The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent federal agency aimed at providing intelligence relevant to national security and prevention of terrorism. The CIA is governed by a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) who is authorized to serve as head of the United States intelligence community act as the principal adviser to the President in the matters regarding national security ("About CIA.").
One of the most controversial and scandalous operations of the CIA is the adoption of the enhanced interrogation techniques. At the core of the issue was the question of whether suggested methods of interrogation could be vindicated. The problem was complicated by the fact that such methods violated the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, which states that no one can be subjected to torture or degrading treatment, as well as Geneva Conventions.
Senate’s and President’s stance on the matter were opposite. While the major part of the Senate considered the enhanced interrogation techniques inhumane and violent, the President deemed them justifiable and was concerned only with two questions: whether they were efficient and legal (Secrets, politics and torture). He was assured that such approach was certain to bring fruitful results and could be considered as a legal method, rather than torture.
The scandal broke when internal CIA report on the implementation of the enhanced interrogation techniques was revealed by the Senate. The information presented in the report differed from the data submitted to the authorities. While the official reports claimed that the techniques were efficient and brought intelligence useful for the prevention of terrorists’ operations, the internal report contained information that said that the interrogators failed to obtain any relevant data by such approach. The detainees subjected to the enhanced interrogation techniques either kept silent or said anything to stop the pain and thereby such intelligence appeared deceitful.
Such revelation led to a further disagreement between the President and the Senate. Representatives of the Senate demanded that the information should be revealed and the program terminated, but the President defended the tactics and backed the CIA.
The situation required immediate action as reputation of the US was sullied and many world leaders blamed the government for allowing such brutal and inhumane approach. The two branches of government should have worked anonymously in order to tackle the consequence of the enhanced interrogation techniques scandal and amend their position. But instead they failed to reach a consensus and essentially broke into two camps with the Senate backed by the international community and the Nation Security advisor that asserted that the program must be curtailed and its executives prosecuted on the one side and the President who sought to vindicate the CIA officials on the other.
In my opinion, unanimous collaboration of the Senate and the President that took place under Obama administration is more efficient in the work of tackling the consequences of the enhanced interrogation techniques scandal.
Works cited
"About CIA." Central Intelligence Agency, 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 June 2016.
Secrets, politics and torture. Perf. John Rizzo, Dianne Feinstein. Frontline, 2015. Film.
