Newly released U.S. interrogation memos reveal harsh techniquesapproved by the Bush administration for use by the Central IntelligenceAgency against terror suspects.
Four Bush-era memos, released bythe Justice Department Thursday, outline methods such as using aplastic neck collar to repeatedly slam a prisoner into a wall,confining a suspect in a box with insects, keeping detainees naked, andstanding in painful positions. The memos also approve slapping, sleepdeprivation, and waterboarding - a technique that simulates drowning.
Ina statement, U.S. President Barack Obama said his administration willnot prosecute agents who carried out the harsh interrogations, but heleft open the possibility of prosecuting anyone who acted without legalauthority.
Michael Hayden, who led the CIA underthen-President George W. Bush, blasted the release, saying foreigngovernments will think the CIA "can't keep a secret" and are now lesslikely to cooperate with the United States.
Current CIA directorLeon Panetta released a statement Thursday, saying there are newpolicies in place, but he strongly opposes efforts to prosecute thosewho were carrying out interrogation practices that had been approved atthe time.
The director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair,said it is important to remember that the CIA was struggling to obtaincritical information from captured al-Qaida leaders after the September11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In a statement, he said those techniqueswill not be used in the future.
The memos were released Thursdayto meet a federal court deadline in response to a lawsuit by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union.
An ACLU spokesman, Alex Abdo, praised the Obama administration for releasing the memos but said transparency is not enough.
Therights group Amnesty International welcomed the documents' release butcriticized the government's decision to not hold accountable thoseresponsible for committing "acts of torture."