John Kiriakou's Dead Drop John Kiriakou's Dead Drop

S2E14 The Torture Report

Aug 17, 2026 · 34m

Summary

John Kiriakou details the CIA’s torture program, contrasting Abu Ghraib’s abuse with intentional, policy-driven torture like waterboarding. He discusses the Senate Intelligence Committee’s findings that torture was ineffective and that the CIA misled officials and destroyed evidence. Kiriakou reflects on his imprisonment for whistleblowing, the lack of accountability for perpetrators, and the legal cover-ups that enabled these human rights violations.

Topics discussed

Sponsors and introduction to the CIA torture program Abu Ghraib abuses and the cover-up of torture Senate investigation and John Kiriakou's imprisonment CIA defense of torture and the SSCI report findings Kiriakou's prosecution and the destruction of evidence Sponsors and podcast recommendations Senate committee investigation and CIA obstruction Details of brutal interrogation techniques and deaths Sponsors and the 20 key findings of the Senate report CIA knowledge of illegality and Kiriakou's release Credits and final sponsor messages
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