human rights issues aside, why would you trust "scumbags" for good intelligence anyways. the people excluded have already proven themselves untrustworthy by their very nature. i doubt this had much effect of the gathering of relavent intelligence.
For the same reason police use snitches, rate and weasels; they are on the inside or next to it and are the best source of information and intentions.
Regards,
First, one doesn't "trust" them, one uses them, normally with the incentive of cold, hard cash.
Second, one uses them because they hang out with the bad guys, the other scumbags upon whom you want to gain intelligence.
As for this story, once again there appears to have been a great deal of Reno/Gorelick interference in CIA operations, mainly in an effort to provide CYA to the Clinton White House (don't believe for a second that "human rights" was their actual concern).
The CIA really needs to be unleashed from the political process, particularly congressional "oversight" (aka meddling). Barring that it's a useless organization that should be completely dismanteled.