The Man Who Broke Abu Zubaydah and Didn't Use Torture

Ali Soufan, Former FBI Special Agent

From an interview with Mr. Ali Soufan is a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent who investigated and supervised highly sensitive and complex international terrorism cases, including the East Africa Embassy Bombings, the attack on the USS Cole, and the events surrounding 9/11. 

Soufan's group homepage is here.

But, his biggest case came in March 2002. He and a colleague were the first to interrogate Abu Zubaydah, who at that point was considered the most important al-Qaeda prisoner held by the Americans. 

Abu Zubaydah

(undated photo)

Mr. Soufan was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic. Because he could quote the Koran during questioning of detainees, he was able to build up trust with them, and guess what: He never laid a finger on anyone and in the case of Abu Zuibaydah, Soufan got him to reveal critical information, including the identity of KSM - the so-called 9/11 mastermind.

However, later Zubaydah was handed over to the CIA. They chose to use him as their first detainee on whom they would “test or try” the now infamous “enhanced interrogation techniques.” 

At that point, Zubaydah clammed up after the harsh stuff started. 

… Soufan never had a problem getting Zubaydah to talk and talk freely and provide good intelligence – that is an historical fact, which again reinforces the premise that “torture does not work,” plus it is illegal, unlawful and a war crime.  

Continue the Soufan interview at the link cited above. Good reading and worth your time. 

The case background on Abu Zubaydah can be seen here and here, both are good reads and both contain a lot of history of the ugly trail of torture approved under the Bush watch.

Thanks for stopping by.