Petraeus: Congress should discuss interrogation techniques for "ticking time bomb scenario"

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

Army Gen. David Petraeus, President Obama's nominee to lead the CIA, suggested to Congress on Thursday that it should consider setting parameters for using enhanced interrogation techniques in a "ticking time bomb scenario."

At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Petraeus, currently the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, reiterated his support for adhering to the interrogation methods listed in the U.S. Army Field Manual. Mr. Obama in 2009 signed an executive order banning the use of any interrogation method, such as waterboarding, not listed in the field manual.

"Those techniques, again, do work," Petraeus said of the field manual. "It is a very rare case, in fact, where those techniques do not elicit the information that we actually are after in these cases."

The general alluded to his past assertion that the U.S. must "live our values." He said Thursday that "it bites you in the backside over time if you don't."

Still, Petraeus said there may be a "special case" in which interrogators may need to employ "more than the normal techniques."

"I think that is a special case. I think there should be discussion of that by policymakers and by Congress," he said. "I think that it should be thought out ahead of time."

Petraeus gave the example of having an individual in captivity who has placed a nuclear device under the Empire State Building.

Republican Sen. John McCain, who like Petraeus has denounced torture techniques, said he was interested in working with Petraeus on the issue.

"I'm not sure what the answer is, because I think the person who would have to be responsible would be the president of the United States," McCain said.

Petraeus agreed that in a "ticking time bomb scenario," the authorization to use certain interrogation techniques "has to come from the top."

"Something extraordinary is going to be done, and this can't be something where we are forcing low-level individuals to have to make a choice under enormous duress," he said.

Military advisers react to Obama's Afghan plan

[justme2012]

Suppose we captured a terrorist with evidence that he's planted a nuke somewhere in Washington DC.

"Liberals would send in a defense attorney, buy him a cup of coffee and ask "please tell us where the bomb is".

"Conservaitves would send in the biggest scariest SOB in town, bust his head wide open and keep at him until he told where the bomb is".

Under the liberals, many would die, but they would die with integrity knowing their death was honorable because they showed mercy and kindess to their enemies.

Under the conservatives, all would be saved, and they would cheer their lives and thank those that did what was necessary to save them. They will say the bomber got what he deserved and will think nothing of his busted head!

[retm-w]

Well obama keeps putting these republicans in his cabinet, and betrayus still thinks he's working for cheney.

[retm-w]

I'm just calling him the same thing his troops did, I know a few that served under him.