Gitmo Interrogator Pete Mora Blasts Bush Handling of CIA Interrogation Tapes, Praises Richardson Experience

Gitmo Interrogator Pete Mora Blasts Bush Handling of CIA Interrogation Tapes, Praises Richardson Experience
For Immediate Release
December 7, 2007
Contact: Tom Reynolds


SIOUX CITY, IA-- Former Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib interrogator Pedro "Pete" Mora campaigned in Iowa today on behalf of New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson. He called out the Bush Administration on recent revelations that the CIA destroyed tapes of harsh interrogations.

"The Bush Administration has allowed the use of abusive and illegal interrogation techniques that are against the Geneva Conventions, and the destruction of these tapes can only be considered a cover-up," Mora said. "It is a clear attempt to hide evidence from the world.

"As an interrogator, I was at the tip of the spear in the Global War on Terror. I had to face down some of our nation's most brutal enemies, but I always did it with basic respect for human dignity. Bill Richardson has been doing the same thing his whole career—facing down the toughest the world has to offer and protecting America's interests without compromising America's values."

Richardson weighed in on the case before the Supreme Court regarding the rights of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

"If I were President, the Supreme Court would not even be considering this case, because I would have shut down Guantanamo a long time ago," Richardson said. "I'm honored to have Pete Mora speaking out with me about the need for our country to be the world's conscience, not the world's policeman."

Richardson also criticized the Bush Administration the CIA tapes.

"The Bush-Cheney Administration seems to be on a mission to destroy our credibility in the world," Richardson said. "That these tapes existed is reprehensible. That they were destroyed is outrageous. When I'm President, we're going not going to encourage torture, we're going to prosecute those who practice it, even if those prosecutions go all the way to the top. No one is above the law."

Please find Pete Mora's bio below:

Pedro "Pete" Mora was born in Michoacan, Mexico in 1964. He grew up in immigrant labor camps around Central California and joined the U.S. Army in November 1981. He served on active duty from 1981-1987 in Germany where he worked as German Linguist while serving in the 11th Armored Cavalry on the East/West German Border.

In 2000, Mora joined the US Army Reserve where he served as a Psychological Operations Specialist with deployments to Bosnia, Kosovo, and Germany. After completing Army Interrogation school in 2003, Mora was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as part of Joint Task Force-GTMO in support of Detainee Operations where he was assigned to a Middle East Regional Team as a Human Intelligence Collector (Interrogator). He conducted 12 Interrogation sessions a week with suspected mid-level Al Qaida detainees at Camp Delta.

In January 2004, Mora was selected by JTF-GTMO Commander Major General Miller to deploy to Abu Ghraib with Special Interrogation Team (Tiger Team) to assist in the streamlining of the intelligence collection process at Abu Ghraib, Iraq. Conducted numerous interrogations of high-ranking Iraqi Generals, Ba'ath party officials, foreign fighters, and suspected insurgents.

In May 2004, re-deployed to JTF-GTMO Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and resumed duties with the Joint Interrogation Group (JIG), Camp Delta. He completed deployment and was demobilized in August 2004.

August 2004, Mora accepted employment as a contract Intelligence Research and Screening Specialist, and deployed to Bagram Afghanistan to support detainee operations at the Joint Intelligence Facility (JIF) where he deployed on numerous occasions with a Mobile Interrogation Team (MIT) to support Field Intelligence Operations at Isolated Forward Operating Bases (FOB).

He returned to California in April 2005 and resumed employment as a State Police Officer. In March 2007, Mora transferred to the Department Of Corrections and Rehabilitation, were he is currently employed.

Since leaving the Military, Mora has been a leading advocate for human rights regarding the Geneva Code of Conduct and a vocal critic of the Bush Administration's policies in fighting the Global War on Terror. Mora is currently writing a book on his experiences.


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