TALK TO
THEM.
WHERE'S THAT GOING TO BE?
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT A
JAILHOUSE IN PAKISTAN, YOU'RE
GOING TO GET A HUGELY BAD
OUTCOME BECAUSE: A, NOTHING'S
GOING TO BE SECRET AND PROBABLY
NOBODY IS GOING TO SURVIVE THE
SESSION, PLUS THERE WILL BE A
RIOT ON THE MAIN STREET IN ABOUT
15 MINUTES.
SHOULD WE BRING THEM BACK TO
THE UNITED STATES?
GIVE THEM THE FULL PROTECTION OF
THE U.S. CONSTITUTION?
ALLOW THEM TO HAVE LAWYERS
PRESENT TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS
AS IF THEY WERE AMERICAN
CITIZENS?
I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO TELL THE DIRECTOR OF
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE TO DO?
Narrator: IN ORDER TO
INTERROGATE THEIR PRISONERS, THE
C.I.A. CREATES A NETWORK OF
SO-CALLED BLACK SITES, SECRET
PRISONS THAT EVENTUALLY WILL
HOLD AT LEAST 119 SUSPECTED AL
QAEDA TERRORISTS.
IN CHARGE OF THE SITES IS JOSE
RODRIGUEZ.
THE BLACK SITES WERE
INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US GAIN
VERY INVALUABLE INFORMATION.
SOME CRITICS MIGHT SAY,
"WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, YOU WANTED
TO BE ABLE TO ABUSE THIS GUY.
YOU DIDN'T WANT ANY RULES.
YOU WANTED TO..."
WELL, THAT'S...
"...TORTURE THE GUY."
THAT'S BULLSHIT.
WE GET ACCUSED BY HUMAN RIGHT
ACTIVISTS THAT WE CREATED THIS
BLACK SITE IN ORDER TO ABUSE
PEOPLE.
IN FACT, BY ACCEPTING PRISONERS,
WE ACTUALLY BECAME RESPONSIBLE
FOR THEM, FOR THEIR HEALTH, FOR
THEM TOTALLY.
ABU ZUBAYDAH HAD PROVIDED SOME
EARLY USEFUL INFORMATION, AND
THEN HE STOPPED TALKING.
GEORGE TENET WAS GOING TO THE
WHITE HOUSE EVERY DAY AND THE
PRESIDENT WAS ASKING GEORGE,
"WHAT IS ABU ZUBAYDAH SAYING
ABOUT THE SECOND WAVE OF ATTACKS
AND ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER
PROGRAMS?"
WELL, HE WAS NOT SAYING
ANYTHING, AND WE KNEW WE HAD TO
DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS OF
2002 PUT TOGETHER WHAT BECAME
THE ENHANCED INTERROGATION
PROGRAM.
Narrator: TO RUN ITS PROGRAM,
THE C.I.A. HIRES TWO
PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO HAD TRAINED
U.S. AIRMEN TO RESIST ENEMY
TORTURE.
THEY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN
INTERROGATION AND NO KNOWLEDGE
OF AL QAEDA, BUT THEIR COMPANY
IS PAID A STAGGERING SUM OF $81
MILLION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT
"JUST HAVE TEA WITH THE GUY AND
ESTABLISH SOME SORT OF RAPPORT."
I GET IT.
I GET THAT IF YOU'VE GOT TIME.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME.
WE NEEDED TO ACCELERATE THE
PROCESS.
WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WAS TO
MOVE INDIVIDUALS FROM A ZONE OF
DEFIANCE INTO A ZONE OF
COOPERATION, AND THEN THE
INTELLIGENCE GATHERING BEGAN.
Narrator: UNDER C.I.A.
SUPERVISION, DETAINEES WOULD BE
SLAPPED AND GRABBED; DEPRIVED OF
SLEEP; FORCED ONTO LIQUID DIETS;
EVEN CONFINED IN A COFFIN-LIKE
BOX WITH LIVE INSECTS.
THERE WAS NUDITY.
THERE WAS WATER DOUSING, CRAMPED
CONFINEMENT, STRESS POSITIONS.
Narrator: AND THEN THERE IS A
TECHNIQUE MADE INFAMOUS BY
HOLLYWOOD: WATERBOARDING.
WHERE WAS THE LAST TIME YOU
SAW BIN LADEN?
WHERE WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW
BIN LADEN, HUH?
WHEN YOU LIE TO ME, I HURT YOU.
THE OPENING SCENE OF "ZERO
DARK THIRTY," WHERE YOU SEE ALL
THESE PRISONERS BEING ABUSED BY
C.I.A. OFFICERS, SPONTANEOUS
WATERBOARDING WITH A PAIL--
TOTAL BULLSHIT.
MADE UP STUFF.
WATERBOARDING AS PRACTICED BY
THE CHINESE, THE NAZIS, THE
SPANISH INQUISITION IS TORTURE
AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN TORTURE.
BUT THE WATERBOARDING THAT WAS
APPLIED WAS DIFFERENT, OKAY.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?
IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT
DOESN'T USE AS MUCH WATER.
THEY DON'T DROWN ANYBODY.
THE BODY RESPONDS AS IF THE
BODY THINKS ITS DROWNING.
AM I HAPPY WE HAD TO DO IT?
OF COURSE NOT.
WE HAD DOCTORS THERE TO MAKE
SURE THAT NO HARM CAME TO THE
INDIVIDUAL.
I'M NOT TRYING TO MINIMIZE HOW
UNPLEASANT THIS TECHNIQUE WAS.
IT IS NOT TORTURE.
YOU KNOW, LAWYERS LOOKED AT
THIS.
HAD THEY SAID, THIS IS TORTURE,
WE WOULD NOT DO IT.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT
HAPPENS HERE IS THESE TECHNIQUES
AND THE PROPOSAL TO USE THESE
TECHNIQUES ON ANY HUMAN BEING
ARE SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE WE
WANT TO KNOW THAT IT IS LEGAL
UNDER U.S. LAW AND DOES NOT IN
ANY WAY COMPROMISE OUR ADHERENCE
TO INTERNATIONAL TORTURE
STATUTES.
AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES TOLD US THAT IT
DID NOT.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES AUTHORIZED THESE
TECHNIQUES.
THE PRESIDENT READ THE MEMO,
LOOKED AT THE TECHNIQUES AND
DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO TAKE TWO
TECHNIQUES OFF THE TABLE
HIMSELF.
I DO NOT KNOW NOR DO I RECALL
WHAT TECHNIQUES WERE TAKEN OFF
THE TABLE.
ONLY THREE DETAINEES WERE
EVER WATERBOARDED, BY THE WAY.
THREE KILLERS THAT HAD AMERICAN
BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS WERE
WATERBOARDED BY US.
GIVE ME A BREAK.
Narrator: BUT THERE ARE SOME
INSIDE THE C.I.A. WHO HAVE GRAVE
DOUBTS.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THOSE
TECHNIQUES THAT I PERSONALLY
FELT WERE INAPPROPRIATE, NOT
NECESSARY, BEYOND THE PALE.
I WAS NOT IN THE... IN THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND, BUT I WAS A C.I.A.
OFFICER.
I WAS A SENIOR C.I.A. OFFICER AT
THE TIME, AND I HAD EXPRESSED
MY... MY DISCOMFORT AND MY... MY
CONCERNS ABOUT THESE TECHNIQUES,
BELIEVING THAT THEY WERE GOING
TO COME BACK TO HAUNT US, THE
C.I.A.
I DID THAT WITH INDIVIDUALS,
COLLEAGUES AT THE AGENCY.
DID HE EVER COME AND COMPLAIN
TO YOU ABOUT THE
ENHANCED-INTERROGATION
TECHNIQUES?
NOPE.
HE NEVER CAME TO YOU AND
SAID, "HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT,
GEORGE?
I THINK THIS IS WRONG"?
NOPE.
HE NEVER DID?
NOPE.
IT'S NOT AS THOUGH I WENT UP
AND DOWN THE HALLS OF THE C.I.A.
AND SAID, "WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING
THIS, WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING
THIS."
LOOKING BACK ON IT NOW, SHOULD I
HAVE SPOKEN OUT MORE LOUDLY
ABOUT IT?
MAYBE.
I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT.
NOW YOU SAY THAT THIS PROGRAM
WAS CAREFULLY MANAGED.
YES.
DID ANYBODY DIE?
AT THE BEGINNING OF 2002 WHEN
WE STARTED TO TAKE PRISONERS, WE
JUST DID NOT KNOW WHAT WE WERE
DOING.
WE ARE NOT JAILERS.
WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SKILLS.
AND ABUSES WERE MADE, AND WE
HAVE 'FESSED UP TO THOSE.
EARLY ON IN THE PROGRAM,
THERE WERE TERRIBLE MISTAKES
MADE.
THERE WERE IMMEDIATE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT REFERRALS MADE.
AND TWO PEOPLE DID DIE, AND IT'S
REGRETTABLE.
Narrator: ONE DETAINEE,
SEVERELY INJURED DURING HIS
CAPTURE, IS LEFT UNTREATED
DURING A C.I.A. INTERROGATION AT
AN IRAQI PRISON AND DIES.
ANOTHER IS SHACKLED HALF-NAKED
ON A COLD FLOOR AT A C.I.A.
BLACK SITE IN AFGHANISTAN.
HE IS FOUND DEAD OF HYPOTHERMIA.
NO CHARGES ARE EVER BROUGHT
AGAINST THE OFFICERS INVOLVED.
IT'S AWFUL THAT THOSE THINGS
HAPPEN, BUT HAPPEN... SHIT
HAPPENS, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT
WAR.
THE FOG OF WAR.
Narrator: SOME C.I.A.
OFFICERS WHO WITNESS THE
INTERROGATIONS ARE SO DISTURBED
THEY BREAK DOWN IN TEARS.
MY PERSONAL VIEW IS, "THANK
GOD," ALL RIGHT?
I WOULD NOT WANT ANYONE IN THAT
ROOM DOING THIS TO ANOTHER HUMAN
BEING IF THEY WERE NOT
EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED BY WHAT IT
WAS THEY FELT THEY HAD TO DO.
LOOK, HE'S A TERRORIST, BUT HE'S
ALSO A PERSON, AND I WOULD NEVER
WANT AGENCY OFFICERS TO FORGET
BOTH REALITIES.
Narrator: GEORGE TENET SAYS
THAT ABU ZUBAYDAH, HIS
RESISTANCE WEAKENED, GIVES UP A
VALUABLE LEAD TO THE WHEREABOUTS
OF AN AL QAEDA TERRORIST SECOND
IN IMPORTANCE ONLY TO OSAMA BIN
LADEN HIMSELF.
KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, THE
ARCHITECT OF 9/11, WAS CAPTURED
AS A RESULT OF AN ELABORATE
HUMAN OPERATION THAT WAS
INFORMED BY DATA THAT
INTERROGATED DETAINEES GAVE US.
WE TOOK HIM TO A BLACK SITE
WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DEBRIEF HIM ON
WHAT HE KNEW ABOUT THREATS
AGAINST OUR HOMELAND.
HE WAS SMART, SCARY SMART.
HANNIBAL LECTER.
PURE EVIL.
THE TYPE OF INDIVIDUAL THAT IS
ABLE TO DREAM UP DIFFERENT WAYS
OF KILLING US.
WE ASKED HIM, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT PLOTS AGAINST THE U.S.?"
AND HIS ANSWER WAS, "SOON YOU
WILL KNOW," WHICH WAS A CHILLING
RESPONSE BECAUSE WE ALSO KNEW
THAT HE WAS PLANNING A SECOND
WAVE OF ATTACKS.
MY NAME IS DANIEL PEARL.
I'M A JEWISH AMERICAN.
HE EVENTUALLY CONFESSED TO
THE KILLING OF DANIEL PEARL, THE
"WALL STREET JOURNAL" REPORTER.
AND IT WAS LIKE A MATTER OF
FACT.
HE SAID, "LOOK, I KILLED HIM.
I SLAUGHTERED HIM, CUT HIM INTO
PIECES.
I PUT HIM IN A SHALLOW GRAVE."
HE ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAVE A
PROBLEM WITH WATERBOARDING.
HE WITHSTOOD WATERBOARDING.
KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED KNEW THAT
IN ALL LIKELIHOOD WE WOULD STOP
AT TEN SECONDS, AND HE WOULD
COUNT WITH HIS FINGERS.
HE WOULD GO AND THEN LOOK AT US
LIKE, "YOU KNOW, HEY, IT'S TIME
TO STOP."
HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE
ACCUMULATION OF TECHNIQUES...
AND I THINK SLEEP DEPRIVATION
FINALLY LED HIM TO BECOME
COMPLIANT.
AFTERWARDS, HE WOULDN'T STOP
TALKING.
Narrator: WATERBOARDED AND
SLEEP-DEPRIVED, KHALID SHEIK
MUHAMMED WOULD INADVERTENTLY
HELP POINT THE C.I.A. TO ITS
ULTIMATE TARGET: OSAMA BIN
LADEN.
IT WAS ONLY WHEN A NUMBER OF
DETAINEES AFTER INTERROGATION
REVEALED THAT INDEED BIN LADEN
HAD SENT A MESSAGE TO HIS
OPERATIONS CHIEF VIA THIS
COURIER THAT FLAGGED THIS
COURIER AND CAUSED HIM TO RISE
TO THE TOP OF THE MANY
CANDIDATES OF PEOPLE WE COULD
FOLLOW.
WE THEN RAISED ABU AHMED AL
KUWAITI AS A NAME TO KHALID
SHEIK MOHAMMED, WHO, AT THAT
POINT, HAD BECOME LARGELY
COOPERATIVE.
AND THEN, SINCE WE'VE GOT THE
PLACE WIRED, WE HEAR K.S.M. TELL
OTHER DETAINEES, "DON'T TALK
ABOUT THE COURIER."
AND OUR FOLKS IN THE BIN LADEN
CELL GO AFTER ABU AHMED ONE
GRAIN OF SAND AT A TIME,
IDENTIFY HIM AND FOLLOW HIM
EVENTUALLY TO ABBOTTABAD.
Narrator: THE MISSION THAT
WOULD KILL OSAMA BIN LADEN--
OPERATION NEPTUNE SPEAR-- WOULD
BE A C.I.A. COVERT OPERATION,
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND GOING
STRAIGHT FROM THE PRESIDENT TO
C.I.A. DIRECTOR PANETTA TO THE
NAVY SEALS.
TONIGHT, I CAN REPORT TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TO THE WORLD
THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS
CONDUCTED AN OPERATION THAT
KILLED OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE
LEADER OF AL QAEDA...
U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.!
HEARING PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE
GATES OF THE WHITE HOUSE
CHANTING, "U.S.A., U.S.A.,
C.I.A.," IT WAS SOMETHING THAT
WILL BE A MEMORY THAT I'LL HAVE
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
THE C.I.A.'S ENHANCED
INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES WERE
NOT AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO GATHER
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION.
THE C.I.A. PROVIDED INACCURATE
INFORMATION TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
CONGRESS.
THE C.I.A. PROGRAM WAS FAR MORE
BRUTAL THAN PEOPLE WERE LED TO
BELIEVE.
THE COUNTRY DESERVED A
THOUGHTFUL ASSESSMENT OF WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE IMMEDIATE YEARS
AFTER 9/11.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE GOT.
THEY DID THINGS WHICH I
REALLY CONSIDER IMMORAL.
C.I.A. INTERROGATORS USED
BRUTAL TECHNIQUES THAT WENT WELL
BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE LAW.
SOME OF THESE PRACTICES
AMOUNTED TO TORTURE.
WE WERE VERY CAREFUL TO STOP
SHORT OF TORTURE.
IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF
9/11, WE DID SOME THINGS THAT
WERE WRONG.
WE DID A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS
THAT WERE RIGHT, BUT WE TORTURED
SOME FOLKS.
WE DID SOME THINGS THAT WERE
CONTRARY TO OUR VALUES.
Narrator: AFTER A FIVE-YEAR
INVESTIGATION OF MORE THAN SIX
MILLION PAGES OF C.I.A.
DOCUMENTS, THE DEMOCRATIC
MAJORITY OF THE SENATE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE ISSUES
A SCATHING INDICTMENT.
IT SAYS THE AGENCY MISLED
CONGRESS ABOUT THE BRUTALITY OF
ITS INTERROGATION PROGRAM AND
THAT NO EVIDENCE WAS PRODUCED
THAT DISRUPTED PLOTS OR SAVED
LIVES.
THE EFFECTIVENESS AND MORALITY
OF THE PROGRAM WOULD TRIGGER AN
IMPASSIONED DEBATE AMONG THE
DIRECTORS.
PEOPLE ARE THROWING THE WORD
"TORTURE" AROUND, YOU KNOW, AS
IF... AS IF WE'RE... WE'RE
TORTURERS.
I'M NOT GOING TO EVER ACCEPT THE
USE OF THE WORD "TORTURE" IN
FRONT OF WHAT... WHAT HAPPENED
HERE.
I'M NOT GOING TO FALL TO THAT.
IF YOU THINK SOMEBODY KNOWS
SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP YOU
SAVE AMERICAN LIVES, HOW FAR
SHOULD OR COULD YOU GO TO GET
THAT INFORMATION?
OF COURSE, THE TERRIBLE WORD
"TORTURE" COMES TO MIND.
THE TERM "TORTURE" IS A VERY,
VERY LOADED WORD.
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT
THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN
ENHANCED INTERROGATION AND
TORTURE, THE CONVERSATION IS
OVER.
YOU CAN SLICE AND DICE THE
SEMANTICS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
WAYS.
I THINK IT'S HARD TO NOT
DESCRIBE SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES
THAT WERE USED AS TORTURE.
IF I WERE CAPTURED BY AN
ADVERSARY AND SOMEBODY SLAPPED
ME IN THE FACE, WOULD I COME
BACK AND SAY I WAS TORTURED?
NO.
IF SOMEBODY WATERBOARDED ME,
WOULD I COME BACK AND SAY I WAS
TORTURED?
YES.
I THINK IT WAS TORTURE.
I REALLY DO.
HISTORY WILL JUDGE US BY OUR
COMMITMENT TO A JUST SOCIETY
GOVERNED BY LAW AND THE
WILLINGNESS TO FACE AN UGLY
TRUTH AND SAY "NEVER AGAIN."
I THINK IT IS A HOPELESSLY
INCORRECT CONCLUSION BASED ON
FLAWED INFORMATION.
OUR REVIEW WAS A METICULOUS
AND DETAILED EXAMINATION OF
RECORDS.
NONE OF THE PRINCIPALS
INVOLVED IN THIS WERE
INTERVIEWED, WHICH IS RATHER
IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE ALLEGED
MOTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO FIND
OUT HOW THIS CAME TO PASS, WHAT
HAPPENED AND MAKE SURE IT NEVER
HAPPENS AGAIN.
ENHANCED INTERROGATION
TECHNIQUES WITHOUT ANY DOUBT IN
MY MIND PRODUCED UNIQUE
INTELLIGENCE THAT STOPPED PLOTS,
SAVED LIVES, TOOK ADDITIONAL
SENIOR AL QAEDA OFFICERS OFF THE
BATTLEFIELD.
WE TOOK 20 EXAMPLES THAT THE
C.I.A. ITSELF CLAIMED TO SHOW
THE SUCCESS OF THESE
INTERROGATIONS, AND NOT A SINGLE
CASE HOLDS UP.
THEY ARE VIRTUALLY WRONG IN
ALL 20 OF THE CASES.
ONE OF THE 20 CASES IS A
SENIOR AL QAEDA OPERATIVE
TELLING US THAT AL QAEDA HAD
MOVED TO A PARTICULAR CITY IN
PAKISTAN.
THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD US BEFORE
ENHANCED INTERROGATION
TECHNIQUES.
AFTER ENHANCED INTERROGATION
TECHNIQUES, HE ACTUALLY SITS
DOWN WITH SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHY
AND POINTS OUT THE ACTUAL
BUILDING WHERE SENIOR AL QAEDA
OPERATIVES ARE, WHICH ALLOWS US
TO GO AND DEAL WITH THEM.
THE VALUE IN MY ESTIMATION AS
I SAT AT MY 5:00 MEETING EVERY
NIGHT AND AS WE WERE USING THIS
INFORMATION TO BREAK UP PLOTS,
CAPTURE LEADERS, STOP FURTHER
ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES, WAS ENORMOUSLY HIGH.
WITHOUT THIS PROGRAM, HEATHROW
AIRPORT WOULD'VE BEEN BOMBED.
OTHER FACILITIES IN GREAT
BRITAIN WOULD'VE BEEN BOMBED.
BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK WOULD'VE
EXPLODED.
SUSPENSION BRIDGES WOULD'VE BEEN
TAKEN DOWN.
Narrator: AND TENET INSISTS
THAT INTELLIGENCE FROM THE
ENHANCED INTERROGATIONS LEADS TO
THE CAPTURE OF A TERRORIST
PLANNING A SPECTACULAR ATTACK.
HE HAD ALREADY RECRUITED 17
SOUTHEAST ASIANS TO ENGAGE IN AN
AIRLINE PLOT AGAINST THE WEST
COAST OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE VALUE IS...
THE REPORT SAYS YOU HAD THAT
INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES.
THE REPORT IS DEAD WRONG ON
EVERY ACCOUNT, PERIOD, END OF
PARAGRAPH.
THE BIN LADEN OPERATION WOULD
NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT
THE COURIER IN QUESTION BEING
HIGHLIGHTED AS PROMINENTLY AS HE
WAS BY DETAINEES.
Narrator: DIRECTOR JOHN
BRENNAN, WHO WAS TROUBLED BY THE
BRUTAL TECHNIQUES, SAYS THE JURY
IS OUT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT
THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW WHETHER
OR NOT KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED
WOULD HAVE PROVIDED THAT
INFORMATION IF HE HAD NOT BEEN
WATERBOARDED.
THAT IS UNKNOWABLE BECAUSE THAT
SCENARIO NEVER HAPPENED.
DIRECTOR BRENNAN IS A GOOD
FRIEND OF MINE AND I HAVE THE
UTMOST RESPECT FOR HIM, BUT I
WOULD JUST RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE
WITH THAT.
I MEAN, THAT STRIKES ME AS A
DODGE WRAPPED IN POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS.
Narrator: ANSWERS TO SOME OF
THESE QUESTIONS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
FOUND BY WATCHING VIDEOTAPE.
THE WATERBOARDING OF TWO
PRISONERS WAS ACTUALLY RECORDED,
BUT THE VIDEOTAPES WERE
DESTROYED.
WHILE I WAS STILL THE
DIRECTOR IN A MORNING BRIEFING,
AT THE END OF THE BRIEFING,
SOMEONE SAID, "OH, BY THE WAY,
THE TAPES WERE DESTROYED."
AND I ROSE OUT OF MY CHAIR AND
SAID, "WHAT?"
MY PRIMARY MOTIVATION IN
DESTROYING THE TAPES WAS TO
PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR
ME.
THEY SHOWED PEOPLE NAKED, BEING
WATERBOARDED AND GOING THROUGH
THE ENHANCED INTERROGATION
TECHNIQUES.
JOSE KNOWS HOW I FEEL ABOUT
IT.
HE LEFT ME IN A HORRIBLE,
HORRIBLE SPOT.
MY CONCERN WAS, IT WOULD CAUSE A
FIRESTORM ON THE HILL
POLITICALLY BECAUSE EVERYBODY
WOULD ASSUME THERE WAS SOMETHING
TO HIDE RATHER THAN SOMETHING TO
SHOW.
I KNEW THAT THE TAPES WOULD
PLAY AS IF, YOU KNOW, WE WERE
ALL PSYCHOPATHS, AND THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T WANT.
SO, YOU HAD THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, THE
DIRECTOR OF THE C.I.A., A MEMBER
OF CONGRESS ALL SAYING, "WE
DON'T WANT THESE TAPES
DESTROYED," AND YOU DID IT.
NOW I WAS NOT STUPID; I
DIDN'T ONE DAY DECIDE TO GET OUT
OF BED AND DESTROY TAPES.
I GOT APPROVAL TO DO THIS.
I CONSULTED WITH OUR LAWYERS.
THE VIDEOTAPES WERE DESTROYED
SHORTLY AFTER C.I.A. ATTORNEYS
RAISED CONCERNS THAT CONGRESS
MIGHT FIND OUT ABOUT THE TAPES.
Narrator: A NECESSARY EVIL OR
A BETRAYAL OF AMERICAN VALUES?
SOMEBODY HAS TO STAND UP AND
BE WILLING TO SAY, "THIS IS NOT
WHAT OUR COUNTRY IS ABOUT."
YES, WE'RE FACING A TERRIBLE
ENEMY, ONE WHO DOESN'T CARE
ABOUT WHO GETS KILLED, BUT THE
UNITED STATES IS BETTER THAN
THAT.
OUR CONSTITUTION DOES
PROHIBIT "CRUEL AND UNUSUAL"
TREATMENT.
IF IT'S CRUEL, WE SHOULDN'T BE
DOING IT.
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE
PREPARED TO SAY, "MR. PRESIDENT
YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
IT'S ILLEGAL."
LET'S HAVE A C.I.A. DIRECTOR
BEING INTERVIEWED HERE AFTER THE
SECOND WAVE AND... AND YOU GET
TO ASK HIM THE QUESTION, "NOW,
LOOK, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SAID IT WAS LEGAL BUT YET YOU
REFUSE TO DO IT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR
DECISION NOW?"
AND SO LET'S NOT PRETEND THAT
THIS IS THE FORCES OF LIGHT AND
FORCES OF DARKNESS.
THESE ARE TWO DAMN UGLY
DECISIONS.
AS THE COMMANDER OF THE
MULTINATIONAL FORCE IN IRAQ, WE
ACTUALLY HAD 27,000 DETAINEES AT
THE HIGH WATERMARK OF OUR
OPERATIONS.
MY VIEW, QUITE SIMPLY, IS THAT
IF YOU WANT INFORMATION FROM A
DETAINEE, YOU BECOME HIS BEST
FRIEND.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE VERY SKILLED
INTERROGATORS, VERY SKILLED
ANALYSTS AND SO FORTH.
IT'S A LONG PROCESS.
THESE ARE THE HARDENED, WORST
TERRORISTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DEATHS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS
IN A PERIOD WHERE WE SIMPLY
DIDN'T BELIEVE WE HAD TIME TO
BECOME THEIR BEST FRIENDS.
I JUST DON'T THINK A COUNTRY
LIKE OURS SHOULD BE CULPABLE OF
CONDUCTING TORTURE.
I JUST THINK IT'S BENEATH OUR
DIGNITY.
I THINK IT'S POOR FOR OUR
REPUTATION IN THE WORLD.
SHOULD A COUNTRY, THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA-- WHICH STANDS
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD,
WHICH STANDS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY
PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY COUNTRY--
DO THOSE TECHNIQUES TO ANOTHER
HUMAN BEING?
RIGHT?
THAT'S... THAT'S A REALLY
REASONABLE QUESTION.
ONE IS, IT'S WRONG.
BUT IF YOU DON'T ACCEPT THAT,
DON'T DO IT BECAUSE IT TYPICALLY
WILL BITE YOU IN THE BACKSIDE
LATER ON.
YOU WILL PAY A PRICE FOR WHAT
YOU DO, AND IT WILL BE VASTLY
GREATER THAN WHATEVER IT IS YOU
GOT OUT OF TAKING THIS
PARTICULAR ACTION.
YOU CAN JUDGE US.
WE MADE THOSE DECISIONS FOR GOOD
AND VALID REASONS, AND ALL I
WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY IS WE SAT
WHERE WE SAT.
WE DECIDED WHAT WE DID.
WE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPLICATIONS.
I CAN STAND HERE TODAY AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND SAY WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR
EQUIVOCATION THAT WE DO NOT
TORTURE.
GIVEN PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
CRITICISM OF ENHANCED
INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES, I
THINK ONE OF THE INTERESTING
QUESTIONS IS: WHAT WOULD HE HAVE
DONE HAD HE BEEN PUT IN
PRESIDENT BUSH'S SHOES WHEN
GEORGE TENET CAME TO HIM AND
SAID, "YOU NEED TO DO THIS OR
AMERICANS ARE GOING TO DIE"?
AND OBVIOUSLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE PRESIDENT WOULD'VE DONE, AND
POSSIBLY HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE
WOULD'VE DONE.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE ARE
NOT SO CAUGHT UP IN THE FEAR OF
AN ENEMY THAT WE BEGIN TO MOVE
AWAY FROM THE PRINCIPLES AND THE
STANDARDS THAT REPRESENT WHAT
THIS COUNTRY'S ALL ABOUT?
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT AN
EASY... THERE'S NOT... THERE'S
NOT AN EASY ANSWER TO THAT.
I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT
THERE IS, BUT IT'S NOT.
THE CLASSIC CASE, OF COURSE,
IS A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN DOWNTOWN
MANHATTAN, HIDDEN, AND YOU HAVE
IN YOUR HANDS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO
KNOWS WHERE IT IS.
WOULD YOU WATERBOARD HIM?
LET ME TURN IT AROUND.
WOULD YOU?
THE REALITY IS, YOU HAVE TO
LOOK AT IT IN CONTEXT.
I MEAN, IF... IF, IN FACT, YOU
HAD CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE THAT
THERE WAS A NUCLEAR WEAPON
PLANTED SOMEPLACE IN NEW YORK
CITY OR WASHINGTON, D.C., AND
THERE WAS ONE PERSON THAT WOULD
KNOW WHERE THAT BOMB WAS
LOCATED, IT'D BE VERY TOUGH NOT
TO RESORT TO EVERY METHOD
POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO GET THAT
INFORMATION.
I JUST HAVE TO BE FRANK WITH
YOU.
IF A PRESIDENT TOMORROW ASKED
ME TO WATERBOARD A TERRORIST, I
WOULD SAY, "MR. PRESIDENT,
SORRY, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT
THAT IS WHAT IS IN OUR BEST
INTEREST AS A COUNTRY, AS AN
INSTITUTION OF C.I.A.
AND WE NEED TO FIND OTHER WAYS
TO GET THAT INTELLIGENCE."
IF SOME FUTURE PRESIDENT IS
GOING TO DECIDE TO WATERBOARD,
HE BETTER BRING HIS OWN BUCKET
BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO DO
IT HIMSELF.
THE AGENCY IS NOT GOING TO DO
THIS AGAIN.
JUST AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THIS SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE REPORT ON
INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES AND
TORTURE, IF YOU WILL, THE
QUESTION PEOPLE NEED TO ASK
THEMSELVES IS, TEN YEARS FROM
NOW, WILL PEOPLE BE ASKING THE
SAME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE USE OF
THESE DRONES?
Narrator: THEY ARE LETHAL,
MAN-MADE BIRDS OF PREY.
WHEN YOU CAN STARE AT A
TARGET UNBLINKINGLY FOR HOURS,
IF NOT DAYS, AND THEN USE A
WEAPON AGAINST THAT TARGET THAT
HAS A 14-POUND WARHEAD IN IT AND
WITH AN ACCURACY MEASURED IN
INCHES, THIS ACTUALLY MAKES
WARFARE MORE PRECISE, AND THAT
SHOULD BE A GOOD.
ROGER.
YOU ARE NOW FREE TO ENGAGE THE
VEHICLE.
THEY GIVE YOU THE ABILITY,
ACTUALLY, TO MINIMIZE CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES OR COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
UNINTELLIGIBLE ORDER.
GIVE ME TEN SECONDS.
ROGER.
DIRECT HITS.
RIGHT THERE.
NOW, THE DARK SIDE.
THE DARK SIDE IS THE EASE WITH
WHICH A POLITICAL DECISION MAKER
CAN MAKE THE DECISION TO DO
THIS.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE CAREFUL
ABOUT BEING SO HAPPY WITH THE
USE OF THE TERM "KILL."
INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS IN
PARTICULAR HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
THE USE OF THAT TERM.
THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN
PEOPLE ARE TALKING LOOSELY ABOUT
IT OR ENTHUSING TO ME ABOUT IT,
AND I WILL SAY TO THEM, "HAVE
YOU EVER KILLED SOMEONE?"
Narrator: IT WAS ON GEORGE
TENET'S WATCH IN 2001 THAT
DRONES, ONCE JUST EYES IN THE
SKY, BECAME KILLING MACHINES.
I HAD A QUESTION, AND IT IS A
QUESTION THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE
ASKED TODAY, AS WELL: "DO YOU
WANT THE CIVILIAN HEAD OF AN
INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION FIRING
A WEAPON OUTSIDE OF THE CHAIN OF
MILITARY COMMAND?"
I NEEDED TO ASK THE QUESTION.
THEY NEEDED TO ANSWER THE
QUESTION.
WE NEVER GOT THE ANSWER TO THE
QUESTION, AND OFF WE WENT.
Narrator: WHY AREN'T ALL
DRONES OPERATED BY THE MILITARY?
ONE REASON: WHEN A COVERT C.I.A.
OPERATION GOES BADLY, IT CAN BE
DENIED.
I OBVIOUSLY CAN'T COMMENT ON
WHETHER THE C.I.A. CONDUCTS
OPERATIONS THAT WOULD BE UNDER
THE REALM OF COVERT ACTION.
COVERT ACTION IS, OF COURSE,
THAT YOU DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THEM;
WHAT YOU DO IS YOU JUST DON'T
TALK ABOUT THEM.
Narrator: IN FACT, THE
C.I.A.'S DRONE WARFARE PROGRAM
IS SO SECRET THE AGENCY DOES NOT
EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT EXISTS.
YET SOME DIRECTORS ARE
SURPRISINGLY CANDID.
IT'S A COVERT ACTION.
IT'S AN ACTIVITY DESIGNED SO
THAT THE HAND OF THE UNITED
STATES IS HIDDEN.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IT IN
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT WOULD
BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE
MILITARY TO DO.
Narrator: C.I.A. DRONE
STRIKES WERE ONCE RARELY
CONDUCTED OUTSIDE OF WAR ZONES.
THE TROUBLE WAS THAT WAS EXACTLY
WHERE AL QAEDA WAS REGROUPING.
IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2008,
C.I.A. MADE THE CASE THAT WE HAD
TO BEGIN TO GO DO SOME THINGS--
TARGETED KILLINGS, FOR EXAMPLE--
OUTSIDE OF
INTERNATIONALLY-AGREED THEATERS
OF CONFLICT.
GET THIS GUY OFF THE BATTLEFIELD
BECAUSE "HE'S GOING TO COME KILL
YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN" WAS
ABSOLUTELY COMPELLING.
BY MID-SUMMER OF 2008, OUR
GOVERNMENT DECIDED ON A NEW
COURSE OF ACTION.
Narrator: PRESIDENT GEORGE
BUSH GIVES THE GREEN LIGHT, BUT
HAVE DRONES GIVEN PRESIDENTS AND
DIRECTORS UNCHECKED POWER?
THE POWER TO DECIDE WHO LIVES
AND WHO DIES?
(CROWD PROTESTING)
DRONE ATTACKS VIOLATE EVERY
HUMAN LAW BECAUSE NO LAW ALLOWS
ANYONE TO BECOME JUDGE, JURY AND
EXECUTIONER.
AMERICANS ARE RUTHLESS
PEOPLE.
THEY ARE AGAINST ISLAM.
THEY ARE THE TYRANTS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S CURIOUS THAT
CERTAIN KINDS OF ACTIVITY ARE
CALLED "ASSASSINATION," OTHERS
ARE NOT.
Narrator: IN 1976, PRESIDENT
GERALD FORD SIGNS AN ORDER
PROHIBITING THE C.I.A. FROM
ENGAGING IN ASSASSINATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE USE OF
DRONES GOING AFTER PARTICULAR
TARGETS IS NOT TERMED AN
"ASSASSINATION" IN THE SENSE OF
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER.
WHY NOT?
WHY SHOULDN'T IT BE?
I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S A QUESTION YOU COULD ANSWER
AS WELL AS I DO.
THERE IS A DISTINCTION
BETWEEN A POLITICAL
ASSASSINATION AND AGAINST A
TARGETED KILLING OF AN ENEMY
COMBATANT AFTER CONGRESS HAS
DECLARED WAR AGAINST AL QAEDA.
AND THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE
USE OF MILITARY FORCE IS A
DECLARATION.
IT'S AS CLOSE TO A DECLARATION
OF WAR AS WE WILL EVER GET IN
THIS COUNTRY AGAIN, AND WE ARE
GOING AFTER ENEMY COMBATANTS
CONSISTENT WITH THE LAWS OF
ARMED CONFLICT.
Narrator: PRESIDENT BARACK
OBAMA TAKES OFFICE AFTER A
CAMPAIGN CRITICAL OF GEORGE
BUSH'S WAR ON TERROR, BUT UNDER
THE NEW COMMANDER IN CHIEF,
DRONE STRIKES RISE DRAMATICALLY.
NATIONAL SECURITY LOOKS
DIFFERENT FROM THE OVAL THAN IT
DOES FROM A HOTEL ROOM IN IOWA.
TO BE ABLE TO GO IN, TO
CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE, TO TARGET
THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEN TO
CONDUCT VERY PRECISE ATTACKS ON
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WAS THE MOST
EFFECTIVE WEAPON WE HAD.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE COMMANDS)
CLEAR TO ENGAGE ALL.
THIS ADMINISTRATION PREFERS
KILLING TERRORISTS RATHER THAN
HOLDING THEM CAPTIVE.
AND THE REASON I THINK IS
BECAUSE IT'S HARD.
IT'S HARD TO CAPTURE.
IT'S... IT'S HARD WORK.
AND MANY WOULD CONSIDER IT DIRTY
BUSINESS.
THEY'RE KILLING A LOT OF
PEOPLE WITH, LET'S SAY, DRONE
STRIKES THAT WOULD BETTER BE
CAPTURED AND INTERROGATED, THAT
WE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE OF
LEARNING WHAT THE TERRORIST
GROUP IS GOING TO DO NEXT.
YOU CAN'T QUESTION SOMEBODY
YOU'VE KILLED.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE C.I.A.
IS JUST, "WE'RE TAKING NO
PRISONERS?"
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE
C.I.A.'S POSITION; I THINK
THAT'S THE PRESIDENT'S POSITION.
I... I THINK HE IS KILLING MORE
PEOPLE THAN HE NEEDS TO, AND
WE'D BE BETTER OFF CAPTURING
SOME OF THEM AND INTERROGATING
THEM.
WE WILL DO EVERYTHING
POSSIBLE TO SEE IF WE CAN
PREVENT THEM FROM BEING
SUCCESSFUL, CAPTURING THEM.
AND WHEN THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE,
WELL, THEN I THINK THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO... TO
TAKE ACTION.
END THE AFGHAN WAR!
STOP THE DRONE ATTACKS!
END THE AFGHAN WAR!
STOP THE DRONE ATTACKS!
Narrator: YET SOME WATCHDOG
ORGANIZATIONS CLAIM THAT
AMERICAN DRONES HAVE KILLED MORE
THAN A THOUSAND CIVILIANS,
NUMBERS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SAYS
ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.
U.S. STRIKES HAVE RESULTED IN
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.
THOSE DEATHS WILL HAUNT US AS
LONG AS WE LIVE.
Narrator: THE MOST
CONTROVERSIAL TARGET IN THE
HISTORY OF DRONE WARFARE IS
ABOUT TO ENTER THE C.I.A.'S
CROSSHAIRS.
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, I SAY
YOUR SECURITY WILL CONTINUE TO
BE THREATENED AS LONG AS YOUR
GOVERNMENT CONTINUES WITH ITS
AGGRESSION AGAINST THE MUSLIM
PEOPLE.
Narrator: HE IS ANWAR
AL-AWLAKI, A SWORN ENEMY OF THE
UNITED STATES AND AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN.
HE WAS BORN IN THE U.S. AND
WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS USING SOCIAL
MEDIA IN ORDER TO CONVEY A
MESSAGE ABOUT JIHAD AND DOING IT
VERY EFFECTIVELY, AND WAS
SOMEONE WHO HAD GONE TO YEMEN.
THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND
THAT HE WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
AND SOMEBODY THAT WE HAD TO GO
AFTER.
AS YOU SEND US YOUR BOMBS, WE
WILL SEND YOU OURS.
Narrator: THE CHARISMATIC
CLERIC CONSPIRES WITH THE
SO-CALLED UNDERWEAR BOMBER IN A
FAILED PLOT TO BLOW UP AN
AIRLINER OVER DETROIT ON
CHRISTMAS DAY 2009, AND HE
INSPIRES THE JIHADIST MILITANT
WHO KILLS 13 AND INJURES MORE
THAN 30 IN A SHOOTING SPREE AT
FORT HOOD, TEXAS.
I WAS ASKING, "WHAT WERE WE
INTERESTED IN AL-AWLAKI ABOUT?"
WELL, SOMEONE SAID, "WELL,
HE'S... HE'S A BAD GUY.
HE'S ON THE PRESIDENT'S LIST."
SO I SAID, "WHAT LIST IS THAT?"
"WELL, THE GOODBYE LIST."
Narrator: THE "GOODBYE LIST,"
ALSO KNOWN AS THE "KILL LIST."
IT'S THE GRIM ROSTER OF
TERRORISTS TARGETED FOR
EXECUTION BY THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT.
I, FOR ONE, WAS BORN IN THE
U.S. AND LIVED IN THE U.S. FOR
21 YEARS.
WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS
TO MAKE A CASE FOR WHY AL-AWLAKI
WAS DANGEROUS, AND THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH THE OUR
GENERAL COUNSEL AND COUNSEL OUT
OF THE WHITE HOUSE, FELT THAT A
GOOD CASE HAD BEEN MADE TO PUT
HIM ON THAT LIST.
Narrator: THE "KILL LIST" IS
AN OPEN SECRET-- SO OPEN THAT
AL-AWLAKI'S FATHER GOES TO A
U.S. COURT IN A DESPERATE EFFORT
TO HAVE HIS SON'S LIFE SPARED.
I WANT DECENT AMERICAN LAWYER
TO TELL ME THAT IT IS RIGHT FOR
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO
KILL AN AMERICAN CITIZEN ON THE
BASIS THAT HE SAID SOMETHING
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OR
AGAINST AMERICAN SOLDIERS.
I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
Narrator: THE PETITION IS
REJECTED.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2011: DAVID
PETRAEUS IS NOW IN CHARGE WHEN
C.I.A. DRONE PILOTS IN NEVADA
DRAW A BEAD ON AL-AWLAKI IN
YEMEN.
THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING HIM FOR
DAYS.
GET BACK ON THOSE GUYS.
THERE YOU GO.
I THINK YOU ALWAYS DO SOUL
SEARCHING WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING
INDIVIDUALS IN HARM'S WAY.
YOU TURN THESE OVER IN YOUR MIND
AND... AND THERE ARE OCCASIONS
WHERE YOU SAY, "LET ME MULL THIS
ONE.
LET ME THINK ON IT."
BUT IF YOU ENSURE THAT YOU'RE
WITHIN THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT,
THEN YOU PRESS FORWARD AND MAKE
A DECISION.
Narrator: MOMENTS LATER,
ANWAR AL-AWLAKI IS DEAD.
AWLAKI WAS THE LEADER OF
EXTERNAL OPERATIONS FOR AL
QAEDA.
Narrator: NOT SINCE THE CIVIL
WAR HAS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
EXECUTED ONE OF ITS CITIZENS
WITHOUT AN INDICTMENT, TRIAL OR
SENTENCING.
THE PRECEDENT OF AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT BEING ABLE TO KILL AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES, ON JUST HIS
SIGNATURE, IS DANGEROUS.
THERE WERE NAZIS WHO WERE
U.S. CITIZENS.
DOES THAT MAKE THEM LESS OF AN
ENEMY?
THERE ARE TERRORISTS WHO ARE
U.S. CITIZENS.
DOES THAT SOMEHOW MAKE THEM LESS
OF AN ENEMY?
I DON'T THINK SO.
IN MY BOOK, A TERRORIST IS A
TERRORIST.
I WOULD PREFER, UNDER THOSE
CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT THERE WAS
SOME KIND OF EXTERNAL BODY WHERE
THE PRESIDENT WOULD PRESENT THE
EVIDENCE TO SOMEBODY OUTSIDE OF
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, TO SAY, "I
THINK THIS IS CONCLUSIVE.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS CONCLUSIVE?
I DON'T SEE THAT THE
PRESIDENT EVER ALONE MADE A
DECISION ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION,
DEBATE AND DECISION-MAKING.
THERE'S A PROCESS AND THERE'S
CERTAINLY A DISCUSSION, BUT, AT
THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ALL
PRESIDENT'S APPOINTEES, AND THEN
IT'S THE PRESIDENT'S SIGNATURE.
THERE IS NO OUTSIDE REVIEW.
THERE IS NO EXTERNAL EVALUATION
OF THE EVIDENCE.
THIS WAS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN,
AND HE WAS ULTIMATELY TAKEN OUT,
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT
SHOULD BE LEFT TO ONE PERSON, NO
MATTER WHO THAT PERSON IS.
Narrator: ANWAR AL-AWLAKI WAS
JUST ONE MAN, BUT THE C.I.A.'S
DRONES HAVE KILLED SCORES,
PERHAPS HUNDREDS WHOSE NAMES ARE
UNKNOWN.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE COMMANDS)
MY WORRY IS THAT THERE ARE
TOO MANY OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL
"SIGNATURE STRIKES," WHICH ARE
AT A GROUP OF SUSPECTED
TERRORISTS WHERE THE EVIDENCE
MAY NOT BE THAT CLEAR OF
SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS GOING ON.
WHAT ABOUT THE SO-CALLED
SIGNATURE STRIKES?
I CAN'T TALK ABOUT SIGNATURE
STRIKES.
IF THEY ARE EVEN TAKEN, I DON'T
KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THOSE
GUYS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THESE DIRECTORS
ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THEM.
YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO
BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE BAD GUYS
THERE AT THE MOMENT.
YOU DON'T QUITE KNOW THE NAME OF
THE BAD GUY, BUT YOU KNOW THE
VAN, YOU KNOW THE WEAPONRY, YOU
KNOW THE SIZE OF THE GROUP, YOU
KNOW WHAT KIND OF MEETINGS HAVE
BEEN HELD THERE BEFORE, YOU KNOW
THE OTHER VEHICLE THAT PULLED UP
AND YOU MAKE A DECISION.
Narrator: JANUARY 2015.
C.I.A. DRONES STRIKE A TERRORIST
ENCAMPMENT IN PAKISTAN.
TO THE AGENCY'S SURPRISE, KILLED
ALONG WITH THE TERRORISTS ARE
TWO HOSTAGES, INCLUDING A
73-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN AID WORKER.
ON THE BEHALF OF THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT, I OFFER OUR
DEEPEST APOLOGIES TO THE
FAMILIES.
THESE WERE SIGNATURE STRIKES.
THE NAMES OF THE TARGETS WERE
NOT KNOWN.
MISTAKES, SOMETIMES DEADLY
MISTAKES, CAN OCCUR.
IN SOME CASES WHERE PEOPLE
ENDED UP DEAD, I DON'T KNOW
WHETHER THEY WERE COLLABORATORS
OR INNOCENT BYSTANDERS, AND
THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THESE
KINDS OF REMOTE BUTTON WARFARE
GAMES.
I WOULD RATHER UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL.
THIS IS HARD, ALL RIGHT?
AND ANYBODY WHO MAKES THESE
KINDS OF DECISIONS ARE GOING TO
LOSE SOME SLEEP.
BUT YOU'D ALSO LOSE SLEEP IF YOU
FAILED TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS
AND BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO
AMERICANS.
WHEN PEOPLE ASK YOU, "WHAT
KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?," WHAT
I WORRIED ABOUT A GREAT DEAL WAS
THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRIPPLING
CYBER ATTACK ON THIS COUNTRY, A
CYBER PEARL HARBOR ATTACK WHICH
COULD PARALYZE OUR NATION.
WELL, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES THAT
COULD KEEP YOU UP.
IT COULD BE EVERYTHING FROM A
LOOSE NUKE SOMEWHERE, TO THE
EMPLOYMENT OF SOME KIND OF NOVEL
W.M.D. ELEMENT IN A DENSELY
POPULATED AREA OF THE UNITED
STATES, TO A VERY SOPHISTICATED
LONE WOLF ATTACK.
THE HOMEGROWN TERRORIST BIT
IS A HUGE THREAT, EVEN THOUGH
NOT IN TERMS OF FATALITIES IN A
MASSIVE EVENT, BUT IN TERMS OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE-- GETTING
US TO DO THINGS TO RESTRICT OUR
FREEDOMS.
I MEAN, IF YOU SHUT DOWN EVERY
MALL IN THE COUNTRY, YOU SHUT
DOWN THE TRAINS, THE PLANES, THE
BANKS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE,
YOU'VE DONE... YOU'VE DONE
SOMETHING.
Narrator: ONGOING THREATS,
UNRELENTING PRESSURE-- THE
BURDEN OF PREVENTING THE NEXT
TERRORIST ATTACK TAKES A
PERSONAL TOLL.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO
THROUGH THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE
OF HAVING TO MAKE LIFE AND DEATH
DECISIONS, HAVING TO EVERY DAY,
EVERY DAY READ INTELLIGENCE
ABOUT ALL OF THE EVIL THAT'S OUT
THERE IN THE WORLD AND THOSE
THAT WANT TO STRIKE AT US.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO THROUGH
THOSE KINDS OF DAYS AND NOT HAVE
IT AFFECT YOU.
I THINK IT DOES.
IT'S HARD TO HAVE A POSITIVE
VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE.
THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF DARK
FORCES AFOOT IN THE WORLD.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO
LOOK UP AT EVERY PLANE AND WATCH
EVERY TRAIN, AND YOU THINK,
"WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
I NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT
CAN GO WRONG."
I DON'T HAVE A HUSBAND
ANYMORE.
I THINK, OVER THE YEARS, I HAD
JUST BECOME SUCH A ROBOT IN MY
APPROACH TO LIFE BECAUSE THAT
WAS WHAT WAS NEEDED ON THE JOB.
I GOT ALL THE TRAINS OFF ON TIME
AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING WITH
THE FAMILY, BUT THEY DON'T
NECESSARILY SEE ME AS HAVING
BEEN EMOTIONALLY PRESENT IN
THEIR LIVES.
THAT'S A HARD THING TO TAKE.
THE REASON I'M SO STRONG FOR
C.I.A. IS, I SAW THEIR DEDICATED
MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORK THERE
GET NO CREDIT.
NOT OUT IN THE OPEN AT ALL.
AND I JUST ADMIRED THEIR
PATRIOTISM AND THEIR DEDICATION
TO THIS COUNTRY.
IT WAS VERY, VERY HARD.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS NOTICED
SOMETHING-- WIVES OF C.I.A.
DIRECTORS.
THE WIVES ARE, TO A PERSON, OF
THE VIEW THAT THE EXPERIENCE WAS
NOT GOOD FOR THEIR HUSBANDS.
Narrator: THE SPYMASTERS ARE
ALL TOO HUMAN-- THEIR SUCCESSES
OFTEN SECRET, THEIR MISTAKES
EXPOSED AND MAGNIFIED.
THE SCANDAL COMES AT A
SENSITIVE TIME FOR PETRAEUS AND
THE C.I.A.
DAVID PETRAEUS IS NOT THE
FIRST HIGH-RANKING WASHINGTON
OFFICIAL TO HAVE AN AFFAIR, BUT
HE IS THE FIRST C.I.A. DIRECTOR
TO RESIGN BECAUSE OF ONE.
THE PETRAEUS INDISCRETIONS CAME
TO THE ATTENTION OF THE F.B.I.
YOU WERE CONFIRMED IN THE JOB
BY A VOTE OF 92-0.
PRECIPITOUS FALL.
HOW TOUGH WAS THAT?
PRECIPITOUS FALLS ARE VERY
TOUGH.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SAYING IN
THE MILITARY, "THE HIGHER YOU GO
UP THE FLAGPOLE, THE MORE CHANCE
YOU HAVE TO SHOW YOUR BACKSIDE."
AND I WAS WELL UP THE FLAGPOLE
AND DID JUST THAT.
Narrator: SOME DIRECTORS
WORRY THAT THE AGENCY'S MISSION
HAS CHANGED, THAT THE C.I.A.,
ONCE AN INTELLIGENCE AND
ESPIONAGE SERVICE, HAS BECOME
TOO FOCUSED ON LETHAL COVERT
ACTION.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT C.I.A.
TODAY HAS A MUCH LARGER
PARAMILITARY MISSION THAN IT
EVER HAS, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK
TO ITS ROOTS.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT OVER THE
LONG-TERM THAT'S NOT A HEALTHY
THING, BECAUSE THE PRIMARY JOB
OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY IS TO COLLECT SECRETS.
LOOK, I'LL BE TOTALLY CANDID
WITH YOU.
AN AWFUL LOT OF WHAT WE NOW CALL
ANALYSIS IN THE AMERICAN
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS REALLY
TARGETING.
WE'RE SAFER BECAUSE OF IT, BUT
IT HAS NOT BEEN COST-FREE.
I THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH OF A
TENDENCY TO GET SO CAUGHT UP IN
THE SCINTILLATING COVERT WORLD,
THAT WE FORGET THAT IT'S ON THE
ANALYTICAL SIDE AND THE
ESPIONAGE SIDE THAT C.I.A.
ACTUALLY EARNS ITS MONEY.
I MEAN, JUST THINK ABOUT THE
PAST DECADE OR MORE HAD WE NOT
GONE TO WAR IN IRAQ, WHAT THE
WORLD WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO... AND THAT'S AN ANALYTICAL
FAILURE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T
KILL.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T
PROTECT YOURSELF.
THERE'S JUST A BIGGER ISSUE THAT
YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR ARMS
AROUND, WHICH IS THE CREATION OF
TERRORISTS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
LOOK, LET'S BE VERY CANDID.
THIS IS ABOUT ISLAM.
NOW, I'M NOT CRITICIZING ONE OF
THE WORLD'S GREAT MONOTHEISMS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE QURAN, IT'S
NOT ABOUT THE PROPHET, BUT IT IS
ABOUT THE WAY IT IS BEING
MISUSED.
MY VIEW OF THIS, FRANKLY, IS
THAT THIS IS NOT SO MUCH
RELIGION AS JUST EVIL, AND WE'VE
ALWAYS HAD TO DEAL WITH EVIL.
I MEAN, PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO DO
EVIL THINGS, THEY MAY EXCUSE
WHAT THEY DO BASED ON JIHAD,
BASED ON THE POWER OF THE
CHURCH, BUT DEEP DOWN THESE ARE
PEOPLE WHO ARE EVIL.
CIVIL UPRISINGS QUICKLY
BECAME A TSUNAMI OF CITIZENS
ROARING FOR FREEDOM.
THERE'S BEEN A TRANSFORMATION
OF SORTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
BECAUSE THE ARAB SPRING, WHILE
IT HAS REGRESSED IN SOME WAYS,
THEY UNLEASHED A SERIES OF
FORCES THAT BASICALLY SAID, "WE
WANT A BETTER WAY OF LIFE.
WE WANT A FUNCTIONING CIVIL
SOCIETY."
SO, IN PART, THE
MESSAGE HAS TO BE TO ISLAM
ITSELF, IS, YOU HAVE TO CREATE
VIBRANT CIVIL SOCIETIES THAT
WORK, THAT CREATE EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE
TO DO FOR THEMSELVES.
DEALING WITH THIS
RADICALIZATION THAT'S TAKING
PLACE AMONG THESE YOUNG MEN AND
YOUNG WOMEN IS THE BIGGER
PROBLEM, AND UNTIL WE GET OUR
ARMS AROUND THAT, THIS WAR IS
NOT GOING AWAY.
THE HARSH TRUTH IS, TERRORISM
IS RIGHT NOW WORSE THAN IT'S
EVER BEEN.
IT'S THE LARGEST SAFE HAVEN
THEY'VE HAD IN MORE THAN A
DECADE WITH MONEY, ACCESS,
NARRATIVE AND TERRITORY.
I'VE COME TO THE VIEW IN DEALING
WITH BAD GUYS THAT GENERALLY YOU
SHOULD BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY.
MOST OF THEM ARE GOING TO TRY
AND DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU
THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
FOR NOW, I WOULD SAY THE ISIS'
OBJECTIVE IS TO CONSOLIDATE
THEIR POSITION IN THIS SO-CALLED
CALIPHATE, BUT UNLESS THEY ARE
STAMPED OUT, THEY'LL COME HERE.
THEY'LL COME HERE. OUR
SENSIBILITIES AND SOULS HAVE
BEEN GERARD BY THE HORRIFIC AND
WONTON VIOLENCE PERPETRATED UPON
THE INNOCENT IN THE STREETS,
CAFES AND CONCERT HALLS
IN THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF PARIS.
TO SAY WE'RE NOT IN THEIR GUN
SIGHTS REMINDS ME A LITTLE BIT
TOO MUCH OF PRE-9/11, WHERE
FRANKLY THE C.I.A. ENCOUNTERED,
IN MUCH OF THE WORLD, WHAT I
WOULD CALL A CLIMATE OF
DISBELIEF.
I WISH WE WOULD JUST CAPTURE
SOME PEOPLE.
I'VE GOT MORE FINGERS ON THIS
HAND THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WE'VE CAPTURED SINCE I LEFT
GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE MADE IT SO LEGALLY
DIFFICULT AND POLITICALLY
DANGEROUS TO CAPTURE THAT WE
DON'T.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE RULES
OF ENGAGEMENT ARE.
ARE WE DEALING WITH ENEMY
COMBATANTS?
ARE WE DEALING WITH CRIMINALS?
ARE WE DEALING WITH THUGS?
ARE THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT IS,
WE SHOOT FIRST?
WE ONLY SHOOT IF WE GET SHOT AT?
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE...
THE REMEDY TO TERRORISM IS USING
THE POINTY END OF THE SPEAR,
KICKING DOWN THE DOORS, TAKING
ACTION AGAINST THE TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WE CAN
KILL OUR WAY OUT OF.
YOU CANNOT KILL YOUR WAY OUT
OF THIS.
YOU CANNOT KILL YOUR WAY OUT.
YOU CAN'T KILL YOUR WAY OUT
OF THIS.
THAT'S A MISTAKE.
IT'S A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE THAN
JUST KILLING PEOPLE.
IT'S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
NOW WE CAN LIVE IN A WORLD
WHERE WE ALL TRY TO SEE WHO
COULD BE THE TOUGHEST, THE
MEANEST AND SO FORTH, BUT IT
ISN'T GOING TO BE THE KIND OF
WORLD THAT WE BELIEVE WE WANT
FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THEIR
CHILDREN.
I MAY BE A BIT OF A HERETIC
BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY SEE
TERRORISTS OR TERRORISM AS A
THREAT TO U.S. NATIONAL
SECURITY.
TO ME, OUR NATION'S SECURITY IS
ONLY THREATENED BY US IF WE
CHOOSE TO CHANGE COURSE AND
BECOME SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT.
SO, IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE
FIGHT AGAINST AL QAEDA AND ISIS,
THE BIG PICTURE IS A GREAT
VICTORY FOR US AND A GREAT
VICTORY FOR THEM.
OUR GREAT VICTORY HAS BEEN THE
DEGRADATION, DECIMATION, NEAR
DEFEAT OF THAT AL QAEDA CORE
THAT BROUGHT THAT TRAGEDY TO OUR
SHORES ON 9/11.
THEIR GREAT VICTORY HAS BEEN THE
SPREAD OF THEIR IDEOLOGY ACROSS
A HUGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
THAT'S BEEN THEIR GREAT VICTORY.
I FEAR AND I REALIZE THAT
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE AN END TO
TERRORISM IN MY LIFETIME OR MY
CHILDREN'S LIFETIME.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO DO OUR JOBS EVERY
DAY TO MINIMIZE TO THE GREATEST
EXTENT POSSIBLE THE ABILITY OF
THESE INDIVIDUALS TO
SUCCESSFULLY CARRY OUT THESE...
THESE TERRORIST ACTS.
THAT'S WHAT INTELLIGENCE IS
REALLY TRYING TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE TIME AND
SPACE TO POLICY MAKERS, TO OUR
DIPLOMATS, TO OUR NEGOTIATORS TO
RESOLVE SOME OF THESE
OUTSTANDING ISSUES AND TENSIONS
THAT EXIST IN THE WORLD.
THE REALITY IS THAT
INTELLIGENCE OR DIRECT ACTION
ONLY BUYS YOU SPACE.
IT RARELY SOLVES THE PROBLEM ON
ITS OWN.
AND IF POLITICAL LEADERS DON'T
HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL OR THE
COURAGE OR WHATEVER IT TAKES TO
USE THE SPACE, YOU GET INTO THIS
LOOP WHERE YOU GET TO KILL
PEOPLE FOREVER.
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