Author Archive for: emptywheel
About emptywheel
Marcy Wheeler is an independent journalist writing about national security and civil liberties. She writes as emptywheel at her eponymous blog, publishes at outlets including Vice, Motherboard, the Nation, the Atlantic, Al Jazeera, and appears frequently on television and radio. She is the author of Anatomy of Deceit, a primer on the CIA leak investigation, and liveblogged the Scooter Libby trial.
Marcy has a PhD from the University of Michigan, where she researched the “feuilleton,” a short conversational newspaper form that has proven important in times of heightened censorship. Before and after her time in academics, Marcy provided documentation consulting for corporations in the auto, tech, and energy industries. She lives with her spouse in Grand Rapids, MI.
Entries by emptywheel
Al-Nashiri’s Swollen Nerves, the CIA’s Apology to Abu Zubaydah
/80 Comments/in Torture/by emptywheelAs MadDog pointed out, the latest redactions of the CSRT transcripts are up at ACLU.
Transcript of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad’s CSRT (27 page PDF).
Transcript of Al Nashiri’s CSRT (39 page PDF).
Transcript of Abu Zubaydah’s CSRT (30 page PDF)
Transcript of Majid Khan’s CSRT (50 page PDF)
I say “latest redactions” because they really haven’t declassified that much–just single lines here and there.
The biggest piece of news, IMO, is Rahim al-Nashiri’s
Hassan Ghul Timeline
/14 Comments/in Timeline, Torture/by emptywheelThe known dates pertaining to Hassan Ghul’s capture and subsequent OLC memos pertaining to his torture.
January 22, 2004: Hassan Ghul detained by Kurds
February 21, 2004: Directorate of Intelligence document, “US Efforts Grinding Down al-Qa’ida,” says Ghul was captured while on a mission “to establish contact” with Zarqawi
February 24, 2004:
Is Detainee 2 Abu Faraj al-Libbi?
/10 Comments/in Torture/by emptywheelI noticed something about as I’ve been working on some more Hassan Ghul posts. Abu Faraj al-Libbi–whom the ICRC refers to by his real name, Mustafah Faraj al-Azibi, was captured on May 2, 2005. al-Libbi was alleged to be (more credibly than usual) al Qaeda’s then-number 3 when he was captured.
Ending the Gang of Eight
/27 Comments/in Intelligence, state secrets/by emptywheelThis is welcome news:
In a move that could spark another fight with the GOP over CIA intelligence and secrecy, House Dems are quietly preparing to make major changes to the ways the CIA briefs Congress on covert actions, by broadening the pool of members of Congress who will have access to such private briefings, a source familiar with deliberations says.