CIA recruited Guantanimo Detainees as double agents against Al-Qaida

[blankslate]

http://news.yahoo.com/cias-penny-lane-program-turned-guantanamo-prisoners-double-130845399.html

The CIA recruited double agents from droves of suspected terrorists held in Guantanamo Bay in a program that lasted for several years post 9/11, promising prisoners freedom, safety, and a lush payoff in exchange for helping the U.S. infiltrate al-Qaeda abroad. According to the Associated Press, the classified operation was carried out in a series of relatively swank cottages dubbed "Penny Lane" from 2003-2006

Conditions at Penny Lane must have far exceeded those at Guantanamo Bay, where detainees — many of whom were incarcerated for years without trial — were allegedly tortured. However, some of the men who went through the program, which ended in 2006, did indeed help the CIA hunt down and kill other al-Qaeda operatives. Others disappeared. According to the AP, at least 16 percent of those freed from Gitmo were identified as rejoining the fight against Washington, with another 12 percent suspected of doing so. It is unclear whether those tapped at Penny Lane were a part of either group.

This is an interesting story and overall a good intelligence move (in regards to people who actually were detained for valid reasons) that happened under the Bush administration in my opinion.

It would be interesting to get a number count of the people who actually cooperated and those who just skipped out when they could.

 

[gevorg]

when they torture and waterboard you, you'll agree to anything