White House Institutes Interrogation Unit for Terrorism Suspects

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Obama administration is moving in a new direction when it comes to interrogating terrorism suspects.

The White House announced the formation of a new interrogation unit that will be headed by the FBI instead of the CIA.

Two Oklahomans who have dealt with terrorism first-hand have their own opinions about the change.

What the president is trying to prevent is interrogators from torturing suspected terrorists. The Oklahomans are divided on whether the president's plan is the right move.

Under the president's new plan the FBI will now supervise interrogation of terrorism suspects. The FBI will answer directly to the White House.

"I think they are sending a clear message," Oklahoma's Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Executive Director David Cid said. "They want interrogations to be within the scope of the law, and that's way they're putting it under the auspices of the FBI," Cid said.

Cid worked for the FBI for 20 years. He says the new policy will set clear guidelines on what is and is not acceptable.

"By setting limits on the interrogators, they know what they are allowed to do, what they're permitted to do, what techniques they are permitted to use," Cid said.

The CIA has been criticized for interrogation techniques like water boarding, which many see as torture.
But former Army Colonel and State Senator Steve Russell does not agree with the new plan.

"If people think we can sit down with Al Qaida terrorists at our favorite coffee shop and work it out over a latte, we're mistaken," Sen. Russell said. "We cannot do these things by playing nice. We can do them by being civilized."

Russell's unit fought the war on terror in Iraq, and helped capture Saddam Hussein. He believes the CIA can still do the job of interrogating terror suspects, especially now since we are still fighting.

"The central intelligence agency deals with external threats to our national security," Russell said. "The FBI deals with internal. Why would we then want internal experts to deal with external threats is the question I think we need to ask?"

Earlier this year the president announced all U.S. interrogators will now follow rules laid out in the Army Field Manual and in cases where terror suspects are transferred to the counties the U.S. will work harder to ensure they are not tortured.

Also today, the attorney general assigned a prosecutor to begin a criminal probe of CIA questioning of terror suspects during the Bush administration.

But the White House reiterated those who acted in good faith and within the scope of legal guidance should not be prosecuted.