The Main Event: Haynes

“Unprecedented threat” … “we all rightly fear another assault on the country” … “Some of those released from Guantanamo have already shown their recidivism” … “trying to deal with a very difficult issue.” It’s like a Bushie greatest-hits record.

Levin got right to it. Did Haynes tell Shiffrin to find out information about SERE techniques in the summer of 2002?

“The summer of 2002 was six years ago, and my memory isn’t perfect. What I remember from the summer of 2002 was a government-wide concern of another terrorist attack as the anniversary of 9/11 approach,” Haynes said. “Existing doctrine was inadequate and the country’s capabilities were inadequate for the task… I remember inquiring generally where our government’s expertise more generally… and Richard Shiffrin would have been the person I would have asked.”

Specifically? “I don’t remember that, specifically.”

It really is a greatest-hits record!