In a letter sent to Congress on the current state of CIA policies, Leon Panetta has outlined a rollback on Bush era tactics. These include the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques", use of black sites and the use of contract workers for interrogation.
jump
Dated April 9, 2009 Panetta's letter announces sweeping changes in the way the Company runs, mainly accountability. Accountability for US and foreign liaisons.
CIA officers, whose knowledge of terrorist organizations is second to none, will continue to conduct debriefings using a dialog style of questioning that is fully consistent with the interrogation approaches authorized and listed in the Army Field Manual. CIA officers do not tolerate, and will continue to promptly report, any inappropriate behavior or allegations of abuse. That holds true whether a suspect is in the custody of an American partner or a foreign liaison service.
In a direct repudiation of Bush era tactics and in accord with President Obama's executive order of jan. 22, 2009
Under the Executive Order, the CIA does not employ any of the enhanced interrogation techniques that were authorized by the Department of Justice from 2002 to 2009.
No CIA contractors will conduct interrogations.
The letter also states that the use of black sites and detention facilities has ceased and the CIA is in charge of the decommissioning of these sites, further saving money not using contractors.
CIA no longer operates detention facilities or black sites and has proposed a plan to decommission the remaining sites. I have directed our Agency personnel to take charge of the decommissioning process and have further directed that the contracts for site security be promptly terminated. It is estimated that our taking over site security will result in savings of up to $4 million.
But does Panetta go far enough? He hints at cooperation with Congressional reviews of past interrogation techniques but further states that Officers following orders should not be punished.
CIA’s focus will remain where the American people expect it to be—on the mission of protecting the country today and into the future. We will do that even as we cooperate with Congressional reviews of past interrogation practices. Officers who act on guidance from the Department of Justice—or acted on such guidance previously—should not be investigated, let alone punished. This is what fairness and wisdom require.