Torture chief could become CIA director: Gina Haspel’s dark past

United States President Donald Trump had announced that Gina Haspel, current deputy director of the CIA, would be bumped up to director following Mike Pompeo’s nomination as Secretary of State.

However, both positions require Senate confirmation, and Haspel is due to be asked questions regarding her involvement in torture programs.

Haspel previously led a “black site,” called "Cat's Eye," a secret CIA-run prison which held torture programs for detainees, and is also linked to an internal CIA decision to destroy evidence of the “enhanced interrogations.” Black sites are known to have been operated in Thailand and Poland.

Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian man the CIA believed was one of al-Qaida’s top leaders, was water boarded in August 2002 in the black site. The torture of 31-year-old Zubaydah continued despite his pleas for mercy. Zubaydah vomited, passed out and urinated on himself while shackled as a result of the waterboarding. During one session, he lost consciousness and starting gurgling bubbles from his mouth.

Haspel continued the interrogations despite the fact that Zubaydah could not provide any information. She spoke to him directly once, accusing Zubaydah of faking symptoms of physical distress and psychological breakdown. In a scene described in a book written by one of the interrogators, Haspel came to his cell and “congratulated him on the fine quality of his acting.” According to the book, the chief of base, Haspel, who was identified only by title, said: “Good job! I like the way you’re drooling; it adds realism. I’m almost buying it. You wouldn’t think a grown man would do that.”

It later emerged that Zubaydah had nothing to do with al-Qaida, and when questions about the program started to be asked, Haspel had the evidence destroyed. Zubaydah is currently locked up at Guantanamo.

Trump’s Haspel appointment is especially relevant given the president’s statements on torture. The Trump administration recently withdrew a draft executive order asking American intelligence agencies to consider resuming “enhanced interrogation” of terror suspects.

Senators from both parties have questioned Haspel’s past. Republican senator Rand Paul said on Wednesday he would oppose Haspel, accusing her of having shown “joyful glee” during the torture of terror suspects.

“To really appoint the head cheerleader for waterboarding to be head of the CIA? I mean, how could you trust somebody who did that to be in charge of the CIA? To read of her glee during the waterboarding is just absolutely appalling,” Paul said.

Paul highlighted the quote describing Haspel’s accusation that Zubaydah was faking a breakdown and praised his “acting.”

“When you read that sort of the joyful glee at someone who’s being tortured, I find it just amazing that anyone would consider having this woman for head of the CIA. So my opposition to her is over her direct participation in interrogation and her gleeful enjoyment at the suffering of someone being tortured.”

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain urged his colleagues to press Haspel about the role she played in torturing detainees. “Ms. Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA’s interrogation program during the confirmation process. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel’s record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law,” McCain said in a statement.”

Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, said Haspel’s background makes her “unsuitable” to become the CIA director. Wyden, who serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence, said that he opposes her nomination.