Guessing Game Results: The Memo, Part 2

Last week's guessing game involved the anonymous sources quoted in Jane Mayer's New Yorker article about Alberto J. Mora and the stand he took against torture. Earlier today, we shared some guesses with you about two of the three sources mentioned. This item remains outstanding:

“Another military official, who worked closely with [David] Brant and who has been denied permission to speak on the record, told me that the news [of how Mohammed al-Qahtani was interrogated] 'rocked' Mora. The official added that Mora 'was visionary about this. He quickly grasped the fact that these techniques in the hands of people with this little training spelled disaster.'”

After the jump, some above-average speculation about the identity of this anonymous source.

Here's what one source — at the Pentagon, as it turns out — had to say:

Two names come to mind. First, Rear Admiral James E. McPherson is the head Navy JAG, and Rear Admiral Bruce E. MacDonald is his top deputy. My guess is it is one of them. Vice Admiral Albert Church is also a possibility: he led the DoD investigation of practices in Gitmo, and would have worked closely with Brant when he did.

Another well-informed source suspects a different individual: Dr. Michael Gelles, chief psychologist of the Navy Criminal Investigative Service. This source directs our attention to this report by Human Rights Watch, which talks about how Sen. Carl Levin “outed” Mora and Brant over a year ago:

According to the classified sections of the Church report as described by U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Dr. Michael Gelles, the chief psychologist of the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, completed a study of Guantánamo interrogations in December 2002 (when the harsh Rumsfeld-approved techniques were in effect) that included extracts of interrogation logs. Gelles reported to the service director, David Brant, that interrogators were using ''abusive techniques and coercive psychological procedures.” According to Levin, Gelles’ report prompted Brant to argue that if those aggressive practices continued, the Navy would have to ''consider whether to remain” at Guantánamo.

Our tipster theorizes: “Mayer's source is probably Gelles. As the HRW report explains, he's the NCIS psychologist who discovered the abuse while reading Gitmo interrogation logs and took his concerns to Brant, who then went to Mora. One giveaway: Meyer mentions Gelles by name a few paragraphs earlier in her piece as the source of Brant's information about the abuse, but never says whether or not she tried to talk with him.”

In addition, our correspondent points out that “In March 2005, Gelles gave an on-the-record interview about his opposition to coercive interrogation techniques like the ones used at Gitmo. After that, Gelles's superiors apparently gagged him, because he's not been heard from since.”

The Memo [The New Yorker]
Split Seen on Interrogation Techniques [Boston Globe]
Getting Away With Torture? [Human Rights Watch]

READ MORE: Defense Department, Department of Defense, Pentagon, albert church, alberto mora, anonymous sources, bruce macdonald, carl levin, human rights watch, james mcpherson, jane mayer, michael gelles, new yorker, senior administration official guessing game, torture

Daily Briefing: Cultural Corruption

• Congressional Research Service determines that the administration should have notified all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees about NSA eavesdropping. [WP, NYT, USAT]
• Dems up the ante against the “culture of corruption”; their proposed limitations on lobbying are stricter than GOP plan. [WP, NYT, W$J]
• Republican Rep. Jerry Lewis steered $160m project through Congress after firm donated $110,000, USAT alleges; congressman denies wrongdoing. [USAT]
• Longest independent counsel inquiry ever accuses Clinton administration officials of a cover-up. [NYT]
• Human Rights Watch says the administration makes a “deliberate policy choice” to abuse detainees. [NYT]
• Costs of the war and rebuilding the Gulf Coast will exacerbate this year’s budget debate. [USAT]
• State Department will shift hundreds of diplomats to the Middle East, Asia, and elsewhere from Europe and Washington. [WP, NYT]
• Democrats urged to vote against Samuel Alito. [NYT, LAT]
• Republicans try to reassure seniors about new drug plan. [WP]
• Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) “is back!” [WP]
• Larry Wilkerson’s criticisms of the administration caused an estrangement with Colin Powell. Wilkerson: “This is not a Republican administration, not in my view. This is a radical administration.” [WP]

READ MORE: Democrats, Republicans, abuse of detainees, budget, colin powell, diplomats, eavesdropping, human rights watch, john lewis, larry wilkerson, lobbying, nsa, samuel alito, state department, trent lott