Former FBI interrogator Ali Soufan calls Bush-era torture a 'disaster'
In 2001, the Lebanese-American FBI agent Ali Soufan was probably the finest anti-terrorism specialist in the entire U.S. government. He led the investigation of the USS Cole bombing, and when the 9/11 attacks happened, he was the only agent in all of New York City who could speak Arabic.
Both within the FBI and outside of it, he has been a fierce critic of the Bush-era torture program. At an awards speech two years ago he was scathingly critical, particularly of Jose Rodriguez, who destroyed the video evidence of the program:
[Enhanced interrogation techniques] were designed by bureaucrats with no experience with al Qaeda, by people who had never met a terrorist, let alone interrogate one. Unsurprisingly it ended with disaster: false leads were chased, real opportunities were missed, and justice was never served... Those behind this calamity destroyed the interrogation tapes — the evidence of their failure, the evidence of their unprofessionalism, the evidence of their incompetence. But while those people may have escaped official censure, history has damned them. [YouTube]
It's a valuable perspective as the nation waits for the Senate torture report to be released. --Ryan Cooper
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
-
US foodies brace for tariff war
Under The Radar Shoppers stocking up on imported olive oil, maple syrup and European wine as price hikes loom
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
How Canadian tariffs could impact tourism to the US
In the Spotlight Canadians represent the largest group of foreign visitors to the United States. But they may soon stop visiting.
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Entitlements: DOGE goes after Social Security
Feature Elon Musk is pushing false claims about Social Security fraud
By The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published