Long-Awaited High-Value Interrogation Group — HIG — Finally Formed
EmailFollowing the Jan. 20 disclosure that a special interrogation team for high-value terrorist suspects was not yet operational — months after it was supposed to have been — the Obama administration approved the charter to create the High-Value Interrogation Group, or HIG, an administration official tells ABC News.
The HIG charter was signed last week by National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones (ret.).
In congressional testimony on Jan. 20 in which he was discussing the decision to read Miranda rights to failed Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, the director of national intelligence, Adm. Dennis Blair (ret.), said that a high-value interrogation unit “was created exactly for this purpose, to make a decision on whether a certain person who is detained should be treated as a case for federal prosecution or for some of the other means."
Continued Blair: "We did not invoke the HIG in this case. We should have. … That is what we will do now, and so we need to make those decisions more carefully. I was not consulted. The decision was made on the scene. It seemed logical to the people there. But it should have been taken using this HIG format at a higher level.”
His comments were interpreted as a rebuke of the decision to have the FBI interrogate Abdulmutallab. Before the end of the day, Blair issued a statement his remarks had "been misconstrued. The FBI interrogated Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab when they took him into custody. They received important intelligence at that time, drawing on the FBI’s expertise in interrogation that will be available in the HIG once it is fully operational."
This prompted criticism and questions as to why the HIG was not yet "fully operational" when the Special Task Force on Interrogations and Transfer Policies had announced its recommendation to form such a group last August.
An administration official said that though the HIG "was formally stood up last week" the administration had already "leveraged expertise from across the government – intelligence, military, and law enforcement – to effectively question terrorism suspects regardless of whose custody they are in. As we worked through a variety of administrative matters this fall, HIG personnel were identified and started preparing for deployment."
Because of this advance preparation, the Mobile Interrogation Teams (MITs) that are part of the formation of the HIG — expert analysts and interrogators drawn from throughout the intelligence community — "are currently deployed in support of counterterrorism activities," the official said.
MITs are deployed overseas with the primary purpose of collecting information to prevent terrorist attacks against the U.S. and its allies.
"Where possible and consistent with the HIG's primary objective," the official said, MITs "will collect intelligence in a manner that allows it to be used as evidence in a criminal prosecution."
The HIG "will follow deployment procedures that place interrogation teams at the relevant locations quickly without interfering with other government operations," the official said. It's an interagency group, administratively headquartered at the FBI. Its legal counsel will come from the National Security Division of the Justice Department.
The lead agency for providing immediate response to terrorism remain the 106 interagency Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) of the FBI, "but HIG personnel (including members of MITs) will also be available to provide expertise and resources to support those domestic interrogations," the official said.
-jpt
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action' 
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
I love how ANC characterizes Holder following the law and thus upholding his oath, as a ‘decision’.
In congressional testimony Holder spoke of how the Justice Department decided to follow the law.
What a joke our press has become.
Posted by: Flash Override | February 6, 2010, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm
Obamacrat for Palin – not only wrong on the facts, but also a proponent of state power so absolute she would make Idi Amin blush.
Where are all the conservatives? At least THEY would never advocate that an executive be given this kind of authority.
Posted by: Flash Override | February 6, 2010, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm
yes i agree with you flash override, Obamacrat’s commentary was both inaccurate and quite goofy.
Posted by: wow | February 6, 2010, 4:28 pm 4:28 pm
Obama missed another deadline.
He and his Administration are winging it all the time, so this is not a surprise.
Posted by: mick | February 6, 2010, 4:46 pm 4:46 pm
Obama has his priorities you know.
For a year jobs and our safety took a backseat to Obama’s main focus–Health Care.
His legacy.
Posted by: larry | February 6, 2010, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan.
You were a great president and a great man. I miss your sense of humor.
Posted by: millie | February 6, 2010, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan.
You were a great president and a great man. I miss your sense of humor.
Posted by: millie | Feb 6, 2010 4:50:29 PM
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Unfortunate about those criminal indictments of so many members of his administration. I guess that is just America.
Posted by: tierra | February 6, 2010, 5:06 pm 5:06 pm
Misleading headline, it’s not actually formed yet, just a piece of paper was signed, it’s formed when it is operational. Gitmo is not closed just because Obama signed a piece of paper saying it would be done within a year.
Posted by: David P Redmond | February 6, 2010, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
I guess that is just America.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 5:06:22 PM
Jealous?
Posted by: For The Record | February 6, 2010, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
He would have been 99 today.
Posted by: For The Record | February 6, 2010, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm
After a year of fixating on socialized health care , ignoring National security and a total disregard to the economy and unemployment, we are supposed to believe that Barry is now focused, “like a laser”, on keeping this country safe. Yeah, ok ,uh huh, sure , whateva
Posted by: Rick554 | February 6, 2010, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
rick, not only on keeping us safe but on creating jobs and working with the repbulicans. Funny how it took Scott Browns election to get him onto something besides healthcare. He is sooo underqualified for the job of potus. Wish we had a rewind button.
Posted by: whatsgoingonhere? | February 6, 2010, 7:36 pm 7:36 pm
After a year of fixating on socialized health care , ignoring National security and a total disregard to the economy and unemployment
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Nonsense.
Posted by: tierra | February 6, 2010, 7:40 pm 7:40 pm
After a year of fixating on socialized health care , ignoring National security and a total disregard to the economy and unemployment
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Nonsense.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 7:40:22 PM
“After a year of fixating on socialized health care:”
Health care debate started early in his term, went through the summer and fall and then died. Obama gave dozens of speeches, town halls, and Congress was completely focused on it.
Please explain why this is NOT a fixation?
“Ignoring National security:”
He spent a year traveling around the globe giving speeches about how we were arrogant before but we are not now, had 2 major national security incidents with Ft Hood and Xmas Day bomber and failed to close Gitmo – the biggest recruiting tool for our enemies.
Please explain how he did NOT ignore national security.
“Total disregard to the economy and unemployment:”
He passed an 800+ billion dollar stimulus plan that added to our national debt with money wasted. Meanwhile the unemployment rose to over 10% while he was fixated on HC and traveling around the world.
Please explain how that is not a total disregard for the economy and unemployment.
Posted by: Live! From DC! It's Saturday Night! | February 6, 2010, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
Please explain how he did NOT ignore national security.
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Your logic is terribly flawed . ..
9/11 happened within the first year of Bush’s presidency, please explain how he did NOT ignore national security. The shoe bomber incident followed within a few short months. Please explain how Bush did NOT ignore national security.
That is your logic.
Posted by: tierra | February 6, 2010, 8:05 pm 8:05 pm
Please explain how that is not a total disregard for the economy and unemployment.
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Your logic is terribly flawed.
The Bush administration promised ‘smaller government’ and ‘the elimination of the deficit’ and then doubled the national debt and left the economy of the United States in free-fall collapse. Please explain how that is not a total disregard for the economy.
That is your logic.
Posted by: tierra | February 6, 2010, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
9/11 happened within the first year of Bush’s presidency, please explain how he did NOT ignore national security. The shoe bomber incident followed within a few short months. Please explain how Bush did NOT ignore national security.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 8:05:40 PM
tierra, since you seem to be so fixated on Bush’s terrorist attacks timeline, I suppose we should take a look at Obama’s terrorist attacks timeline as well: Fort Hood attack, approximately 11 months after taking office; Christmas Day attack (thrwarted by “regular folks” on the plane), approximately 12 months after taking office.
So, obviously, the 2001 attack was being planned well before Bush became President. The Fort Hood attack and Christmas Day bomber were being planned well before Obama became President. None of the attacks came about overnight. That means that the 9/11 attack would have been in the making under the Clinton administration, correct? So does that mean we just keep rolling the blame along from one President to the other?
Your constant revisiting of the Bush years is getting old. Not to mention childish. The point is, we have groups of terrorists who want nothing more than the annihilation of the United States. Who is sitting as President at the time bears no concern to them. We are ALL the enemy… Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, etc. Obama has no magic powder to stop them. Neither did Bush. Neither did Clinton. Unless YOU have the magic powder, I would suggest you get off the Bush-Bash wagon. Of course, if you DO have it, I would suggest you contact the WH immediately-you could save us all.
Posted by: Shoe | February 6, 2010, 8:38 pm 8:38 pm
Shoe perhaps you missed the context . . .
“Ignoring National security:”
He spent a year traveling around the globe giving speeches about how we were arrogant before but we are not now, had 2 major national security incidents with Ft Hood and Xmas Day bomber and failed to close Gitmo – the biggest recruiting tool for our enemies.
Please explain how he did NOT ignore national security.”
Posted by: Live! From DC! It’s Saturday Night! | Feb 6, 2010 7:59:19 PM
______________________________________
Your logic is terribly flawed . ..
9/11 happened within the first year of Bush’s presidency, please explain how he did NOT ignore national security. The shoe bomber incident followed within a few short months. Please explain how Bush did NOT ignore national security.
That is your logic.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 8:05:40 PM
Posted by: tierra | February 6, 2010, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
Hopefully someone will shoot Dennis Blair a memo about the formation of the HIG.Sounds like the Justice Department(Holder) and Obama have direct control over HIG so I am not feeling very optimistic as to its’ effectiveness.It appears as a continuation of the Amateur Hour policies that this administration has foisted on the American people.
Posted by: bobmac | February 6, 2010, 11:36 pm 11:36 pm
That is your logic.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 8:07:27 PM
So basically you are defending Obama by pointing out Bush’s weaknesses? How does that work exactly?
Posted by: Live! From DC! It's Saturday Night! | February 7, 2010, 2:41 am 2:41 am
Uh oh.
Rasmussen back down to 44% approval rating for O’Bummer.
Posted by: Live! From DC! It's Saturday Night! | February 7, 2010, 2:43 am 2:43 am
That is your logic.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 8:07:27 PM
So basically you are defending Obama by pointing out Bush’s weaknesses? How does that work exactly?
Posted by: Live! From DC! It’s Saturday Night! | Feb 7, 2010 2:41:16 AM
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I’m pointing out that your logic far more condemns the Bush administration. If that’s your point, I have no problem with that.
Posted by: tierra | February 7, 2010, 4:37 am 4:37 am
How about forming some long-awaited high-valued jobs?
Posted by: EPU | February 7, 2010, 4:46 am 4:46 am
How about forming some long-awaited high-valued jobs?
Posted by: EPU | Feb 7, 2010 4:46:54 AM
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How would you suggest that be done EPU?
Posted by: tierra | February 7, 2010, 4:52 am 4:52 am
That is your logic.
Posted by: tierra | Feb 6, 2010 8:07:27 PM
So basically you are defending Obama by pointing out Bush’s weaknesses? How does that work exactly?
Posted by: Live! From DC! It’s Saturday Night! | Feb 7, 2010 2:41:16 AM
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I’m pointing out that your logic far more condemns the Bush administration. If that’s your point, I have no problem with that.
Posted by: tierra | February 7, 2010, 4:55 am 4:55 am
Great. Now we just have to wait 10 months for an executive to be confirmed for this, because we have to pay off some crybaby GOP senator who wants an earmark for some pork before he’ll lift his hold on the nomination.
Posted by: Flash Override | February 7, 2010, 6:26 am 6:26 am
The Arab folks attack us because our foreign policy has directly and indirectly caused them great suffering for more than 60 years. It’s the old what goes around comes around. Both Bush and Obama are playing the same cruel game against these people as Clinton, Reagan, and Carter did before them. It is all about acquiring oil. I would suggest that the bloggers focus on the motives of our so-called enemies rather than spewing this silly Obama/Bush blame game. Oh ya, and vote Ron Paul in 2012 you partisan silly people.
Posted by: Huh | February 7, 2010, 10:53 am 10:53 am
tierra wrote: “I’m pointing out that your logic far more condemns the Bush administration. If that’s your point, I have no problem with that.”
.
And using your logic, the clinton administration looks even more pathetic, but then we already knew that.
Posted by: gk | February 7, 2010, 6:59 pm 6:59 pm
excellent . Thanks for informations . Ill be back. Thanks once more
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