John Kiriakou's Dead Drop S1E23 Good Company, Bad Company
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Apr 13, 2026 Glenn Carle, a former two-decade CIA operations officer turned author and critic of enhanced interrogation. He recounts being assigned to a high-value detainee, his immediate moral objections, and how legal and political pressure reshaped CIA practices. They discuss mistaken identities, unreliable intelligence from coercion, internal pushback, and why the program was eventually halted.
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From Salons To Counterterrorism
- Glenn Carle described transitioning from European clandestine work to counterterrorism after 1993 and being pulled into terrorism work post‑9/11.
- He shifted from diplomatic-style operations to taking urgent surge assignments and long daily interrogations in the Counterterrorism Center.
Agency Without Interrogation Expertise
- The CIA historically lacked institutional interrogation expertise, so post‑9/11 detainees forced the agency into an unfamiliar role.
- That gap plus political pressure from the vice president's office produced rapid adoption of unvetted interrogation guidance.
You Will Do Whatever It Takes Briefing
- In his first briefing Carle was told You will do whatever it takes to get him to talk and told they were covered by legal memos.
- He recoiled, requested a presidential finding, and was reassured that a Department of Justice memo 'covered' the techniques.