By Avishek Deb
March the thirteenth 2018 was a watershed moment in US politics. Gina Cheri Haspel, currently the deputy director of CIA, was nominated by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday to lead the spy agency after the post went vacant following the appointment of current CIA director Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. Pompeo is set to become the 70th Secretary of State and will be replacing Rex Tillerson, who was unceremoniously fired by the President via Twitter one day ago.
A veteran with a controversial past
Haspel could become the first woman to head the CIA if her nomination is confirmed by the Senate. However, her confirmation could prove to be a bumpy ride given her role in leading controversial clandestine operations abroad, including running a ‘black’ prison site in Thailand where captives would undergo ‘Enhanced Interrogation Treatment’.
Haspel, 61, is a veteran intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. In her thirty-three years of service she has held several leadership positions in the agency, including directorial roles at the Counterterrorism Centre and the National Clandestine Service as well as Station Chief roles in various parts of the world. She is known to spend most her life undercover. She is also a decorated agent with many awards to her name, such as the George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism, the Donovan Award, the Intelligence Medal of Merit and the Presidential Rank Award.
However, the dark side of the agency tarnished her otherwise unblemished record when evidence of the destruction of tapes depicting torture in a secret facility run by Haspel became public in 2007. She is alleged to have played a significant role in the CIA’s rendition programme, whereby suspected terrorists were transported to secret CIA facilities in foreign countries and tortured to give information pertaining to national security. The program reached its height during the post 9/11 Bush era, when the frenzy to take down Al Qaeda led the CIA to overlook human rights violations at the agency.
Accusations of destroying evidence
Haspel also ran a detention site in Thailand in 2002 and oversaw the brutal torture of two Al Qaeda operatives, Abu Zubaydah and Abd Al Rahim. Mr Zubaydah was waterboarded at least eighty-three times in one month and had his head hit against the walls in addition to being subjected to other inhumane treatment, such as sleep deprivation. This torture continued until the CIA was convinced that they could not extract any more information from him. The interrogation sessions were videotaped for intel use and possible litigation and were stored safely in a CIA storehouse in Thailand before being destroyed in 2005.
The order for the destruction of the tapes came from Haspel’s former boss Jose Rodriguez, but many within the ranks believe it was the work of Haspel herself. It is believed that she panicked when the Washington Post unearthed illegal torture camps run by CIA in Eastern Europe and so covered up the torture sessions in order to avoid a press story.
This kind of evidence-tampering without taking the White House or Congress into her confidence caused a furore. Congress, which is responsible for overseeing CIA operations, called it a violation of protocol. However, in 2010, the Department of Justice decided not to pursue any criminal charges relating to the destruction of the videotapes. Largely because of this, Senator Dianne Feinstein, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, blocked Haspel’s promotion to be head of the CIA’s Clandestine Service in 2013. Senator Jon McCain, a former prisoner of war, called on Haspel to explain the extent and nature of her involvement in the torture scandal during the same confirmation hearings. In 2017, a handful of Senate Democrats asked Mr Trump to withdraw Haspel’s nomination for the post of deputy director of the CIA.
Challenges to Hapel’s confirmation
It will not be a cakewalk for Haspel to have her appointment confirmed, even though Trump’s Republican Party controls the Senate with 51 to 49. A few Republicans might oppose her and Democrats overwhelmingly despise her. Her nomination has already provoked mixed reactions. People within the agency still have high regard for Gina Haspel and are thrilled to have her as their boss. A few Republican leaders like Devin Nunes were full of praise, calling her forthright, dedicated and a patriot. On the other hand, several peace groups have denounced her and demanded a full declassification of Haspel’s activity before she is even considered for the job.
Mr. Trump has always entertained brutality, claiming last year that waterboarding works and should be continued if it yields actionable information. His latest move is seen as the manifestation of his tough-on-terrorism beliefs. The President intends to send out a stern message to militia groups acting against the US on several fronts.
However, Haspel’s appointment might send the wrong signal to militants. It would only encourage them to justify and carry out attacks against the USA. This risks changing the entire narrative to suit extremist ideology. Now American agents risk retribution from the terrorists if they get captured, setting in motion a vicious cycle. Haspel must publicly denounce enhanced interrogation techniques in order to alleviate everyone’s fear.
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