CRUEL AND UNUSUAL

CIA Psychologist: I Told 9/11 Mastermind I’d Murder His Son

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was told his son would have his throat slit if any more attacks were carried out against the United States.

A CIA psychologist has testified that he told Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—the self-proclaimed mastermind of 9/11—that his son would be murdered if any more terror attacks were carried out against the United States. James Mitchell designed and occasionally carried out the CIA’s brutal interrogation program in the months and years following the 2001 attacks. Mitchell said the threat was made in late March 2003 at a secret prison in Poland, three weeks after KSM was captured in Pakistan. Mitchell said he wanted to use extreme tactics to get the detainee to give up information on more planned attacks, and told the terror suspect: “If there was a catastrophic attack on the United States and I find out that you had information… and if another child dies, then I will cut your son’s throat.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Mitchell said the threat was probably poorly judged in hindsight, but added: “I wanted him to remember it.”