Our Torture Is Legal AND We Don't Do It

[babylonsister]

Our Torture Is Legal AND We Don't Do It
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2007-11-01 03:08. Media

CIA Head Defends Interrogation Practices
By SOPHIA TAREEN, AP

CHICAGO (AP) — CIA Director Michael Hayden defended his agency's interrogation practices Tuesday as political pressure mounted on President Bush's attorney general nominee to reject a technique that allegedly was part of the CIA's interrogation program.

"Our programs are as lawful as they are valuable," Hayden said to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "The best sources of information on terrorists and their plans are the terrorists themselves."

Hayden said "the irreplaceable nature of that intelligence is the sole reason we have rendition, detention and interrogation programs."

Several senior Senate Democrats had vowed to vote against the president's nominee for attorney general, Michael Mukasey, unless he stated unequivocally that the practice of "waterboarding" is torture. That would render the practice illegal. The U.S. military already forbids it.

In September ABC News reported that Hayden had banned waterboarding in CIA interrogations in 2006. Agency officials have neither confirmed nor denied waterboarding prisoners in the past, and they would not confirm the reported ban.

After his remarks in Chicago, an audience member asked Hayden: "Is waterboarding torture and will you continue to waterboard? Yes or no."

In his answer, Hayden briefly discussed constitutional law, the United Nations Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Convention before ending: "Judge Mukasey cannot nor can I answer your question in the abstract. I need to understand the totality of the circumstances in which this question is being posed before I can give you an answer.":crazy:

more...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28281

[goddess40]

1. Maybe they need to see what water-boarding is

They should have a demonstration like they do for tazers, right their at the confirmation hearing.