Philip Mudd, a former CIA official, blasted senators reticent to confirm CIA director nominee Gina Haspel over her work at the agency said to involve the use of torture, despite CIA’s enhanced interrogation program being discussed with Congress at the time.
“You can vote against Gina Haspel, but don’t give me the collective amnesia about how it’s on CIA. I want to talk to the senators who told us that they represented American values, [but] now that we don’t face the same threat and that we have different senators, it’s Okay to attack one of my former colleagues,” Mudd, also a CNN commentator, told the cable news network.
“I’m pissed off. This is collective amnesia. We didn’t do. America did it. Get over it,” he continued.
“I am pissed off.” Phil Mudd slams senators for “selective amnesia” when grilling CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel over interrogation techniques that were legal, “We didn’t do it, America did it.” https://t.co/QM1blr1AJt pic.twitter.com/o5O84CdYdF
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) May 9, 2018
Haspel’s history at CIA has come under a microscope as she seeks to become the first female director of the agency, replacing Mike Pompeo after his successful transition to his new role of secretary of state.
Some lawmakers are hesitant to confirm Haspel over her tenure as head of a CIA black site in Thailand where terror suspects were questioned using tactics such as waterboarding and physical violence. She also wanted to destroy videos of the interrogation sessions.
“I was among the CIA officers 15 years ago who spoke with the Congress in detail about the techniques we used. I spoke about the techniques that were authorized by the Department of Justice, I spoke to Republicans and Democrats, they were either silent or supportive,” Mudd said.
“They told us this was not torture, that it complied with the Constitution, and that it complied with U.S. law,” he added.
It is unclear if Haspel, who appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, will receive the 51 votes she requires for confirmation, but appears to be a lock to get the intelligence panel’s blessing.
