A couple months ago, we mentioned Obama’s plan to create a new team for interrogating terrorism suspects. Last week the plan was approved by the president and the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) was created.

Made up of experts from several intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the interrogation unit will be housed at the FBI but will be overseen by the National Security Council — shifting the center of gravity away from the CIA and giving the White House direct oversight.

At first I considered this good news – better interrogation methods. But there was one thing I read in the Washington Post article that seemed unfair:

Interrogators will not necessarily read detainees their rights before questioning, instead making that decision on a case-by-case basis, officials said. That could affect whether some material can be used in a U.S. court of law. The main purpose of the new unit, however, is to glean intelligence, especially about potential terrorist attacks, the officials said.

“It is not going to, certainly, be automatic in any regard that they are going to be Mirandized,” one official said, referring to the practice of reading defendants their rights. “Nor will it be automatic that they are not Mirandized.”

I find it hard to believe that all information given won’t be used in court if they aren’t Mirandized, and in that case they should know their rights.

Also, a second unit is to be created specifically for decisions relating to Guantanamo Bay prisoners, but details haven’t yet been finalized.