Constitutional Law

Panetta Says Harsh Interrogations Are Still Possible

President Obama’s choice to head the CIA, Leon Panetta, told a Senate panel that in some instances he may urge the president to allow the CIA to use harsh interrogation methods on suspects detained on allegations of terrorism involvement. According to The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, Panetta said that in extreme situations, he might request permission from the White House to use interrogation techniques beyond those authorized by President Obama’s recent executive order. Panetta would not say what type of interrogation methods he would push for. 

Panetta also testified that the “practice of ‘rendition’ — picking terrorism suspects off the street and sending them to a third country,” for detention and interrogation would continue. He claimed, however, that renditions would not take place in countries “known for torture,” the Red Cross would be granted access to prisoners, and prisoners could not be kept indefinitely. Renditions have been loudly condemned by some of America’s allies as illegal and a blatant way to get around international bans on torture. Nonetheless, Panetta defended renditions, saying some “tools” need to be preserved to “go after the bad guys.”

Finally, like Attorney General Eric Holder, Panetta said waterboarding is torture. However he also said that CIA agents who have used the method on detainees should not be prosecuted.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on February 06, 2009 (boomark / email).