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Terror Chief Interrogators in Race Against Time

The CIA wants to get inside Khalid Shaikh Mohammed’s head. The alleged September 11 mastermind was captured early on Saturday in a raid in Pakistan and is now believed to be in US custody overseas. Whether the CIA can learn anything useful from him depends on the skills and methods of the interrogators, Mohammed’s willingness to talk and perhaps simply time. Of top priority is gaining intelligence that could help disrupt attacks being planned or lead to added precautions, American counterterrorism officials said. Intelligence about Mohammed’s activities led in part to the heightened alert level in the United States that lasted most of February, counterterrorism officials said. US officials were elated by Mohammed’s capture. “This is equal to the liberation of Paris in World War II,” said Republican Representative Porter Goss, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Officials were not releasing details of Mohammed’s detention. Previous high-level al-Qaeda captives have not been brought to US soil; they would have rights not afforded on foreign soil, US officials say. Where they are, however, has not been disclosed. Full Story