Message
from the Acting Director: "Zero Dark Thirty"
Statement
to Employees from Acting Director Michael Morell: "Zero Dark Thirty"
December
21, 2012
I
would not normally comment on a Hollywood film, but I think it important to put Zero
Dark Thirty, which deals with one of the most significant achievements in
our history, into some context. The film, which premiered this week,
addresses the successful hunt for Usama Bin Ladin that was the focus of
incredibly dedicated men and women across our Agency, Intelligence Community,
and military partners for many years. But in doing so, the film takes
significant artistic license, while portraying itself as being historically
accurate.
What
I want you to know is that Zero Dark Thirty is a
dramatization, not a realistic portrayal of the facts. CIA interacted
with the filmmakers through our Office of Public Affairs but, as is true with
any entertainment project with which we interact, we do not control the final
product.
It
would not be practical for me to walk through all the fiction in the film, but
let me highlight a few aspects that particularly underscore the extent to which
the film departs from reality.
- First,
the hunt for Usama Bin Ladin was a decade-long effort that depended on the
selfless commitment of hundreds of officers. The filmmakers
attributed the actions of our entire Agency—and the broader Intelligence
Community—to just a few individuals. This may make for more
compelling entertainment, but it does not reflect the facts. The
success of the May 1st 2011 operation was a team effort—and a very large
team at that.
- Second,
the film creates the strong impression that the enhanced interrogation
techniques that were part of our former detention and interrogation
program were the key to finding Bin Ladin. That impression is
false. As we have said before, the truth is that multiple streams of
intelligence led CIA analysts to conclude that Bin Ladin was hiding in
Abbottabad. Some came from detainees subjected to enhanced
techniques, but there were many other sources as well. And,
importantly, whether enhanced interrogation techniques were the only
timely and effective way to obtain information from those detainees, as
the film suggests, is a matter of debate that cannot and never will be
definitively resolved.
- Third,
the film takes considerable liberties in its depiction of CIA personnel
and their actions, including some who died while serving our
country. We cannot allow a Hollywood film to cloud our memory of
them.
Commentators
will have much to say about this film in the weeks ahead. Through it all,
I want you to remember that Zero Dark Thirty is not a
documentary. What you should also remember is that the Bin Ladin
operation was a landmark achievement by our country, by our military, by our
Intelligence Community, and by our Agency.
Michael
Morell
