Here is an op-ed at the Washington Post by David Ignatius that describes the chilling effect of these decisions, on the people working there and ultimately, our safety. The columnist in the end comes out and says “America will be better off, in the long run, for Obama’s decision to expose the past practice of torture and ban its future use”. I’m not sure I agree with that, but the rest of it makes some good points.

The first few paragraphs:

At the Central Intelligence Agency, it’s known as “slow rolling.” That’s what agency officers sometimes do on politically sensitive assignments. They go through the motions; they pass cables back and forth; they take other jobs out of the danger zone; they cover their backsides.

Sad to say, it’s slow roll time at Langley after the release of interrogation memos that, in the words of one veteran officer, “hit the agency like a car bomb in the driveway.” President Obama promised CIA officers that they won’t be prosecuted for carrying out lawful orders, but the people on the firing line don’t believe him. They think the memos have opened a new season of investigation and retribution.

The lesson for younger officers is obvious: Keep your head down. Duck the assignments that carry political risk. Stay away from a counterterrorism program that has become a career hazard.