III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 213 

Commending and expressing thanks to professionals of the intelligence 

community. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 21 (legislative day, JUNE 16), 2011 

Mr. DEMINT (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. VITTER, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BURR, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. 

COATS, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. ENZI, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HATCH, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. 

JOHANNS, Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin, Mr. KIRK, Mr. LEE, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. RISCH, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. 

SHELBY, Mr. THUNE, Mr. WICKER, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. 

GRAHAM, and Mr. ALEXANDER) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence 

RESOLUTION 

Commending and expressing thanks to professionals of the 

intelligence community. 

Whereas since the attacks on September 11, 2001, the 

United States intelligence community has gathered critical information that has helped to prevent additional attacks on United States soil; 

Whereas the Central Intelligence Agency (hereinafter referred 

to as the ‘‘CIA’’) plays a vital role in United States intelligence collection; 


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•SRES 213 IS 

Whereas the importance of the CIA’s work was exemplified 

by the successful operation against Usama bin Laden; 

Whereas, as authorized by the President and in accordance 

with specific legal guidance provided by the Department 

of Justice, the CIA lawfully detained and interrogated 

certain high-value suspected terrorists; 

Whereas information obtained from high-value detainees who 

had been detained and interrogated by the CIA was essential in determining the organizational structure, key 

operatives, modus operandi, and other relevant information on al-Qaeda operations; 

Whereas information obtained from high-value detainees who 

had been detained and interrogated by the CIA was crucial to tracking down Usama bin Laden; 

Whereas Michael Hayden, a former Director of the CIA, 

wrote, ‘‘Let the record show that when I was first briefed 

in 2007 about the brightening prospect of pursuing bin 

Laden through his courier network, a crucial component 

of the briefing was information provided by three CIA detainees, all of whom had been subjected to some form of 

enhanced interrogation. One of the most alerting pieces 

of evidence was that two of the detainees who had routinely been cooperative and truthful (after they had undergone enhanced techniques) were atypically denying apparent factual data—a maneuver taken as a good sign 

that the CIA was on to something important. So that 

there is no ambiguity, let me be doubly clear: It is nearly 

impossible for me to imagine any operation like the May 

2 assault on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that would not have made substantial use of the 

trove of information derived from CIA detainees, including those on whom enhanced techniques had been used.’’; 


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•SRES 213 IS 

Whereas a May 30, 2005, Department of Justice memo stated, ‘‘In particular, the CIA believes that it would have 

been unable to obtain critical information from numerous 

detainees, including KSM [Khalid Sheikh Mohammed] 

and Abu Zubaydah, without these enhanced techniques. . . . Indeed, before the CIA used enhanced techniques in its interrogation of KSM, KSM resisted giving 

any answers to questions about future attacks, simply 

noting, ‘Soon, you will know.’ ’’; 

Whereas according to such May 30, 2005, memo, Abu 

Zubaydah explained the effect of enhanced techniques as, 

‘‘Brothers who are captured and interrogated are permitted by Allah to provide information when they believe 

they have reached the limit of their ability to withhold it 

in the face of psychological and physical hardships.’’; 

Whereas such May 30, 2005, memo further indicates that 

after using enhanced interrogation techniques, high-value 

detainees became cooperative stating, ‘‘since the use of 

enhanced techniques, ‘KSM and Abu Zubaydah have 

been pivotal sources because of their ability and willingness to provide their analysis and speculation about the 

capabilities, methodologies, and mindsets of terrorists.’ ’’; 

Whereas mastermind of the attacks of September 11, 2001, 

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed disclosed to CIA interrogators 

information about a ‘‘second wave’’ plot using an East 

Asian al-Qaeda group known as Jemmah Islamiyah to hijack and crash an airliner into the Library Tower in Los 

Angeles; 

Whereas Khalid Sheikh Mohammed gave CIA interrogators 

information that led to the capture of Riduan bin 

Isomuddin, known as Hambali, the leader of the Indonesian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah; 


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•SRES 213 IS 

Whereas al-Qaeda senior operational planner Abu Zubaydah 

and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed supplied important intelligence about Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his terrorist 

network, aiding United States operations against alQaeda in Iraq; 

Whereas in a May 2011 interview, Leon Panetta, the Director of the CIA, in response to a direct question about enhanced interrogation and the successful bin Laden operation, stated that, ‘‘Obviously there was some valuable information that was derived through those kind of interrogations.’’; 

Whereas, although the President issued an Executive Order 

in January 2009 that effectively ended the CIA’s interrogation and detention program, the Administration has yet 

to establish clear policies for the detention and interrogation of suspected high-value detainees, particularly those 

captured overseas by foreign governments; 

Whereas in 2009, the Attorney General launched a preliminary review into whether Federal laws were violated in 

connection with the interrogation of specific detainees, 

even though career prosecutors had previously considered 

and rejected filing criminal charges in those cases; and 

Whereas the preliminary review initiated by the Attorney 

General will determine whether CIA employees involved 

in the detention and interrogation of terrorists should be 

prosecuted for alleged violations of Federal law: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the professionals of the United 

3 States intelligence community for their dedication; 


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•SRES 213 IS 

1 (2) expresses thanks to the employees of the 

2 Central Intelligence Agency for their selfless service; 

3 (3) recognizes that continued investigation of 

4 employees of the Central Intelligence Agency for 

5 their involvement in a detention and interrogation 

6 program that helped to save lives by averting ter7 rorist attacks on the United States is unwarranted 

8 and will likely have a chilling effect on the critical 

9 work of their colleagues and other United States na10 tional security professionals; 

11 (4) urges the President and the Attorney Gen12 eral to immediately close the Department of Jus13 tice’s ongoing investigation, and decline future pros14 ecution, of Central Intelligence Agency employees for 

15 actions related to the interrogation of detainees at 

16 overseas locations, including the use of enhanced in17 terrogation techniques on detained terrorists at such 

18 locations; and 

19 (5) urges the President to develop and imple20 ment policies allowing for the long-term detention 

21 and interrogation by the intelligence community of 

22 high-value detainees, including detainees who are 

23 captured overseas or are in the custody of foreign 

24 countries. 

Æ 


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