Silenced

COME ON!

IN JANUARY OF 2012,

THE FBI CALLED ME AT HOME AND SAID,

"CAN YOU COME TO THE WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE THURSDAY AT 10:00?"

I SAID, "ABSOLUTELY."

SO, I WENT DOWN TO THE WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE,

AND THEY BEGAN ASKING ME QUESTIONS.

WELL, I'VE SPENT MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE WORKING WITH THE FBI.

SO, THE FBI NEEDS MY HELP, I'M HAPPY TO HELP.

IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS ABOUT

AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES INTO THIS INTERVIEW

THAT I REALIZED, "WAIT A MINUTE.

THEY'RE INVESTIGATING ME."

WE NEED TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

-AND THEY SAID, "WELL, WE NEED TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

WE'RE EXECUTING A SEARCH WARRANT ON YOUR HOUSE

RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK,

AND WE'RE SEIZING ALL OF YOUR ELECTRONICS."

-WHAT I EXPERIENCED AS A WHISTLE-BLOWER

SENDS THE MOST CHILLING OF MESSAGES

ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN, AND I WILL EMPHASIZE, WILL DO

WHEN ONE SPEAKS TRUTH TO AND OF POWER.

-THERE IS INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC

IN A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

SO, YOUR WHOLE BODY RAILS AGAINST IT?

-WARRANTLESS WIRE-TAPPING, TORTURE --

WE ONLY KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE OF WHISTLE-BLOWERS.

-I KNEW I COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT.

IF I REMAINED SILENT,

I'D BE COMPLICIT TO THE SUBVERSION OF THE CONSTITUTION.

IF I REMAINED SILENT

AS A SENIOR EXECUTIVE ASSIGNED TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY,

I WOULD BE AN ACCESSORY TO A CRIME.

-HISTORICALLY, SUCH PEOPLE WERE FORCED

TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR CONSCIENCE

AND THEIR CAREER,

BUT NOW THE STAKES ARE MUCH HIGHER --

THEY RISK THEIR FREEDOM AND THEIR LIVES.

I DID NOT COMMIT A CRIME.

I'M GOING TO TRIAL,

AND I'M GONNA PROVE MYSELF INNOCENT.

I'M NOT THE PUSHOVER THAT THESE GUYS THINK I AM.

I'M AS TOUGH AS THEY ARE, AND I'M GONNA FIGHT.

[ "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR" PLAYING ON PIANO ]

NO, I'M SORRY.

THEY'RE ALL METALS.

JOHN, DID YOU GET HER? -YEAH.

-OKAY. -WHERE'S MAX?

-HE'S SLEEPING. -OKAY.

-SORRY TO WAKE YOU UP, BUT IT'S DINNER TIME.

MNH.

-BLESS US, OH, LORD, AND THESE THY GIFTS,

WHICH WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE FROM THY BOUNTY.

THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD, AMEN.

-FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRT. AMEN.

-IN MY HEART, I BELIEVE I'M GONNA WIN.

MY WIFE TELLS ME EVERY TIME I START TO FEEL

A LITTLE DEPRESSED,

"YOU HAVE THE TRUTH ON YOUR SIDE."

AND SHE'S RIGHT.

I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.

HIS NAME IS JOHN KIRIAKOU,

A CIA UNDERCOVER OFFICER FOR 15 YEARS.

-DID YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE TECHNIQUES?

UH, FRANKLY, NO.

AND I ELECTED TO, UH, TO FOREGO THE TRAINING.

-I WAS THE FIRST CIA OFFICER, OR FORMER CIA OFFICER,

TO CONFIRM THE USE OF TORTURE TECHNIQUES

AGAINST AL QAEDA PRISONERS.

WHAT IS IT LIKE?

UH, YOU FEEL LIKE

YOU'RE CHOKING OR DROWNING.

IT WAS ALREADY IN THE NEWS.

THE WASHINGTON POST, FOR EXAMPLE,

HAD REPORTED THAT THE CIA HAD USED TORTURE TECHNIQUES,

AND HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH HAD REPORTED IT

AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAD REPORTED IT.

SO, IN THE BACK OF MY MIND,

I DIDN'T THINK I WAS SAYING ANYTHING NEW.

-WOULD YOU CALL IT TORTURE? -UM...

I HAD NEVER BEEN ON TELEVISION IN MY LIFE.

I TRULY EXPECTED THIS TO BE A 10-MINUTE INTERVIEW

THAT THEY WHITTLE DOWN TO 15 SECONDS.

INSTEAD, HE ASKED ME ABOUT ABU ZUBAYDAH AND ABOUT TORTURE.

AND I THINK THAT WATERBOARDING IS PROBABLY SOMETHING

THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE IN THE BUSINESS OF DOING.

WHY DO YOU SAY THAT NOW?

-BECAUSE WE'RE AMERICANS, AND WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT.

-THAT INTERVIEW BECAME A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORY.

I ENDED UP GETTING CALLS FROM EVERY NETWORK IN AMERICA.

THE CIA FILED A CRIMES REPORT AGAINST ME,

SAYING I HAD LEAKED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

BY ADMITTING THAT WATERBOARDING HAD TAKEN PLACE.

THANK GOODNESS THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAID

THAT IT WAS NOT CLASSIFIED

AND DECLINED TO PURSUE A CASE AGAINST ME THEN.

AND I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE HAVING

A NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT THIS.

WE SHOULD BE DEBATING THIS.

AND CONGRESS SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT

BECAUSE I THINK AS A COUNTRY,

WE HAVE TO DECIDE IF THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT WE WANT TO DO AS A MATTER OF POLICY.

WITH THAT INTERVIEW, I BECAME A CIA DISSIDENT.

WHETHER I KNEW IT OR NOT, WHETHER I LIKED IT OR NOT,

I WAS AN OUTSIDER FROM THAT DAY ONWARD.

-I'M FIGHTING TO HAVE MY SEPTEMBER 10th COUNTRY BACK.

IT'S A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS DIRECTION.

THE PENDULUM SWUNG AFTER 9/11,

AND INSTEAD OF SWINGING BACK TO SOME KIND OF EQUIPOISE,

IT JUST SWUNG EVEN FURTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF SECRECY.

AND THAT INCLUDES OVER-CLASSIFICATION.

THAT INCLUDES THE CRACKDOWN ON WHISTLE-BLOWERS.

THAT INCLUDES SECRET SIGNING STATEMENTS.

IT INCLUDES SHUTTING DOWN LAWSUITS

WITH THE STATE SECRETS PRIVILEGE.

I MEAN, THERE IS A WHOLE BEVY

OF SECRECY TACTICS

THAT THE GOVERNMENT USES.

EVERY TIME YOU BRING UP CIVIL LIBERTIES

THAT HAVE DETERIORATED

OR BEEN TOSSED OUT COMPLETELY

IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY,

PEOPLE THINK SOMEHOW YOU'RE SIDING WITH THE TERRORISTS --

"OH, YOU WANT OUR COUNTRY TO SUFFER."

QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

PEOPLE WANT OUR COUNTRY

TO CONTINUE TO LIVE UP TO THE IDEALS

ON WHICH IT WAS FOUNDED.

-IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU ASPIRE TO.

THIS IS NOT A CAREER GOAL TO BECOME A WHISTLE-BLOWER.

IT'S NOT.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST OR NOT.

THEY CAN PEJORATIVELY SAY IT'S LEAKING, UNAUTHORIZED LEAKING.

SO, WHISTLE-BLOWERS, IT'S CLEAR,

HAVE BECOME AN ENDANGERED SPECIES,

TO SAY IT THAT WAY,

AND YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT WHO'S DECIDED

THAT THEY NEED TO BECOME EXTINCT.

THE LAST THING THEY WANT IS PEOPLE SPILLING THE BEANS

ON WHAT THE GOVERNMENT'S DOING UNDER THE RUBRIC OF SECRECY

AND NATIONAL SECURITY BEHIND THE SCENES.

TO USE THE ESPIONAGE ACT,

IT IS THE HARSHEST THING YOU CAN CHARGE SOMEONE WITH.

THEY WERE SENDING, DELIBERATELY SENDING,

THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE MESSAGE.

THEY SET THE TARGET.

THEY PUT THE BULL'S-EYE ON ME

AND SAID, "WE'RE GONNA MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF HIM."

I WAS BORN IN LOUISIANA.

MY FATHER WAS AN OFFICER IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE.

BUT THE BULK OF MY GROWING UP WAS ACTUALLY IN VERMONT.

AND THAT'S WHERE I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL,

THAT'S WHERE I BECAME A YOUNG ADULT.

-I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN A SMALL TOWN

IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA,

NORTH OF PITTSBURGH, IN AMISH COUNTRY.

I ALWAYS HAD A FASCINATION WITH INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.

I WAS AN AVID HAM RADIO OPERATOR WHEN I WAS A KID, FOR EXAMPLE.

-I GREW UP IN COLUMBIA, MARYLAND.

I GREW UP IN A SOMEWHAT DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY,

AND THEREFORE, AT A VERY YOUNG AGE,

THE CONCEPT OF JUSTICE BECAME VERY CENTRAL TO ME.

-THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD THE AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE IT.

-I REMEMBER SITTING IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS,

WATCHING THE WATERGATE HEARINGS.

-I AUTHORIZED WIRE TAPPING AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITY.

-SEEING THESE INCREDIBLE VIOLATIONS

OF LAW AND THE FOURTH AMENDMENT,

HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS AS SPECIFIED IN THE CONSTITUTION --

NO ONE WAS ABOVE THE LAW,

NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA.

-I WENT TO COLLEGE IN NEW ENGLAND, AND LAW SCHOOL.

I DREAMED OF WORKING AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

YOU GO INTO COURT AND YOU HAVE THE IMPRIMATUR

OF THE UNITED STATES BEHIND YOU.

AND YOU GET TO WEAR THE WHITE HAT,

AND YOU GET TO ALWAYS BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE

OF WHATEVER YOU'RE ARGUING.

SO, WHEN I GOT THE JOB

AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT OUT OF LAW SCHOOL,

FOR ME, THAT WAS MY DREAM JOB.

-I WAS MOSTLY INTERESTED IN THE MIDDLE EAST

BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL,

THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS WAS ONGOING.

AND I THOUGHT, "I'M GONNA GO TO GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY.

IT'S TWO BLOCKS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE."

-I MADE A CHOICE THAT I WOULD JOIN THE AIR FORCE

FOR A FEW YEARS AS A CRYPTOLINGUIST.

AND A CRYPTOLOGIC LINGUIST IS SOMEONE

WHO LISTENS TO COMMUNICATIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES

IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

AND THE COUNTRY THAT I SPECIALIZED IN WAS EAST GERMANY.

MY ADVISOR, IT TURNED OUT,

WAS UNDERCOVER AS A PROFESSOR.

HE WAS ACTUALLY A CIA OFFICER

ACTING AS WHAT WAS THEN CALLED A SPOTTER.

AND HE ASKED ME IF I WAS INTERESTED

IN WORKING AT THE CIA.