Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American Lives

As seen on 60 Minutes

A New York Times bestselling, explosive memoir about the creation and implementation of the controversial enhanced interrogation techniques by the former Chief Operations Officer for the CIA's Center for Counterterrorism.

Former Chief of the CIA's Center for Counterterrorism, Jose A. Rodriguez, Jr., reveals how, in the wake of 9/11, government-approved hard measures used on captured high-level al-Qa'ida operatives derailed terrorist threats to the US, contributed to the capture of Osama bin Laden, and saved countless American lives. That is, until initial support gave way to shortsighted political correctness, leaving those responsible for protecting our nation second-guessed, hamstrung, and investigated. In effect, the United States has chosen to willfully and unilaterally disarm itself in the war on terror.

Rodriguez melds his fascinating life story with a reasoned, previously untold, and convincing case for hard measures. Fully disclosing explosive details of when and how they were used, and why these methods were necessary, he offers a rare insider's look at an issue that seizes public attention and inspires vigorous debate.


About the Author
Jose A. Rodriguez, Jr., joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976 and served with the Agency for thirty-one years. At the time of his retirement he was the Director of the National Clandestine Service for the CIA, responsible for the coordination of clandestine human operations for the intelligence community. As a former Director of the Center for Counterterrorism, he led the worldwide intelligence collection programs and covert action operations against international terrorist organizations following the ousting of terrorists from Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks.

Bill Harlow is the former chief spokesman for the Central Intelligence Agency. He was the coauthor of former CIA director George Tenet's #1 New York Times bestseller At the Center of the Storm, published in 2007. He is a retired naval officer who served in top spokesman jobs at the White House, Pentagon, and CIA.