Former CIA Officer Defends Torture Techniques, Waterboarding

Local Editor

Former CIA interrogation chief Jose Rodriquez has defended the agency's controversial torture techniques, including waterboarding.

"This program was about instilling a sense of hopelessness and despair in the terrorist, in the detainee, so that he would conclude that he was better off cooperating with us," Rodriguez said.

Rodriquez further said that techniques like waterboarding, dietary manipulation, and sleep deprivation are justified.

In his capacity as CIA interrogation chief, he ordered the destruction of certain videos that had filmed interrogations during which waterboarding was applied.

The videos were filmed in a secret CIA prison in Thailand and showed the waterboarding of suspects Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Nashiri. The destruction of the tapes was revealed in 2007.
Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has also defended the different torture methods used by the agency, claiming they ‘saved American lives.'

Yet, an investigation by Senate Democrats has found that there is no proof the techniques produced any counter-terrorism breakthroughs.

Source: News Agencies


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