CIA Agent Talks About Waterboarding

Former CIA Agent John Kiriakou talks about his use of waterboarding:
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John Kiriakou told US broadcaster ABC that "water-boarding" was used when his CIA team questioned suspected al-Qaeda chief recruiter Abu Zubaydah.

He said it might be torture but that it "broke" the detainee in seconds.

US authorities are investigating the CIA's destruction of tapes of al-Qaeda suspects being interrogated.

Mr Kiriakou told ABC the day after water-boarding was used on Abu Zubaydah, the detainee told his interrogator Allah had visited him in his cell during the night and told him to cooperate.

'Principles compromised'

"From that day on, he answered every question," the retired agent said.

"The threat information he provided disrupted a number of attacks, maybe dozens of attacks."
But he added:

"Like a lot of Americans, I'm involved in this internal, intellectual battle with myself weighing the idea that water-boarding may be torture versus the quality of information that we often get after using the water-boarding technique. And I struggle with it."

He said he felt water-boarding's use had "compromised [American] principles in the short term" and was unsure the technique would be justified any longer.

"At the time, I felt water-boarding was something we needed to do," he told ABC News.

"And as time has passed, and as September 11th has, you know, has moved farther and farther back into history, I think I've changed my mind."
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Source: BBC News