Sources: High-Value Interrogation Group Involved In Interrogation of Shahzad
EmailABC News has learned that the High-Value Interrogation Group, or HIG, is involved in the interrogation of Faisal Shahzad, the man arrested last night in the investigation into the failed Times Square bombing.
After the arrest of the failed Christmas Day 2009 bomber Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, the Obama administration was criticized for not having yet made operational the HIG, a special interrogation team for high-value terrorist suspects, though the Special Task Force on Interrogations and Transfer Policies had announced its recommendation to form such a group in August 2009.
In congressional testimony on January 20, 2010, in which he was discussing the decision to read Miranda rights to failed Christmas Day bomber, 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 saying 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."
That then prompted questions as to why HIG was not yet operational. Within days, at the end of January 2010, National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones (ret.) signed the charter to form the HIG.
In any case, though the use of the HIG are complicated when applied to an American citizen allegedly attempting to commit an act upon American soil, sources tell ABC News that HIG expertise and resources are being used with Faisal Shahzad.
-jpt
Can Mitt Romney Win Conservatives Back? 
Possible Contraception Compromise in D.C.
Good God I hope so.
Posted by: Nephron | May 4, 2010, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm
Holder on the job. Using the word “terrorist” about twenty times in one sentence during his press conference. Guess “man caused disaster” is out now.
At least the investigation was efficient and they caught the guy.
We can only hope the MSM starts holding this administration accountable for national security instead of joining in on the Hope and Change chorus line.
Posted by: For The Record | May 4, 2010, 1:48 pm 1:48 pm
We can only hope the MSM starts holding this administration accountable for national security.
Posted by: For The Record | May 4, 2010 1:48:38 PM
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Everybody holds this Government accountable for national security – your pretending otherwise is bogus.
Posted by: tierra | May 4, 2010, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
At least the investigation was efficient and they caught the guy.
We can only hope the MSM starts holding this administration accountable for national security
For The Record | May 4, 2010 1:48:38 PM
At LEAST? What, you want the MSM to hold the administration responsible for an efficient investigation and catching the guy? Uh, OK then.
Posted by: jhw539 | May 4, 2010, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm
Who is the current nominee to head TSA?
Posted by: Nephron | May 4, 2010, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Obama administration would just produce a PowerPoint presentation on all the mistakes this attempted mass murderer made instead of just leaking them out hour by hour? Then we could just send it out to all our enemies at once.
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | May 4, 2010, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Obama administration would just produce a PowerPoint presentation on all the mistakes this attempted mass murderer made instead of just leaking them out hour by hour? Then we could just send it out to all our enemies at once.
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | May 4, 2010 2:57:38 PM
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Oh sure, the Government of the United States wants to inform terrorists on how to better do their job – you’re creepy.
Posted by: tierra | May 4, 2010, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
tierra,they are doing it now; living in Canada you may not care,but for those of us who live near high-value targets releasing specific information on this attempt could be a matter of life and death.It wasn’t a pretty sight from Crystal City on 9/11.
Posted by: Nephron | May 4, 2010, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
Who is the current nominee to head TSA?
Nephron | May 4, 2010 2:52:34 PM
Why don’t we go into how the Republicans took down the last ones? Union busting is more important than allowing Obama to put in an appointee!
Posted by: jhw539 | May 4, 2010, 3:19 pm 3:19 pm
tierra,they are doing it now; living in Canada you may not care,but for those of us who live near high-value targets releasing specific information on this attempt could be a matter of life and death.It wasn’t a pretty sight from Crystal City on 9/11.
Nephron | May 4, 2010 3:13:24 PM
What earth shaking specific information are they releasing? That they traced the guy down almost exactly the same way as (reported at the time) for the first World Trade Center bombing? I haven’t heard any new information released, and it certainly isn’t clear all the information released is fully accurate.
I wasn’t in NYC when the bombing attack happened, but I was an hour before. I wasn’t then and I’m not now living in fear of terrorists. You don’t live in terror of rabid dogs, you have them put down and accept that you can’t live a normal life without risking an occasional attack.
Posted by: jhw539 | May 4, 2010, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
The facts: a wanted terrorist nearly escapes on an airliner fom a domestic airport.There is no current nominee to head TSA.
Posted by: Nephron | May 4, 2010, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
The facts: a wanted terrorist nearly escapes on an airliner fom a domestic airport.
Posted by: Nephron | May 4, 2010 3:35:01 PM
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The facts – a terrorist is rapidly found within days of an attempted attack, is stopped from leaving the country and is brought into custody.
Posted by: tierra | May 4, 2010, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
I wasn’t then and I’m not now living in fear of terrorists. You don’t live in terror of rabid dogs, you have them put down and accept that you can’t live a normal life without risking an occasional attack.
Posted by: jhw539 | May 4, 2010 3:24:57 PM
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Exactly. I’m so weary of and disgusted with the fearmongers and the people they suck in who keep enabling them.
Posted by: j-walk | May 4, 2010, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
I see there’s a few noses out of joint here today from the frothing at the mouth crowd. (And I don’t mean right wingers!)
Lots of “what d’ya mean” “oh, so I guess” “we knew all along terrorists wanted to kill us” yada yada yada
Don’t worry Sherlock Napalitano is on the job – waiting for another alert citizen to do her job for her.
The system worked. See something, say something (unless you are in Arizona, then it’s don’t ask, don’t tell).
Posted by: For The Record | May 4, 2010, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm
The facts – a terrorist is rapidly found within days of an attempted attack, is stopped from leaving the country and is brought into custody.
Posted by: tierra | May 4, 2010 3:50:54 PM
Yeah, let’s see now: found the owner, who sold for cash, had emails from the buyer… Did he leave a trail of cookie crumbs, too?
I said before good job for catching him – but he did almost make it out. Can’t deny that.
Posted by: For The Record | May 4, 2010, 8:37 pm 8:37 pm
You suppose they will interrogate him for more than 50 minutes?
Posted by: Ruler4You | May 5, 2010, 3:08 am 3:08 am
all the top terrorist leaders have been apprehended from Pakistan and not Afghanistan. Still America flaunts Pak as a bulwark against terrorism and gives it money. American taxpayers money is being used to fund terrorism… when will Americans start questioning this stupid policy of their Government
thanks
yash
Posted by: yash | May 5, 2010, 3:17 am 3:17 am
Everybody holds this Government accountable for national security – your pretending otherwise is bogus.
Posted by: tierra
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Administration, tierra, Administration. The Obama Administration.
Posted by: smartlillena | May 5, 2010, 6:09 am 6:09 am
Really? I wonder who is in charge of HIG. Where is their web site? Glad they found office space.
Posted by: Ellie | May 5, 2010, 8:52 am 8:52 am