Former CIA caseworker John Kiriakou shown in custody in Guantanamo Bay
Washington, DC (Rotters) - In a dramatic reversal of it's previous position, the CIA today announced that former agent and torture whistleblower John Kiriakou had been taken into custody and rendered in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Kiriakou became famous in the past few days for coming forward in multiple news outlets to describe the successful waterboarding of Al Qaeda suspect Abu Zubaydah. Kiriakou maintains that he has come full circle on the issue of waterboarding, stating that while he felt useful information had been obtained due to the controversial process, he now believes it to be torture. Kiriakou's revelations occurred just as the Bush administration and the CIA were rocked with the scandal of the destruction of videotapes documenting "extreme interrogation" of terror suspects, and has sparked a renewed debate over the legality of the technique of waterboarding.
A CIA spokesperson stated that the agency had felt all along that Kiriakou had overstepped his responsibilities and now posed a security threat to the agency and to America. The agency revealed pictures of some of the extreme interrogation techniques which were now being applied to Kiriakou in captivity in Guantánamo Bay in an effort to determine how far the breach in security might have progressed within the agency.
Former agent Kiriakou being subjected to stress positioning at Camp Delta
"Our agents are trained to handle these types of situations, so Mr. Kiriakou is really in little danger," stated the CIA spokesperson. "The vast majority of our techniques amount to little more than mental intimidation. That being said, it was a little disappointing that Mr. Kiriakou seem to crack after about 45 seconds. This has resulted in some leads which need to be followed up, but his story of undercover work for the White House is a little unbelievable."
The White House refused to comment on allegations that Kiriakou was functioning as a White House/CIA plant within the press, stating that the investigation was still ongoing.
"We applaud the CIA and director Michael Hayden for the transparency of its actions in regards to former agent Kiriakou," stated White House press secretary Dana Perino. "Their immediate release of pertinent photographs and documents should serve as ample proof to the American public and the world that America does not torture."