The coercive techniques have led to a debate within the government about the completeness and reliability of the detainees' statements. While the accounts of Binalshibh and Mohammed are believed to be mostly credible, the officials said that a significant number of law enforcement and intelligence officials take a somewhat more skeptical view than was reflected in the commission reports.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/attack/178211_credibility17.html
Not all counterterrorism officials believe, for example, that Osama bin Laden exercised the kind of command over the Sept. 11 operation that is described in the report. In part, the officials said, they suspect that the captured al-Qaida figures have a strong desire to play down their own roles and have been willing to make it appear that bin Laden was the dominant figure in an attempt to enhance his stature.
Moreover, under harsh interrogation methods, both Mohamed and Binalshibh appear to have been willing to provide elaborate accounts of past events. However, they appeared to have been less willing to describe operations that have not been carried out yet, leading some of the intelligence officials to raise questions about the veracity of some or all their statements.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
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