CIA admits waterboarding inmates

[David Octavius]

BBC NEWS | Americas | CIA admits waterboarding inmates

The CIA has for the first time publicly admitted using the controversial method of "waterboarding" on terror suspects.

CIA director Michael Hayden told Congress however that it had only been used on three people, and not at all for the past five years.


He said the technique had been used on high-profile al-Qaeda detainees including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.


Mr Hayden was speaking as National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell presented his annual threat assessment.
Waterboarding is an interrogation technique in which the detainee is put in fear of drowning.

Some critics describe it as torture and Congress has been debating banning its use by the CIA.

President Bush has threatened to veto such a bill.
Mr Hayden said the CIA had also used waterboarding against two other top al-Qaeda suspects, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

Catastrophe fears

He told Congress: "We used it against these three detainees because of the circumstances at the time.

"There was the belief that additional catastrophic attacks against the homeland were inevitable. And we had limited knowledge about al-Qaeda and its workings.


"Those two realities have changed."

In his report, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell focussed attention on al-Qaeda and its leadership based in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.


"Al-Qaeda remains the pre-eminent threat against the United States, both here at home and abroad," he said

Puts a different take on those tapes that were destroyed.

[kinggovernor]

three is three too many

[motivez]

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

three is three too many

We shouldn't be torturing people, period. It looks bad to see us use the same techniques as so many horrendous regimes throughout history, especially when we're trying to claim some sort of moral high ground.

[JaJae]

We've been told for quite some time that three people were waterboarded? Is this an official statement or something? I didn't think this was new information.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by JaJae

We've been told for quite some time that three people were waterboarded? Is this an official statement or something? I didn't think this was new information.

I don't know that there have been any other official admissions from high ranking Administration people

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by JaJae

We've been told for quite some time that three people were waterboarded? Is this an official statement or something? I didn't think this was new information.

I thought the same thing when I saw the story on the web this morning.

[DosEquis]

I am sure it has been used more than 3 times.

But as TKG said.. three is three too many. It just provides the "well they do it so can we" mentality when our soldiers get captured.