What John Kiriakou has said about Enhanced interrogation techniques

Kiriakou argues the most effective interrogation method is respect, kindness and patience, as practiced by the FBI.

“it's very simply to treat a person with respect and kindness and show great patience”

Modern Wisdom: CIA Whistleblower: Who Actually Runs The US Government? - John Kiriakou - #1160 (Oct 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:46:48

Kiriakou asserts torture does not work because victims say anything to make it stop.

“Because the person being tortured will tell you anything he thinks you want to know just to get you to stop torturing them”

Modern Wisdom: CIA Whistleblower: Who Actually Runs The US Government? - John Kiriakou - #1160 (Oct 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:54:07

Kiriakou argues torture laws never changed, only American behavior, citing prosecutions of waterboarding in 1945 and 1968.

“The law never changed. We changed. So if you want to torture, if that's the country you want to be, okay, you can have that position, but you have to change the law”

Modern Wisdom: CIA Whistleblower: Who Actually Runs The US Government? - John Kiriakou - #1160 (Oct 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:55:09

Kiriakou says the CIA killed prisoners using the cold cell technique, which was never authorized.

“We murdered people with that technique. Murdered them. And the Justice Department never allowed anybody to murder a prisoner”

Modern Wisdom: CIA Whistleblower: Who Actually Runs The US Government? - John Kiriakou - #1160 (Oct 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:59:35