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Did enhanced interrogation lead us to bin Laden?

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    Former CIA official Jose Rodriguez explains

  • Duration 5:56
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This transcript is automatically generated

It's contrary to America's traditions.

Discovery for -- that's not who we are that's not how we operate we don't need in order to the prosecute the war on terrorism and we did the right thing by ending that practice if we want a leader -- world.

Part of our -- is a good example.

And anybody who was actually.

Read about and understands.

Practice of waterboarding.

-- -- -- -- -- That's not something we do.

-- I was President Obama late last year declaring that enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding are in fact torture.

But one year after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden a former high ranking CIA official is now speaking out.

Now he argues that the methods employed by the Bush Administration played a large role in providing the intelligence roadmap that eventually led to the terrorist compound.

And with us now is the man at the center of -- that controversy Jose Rodriguez junior.

He is a former director of the CIA's national clandestine service and the author of hard measures how aggressive CIA actions after nine elevenths.

Saved American -- -- to -- again thank you for being with us -- -- OK so.

You were there.

-- Abu zubaydah Khalid Sheikh Mohamed you led the enhanced interrogation effort you were in charge.

The president of the United States now refers to you is somebody who is involved in.

Torture.

Your reaction.

I describing -- measures how discuss -- there was when I heard that.

Because.

You know we we stepped up to the plate and we go to authorities from a precedent.

Justice Department the Justice Department certified at all of these was legal we briefed.

The congress.

And explosive you briefed her personally I'm briefed her personally and that the team that briefed her personally so.

And then we went to work.

And we destroyed the al-Qaeda organization that tactics I mean Abu zubaydah was the first and there's a long string of people that we Coke after that.

We basically took it down and the enhanced interrogation program played a key role in our been able to.

Right its president is gonna spike the football.

And he's gonna -- his but his rival in the next up in the upcoming election.

Of not being willing to make that decision which he did in the sad and he's gonna go on the one year anniversary.

Of the death of bin Laden to Afghanistan I think it does beg the question.

If he had his way not supporting enhanced interrogation.

Rendition -- talk about the the black sites and how you would.

Drug these guys take the locations where nobody could find them.

Wouldn't we have had the intelligence.

If his way was used no enhanced interrogation.

No Arab I don't think so you know the last wouldn't have gotten a -- -- at the last administration.

Advance the ball to the ninety yard line.

And then we have passed it over to the new administration and they scored.

Yet they spike the ball.

And he was at hand it was excessive celebration in my in my in my view talk about Abu zubaydah.

Talk about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed talk about the waterboarding he said.

It KSM was was tougher than is abated that he was evil when you saw him met him you felt you were looking at.

-- -- indication of evil mean that he he's Smart very Smart person.

But he was looking at different ways of of killing us and coming after us -- how long does it take to break somebody.

I mean we we eat the technique so what sleep deprivation changing their diet.

There's to the conditioning.

Techniques like good -- Initial sleep deprivation and white noise and dietary manipulation.

There's corrective measures.

Would you grab the person and he understands.

That you know it's a different sort of -- -- here and then the.

There's some -- techniques and then there is though waterboarding waterboarding and how did they both those guys I think Americans would like to know maybe maybe somebody like my friend Debra Burlingame would probably like to know.

How Abu zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohamed that planned and orchestrated the death of her brother.

How did they react to waterboarding.

They.

Succumbed to waterboarding.

Eventually I think in the cumulative effect of the techniques finally got to them.

How they -- the toughest detainees that we had -- particularly technically -- homered.

But interestingly wind Abu zubaydah.

I went through the waterboarding he he told us that we needed to -- -- everybody because that way they would have religious justification to operate with us you know kind of turned to Debra Burlingame.

-- Do you feel a sense.

Of not necessary do you feel good knowing that these decisions were made to prevent other people from having to go through and suffer what you and your family suffered.

Accidentally.

I I think he's.

Vindication for my brother and the people that were killed it's about I don't want any other Brothers fathers sons.

Yeah -- saving lives I -- I commend.

-- Jose Rodriguez and all of his -- colleagues nameless faceless call except we'll never know.

But I believe Americans are alive today and possibly westerners.

Elsewhere in the world.

And -- troops because of this waterboarding and because of mainly because of the enhanced interrogation program because only three people -- water -- and that's a good point you well more people were waterboarding this room and we waterboarding didn't hold.

I mean -- only when the -- that was colonel more efficient offense and.

I'm -- -- good friends are right thank you for you did thank you for being with us and.

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