9/11 torture defender retires from Activision Blizzard

Frances Townsend, who defended the US governments use of torture tactics, such as waterboarding, retired from her role as CCO at Activision Blizzard.

Frances Townsend, who was previously the assistant to former US President George Bush after the September 11, has retired as the Chief Compliance Officer of Activision Blizzard, publisher of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed Ms Townsend would step down, but remain as an official advisor to him and Activision Blizzard’s Board of Directors, Kotaku reports.

“She tirelessly and successfully navigated a challenging time for the Company with leadership, conviction, and grace,” Mr Kotick wrote in an email to Activision Blizzard staff.

Mr Kotick remains CEO of the gaming company.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Picture: AFP

During her tenure at Homeland Security, Ms Townsend became the “face” of the “war on terror,” the catch-all term for the Bush administration’s campaign in the Middle East, and a time of heightened concern over the erosion of civil liberties during efforts to combat terrorism.

During the 2004 re-election campaign for Mr Bush, the “terror threat level” was elevated, helping boost the president’s polling data.

However, that elevation was based on three-year-old intelligence — it was later revealed that Bush’s Cabinet had “politically pressured” the Homeland Security chief into making the decision.

Ms Townsend defended the elevation, stating that politics never played a role in threat-level determinations.

Frances Townsend worked as a counter-terrorism official during the Bush administration.

The top military intelligence officer at Abu Ghraib, collectively known for its torturing of prisoners, stated that there were “instances where [he felt] that there was additional pressure” to procure information from prisoners following a visit from Ms Townsend. Ms Townsend confirmed the visit but denied the accusations.

Her defence of torture tactics during the Bush era included waterboarding and sleep deprivation.

“Regardless of what you think on the issue of whether or not waterboarding is torture, there were legal documents created and relied upon by career intelligence officials who then implemented the program,” she stated in a 2009 CNN interview.

Activision Blizzard is currently undergoing review for a potential sale to Microsoft, to the tune of nearly $100 billion, making it the largest gaming acquisition in history.

Australia has delayed ruling on the merger, pending additional information requests.

Saudi Arabia, however, immediately approved the Microsoft deal, stating that it has “no objection.” The Saudi Arabia Private Investment Fund, however, owns 13 per cent of Activision Blizzard shares.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.