Report Shows Rice Approved CIA Torture

By: Dan Farber
Topics: White House

(AP Photo/John Marshall Mantel)

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been out of the spotlight, earning up to $150,000 for speaking engagements and lunching with celebrities like American Idol judge Randy Jackson. But the political spotlight is turning toward her again, and it could be a little harsh.

A 232-page report released this week by the Senate Armed Services Committee states that Rice, as well as several other Bush administration officials, reviewed and subsequently approved the use of waterboarding and other interrogation techniques.

CBS News's David Martin reported that, while serving as Bush's National Security Adviser, Rice gave verbal approval to CIA Director George Tenet to continue using harsh interrogation methods, including waterboarding and stress positions, on detainees.

Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee last year, Rice said she didn't recall the details of conversations at the White House regarding CIA interrogation techniques.

The Washington Post noted that in 2005 Rice said, "The United States government does not authorize or condone torture of detainees. Torture, and conspiracy to commit torture, are crimes under U.S. law, wherever they may occur in the world."

The controversy rests on the definition of torture. Memos released this week show that government lawyers struggled with the definition, but at this point most people in Washington and around the world would categorize waterboarding — simulated drowning — as a classical form of torture.

President Obama has left the door open to the possible prosecution of those who approved the harsh interrogation methods. However, many government officials would rather not drag the country through months of hearings exposing what are now regarded as illegal interrogation methods. Senators John McCain, R-AZ, Joe Lieberman, I-CT, and Lindsey Graham, R-SC, would rather see the door closed on the past.

"Pursuing such prosecutions would, we believe, have serious negative effects on the candor with which officials in any administration provide their best advice, and would take our country in a backward-looking direction at a time when our detainee-related challenges demand that we look forward," the senators said in a letter to President Obama.

Senator Patrick Leahy, D-VT, would like to see a non-partisan torture commission to investigate what happened, but he'll have to convince several parties that looking back is best for America.

According to CBS legal analyst Andrew Cohen, "Sen. Leahy won't just need to convince the White House and Justice Department to go along with the idea of a Torture Commission, he'll need Republicans to make the Commission truly bipartisan. And for that he might need an initial pledge from the executive branch not to prosecute former Bush officials who authorized and drafted the memos."

President Obama would like to put the contentious torture issue behind him, given all the other balls he is juggling, but this one won't easily go away.

Dan has more than 20 years of journalism experience. He has served as editor in chief of CBSNews.com, CNET News, ZDNet, PC Week, and MacWeek.
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by jkharker July 3, 2009 1:03 AM EDT: Torture does work. We do not torture to kill as these people would do to us if they had us in there posession. Why are there so many people that care about these worthless peoples lives. They surely do not care about ours. If they had the chance again they would kill every one of us. Would you have a different feeling if your kids or family was murdered by them? The U.s uses water boarding on its own citizens and has for years. Why don't people scream about that. The military uses it in SERE school. It works. The weak ones will talk. Quit believing everything you hear from CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN. Get your news firsthand from people that are there and that do not have an agenda to further their career.; Reply to this comment


by egresor May 19, 2009 7:35 PM EDT: ' Your article stated that waterboarding and stress positions are " now rearded as illegal interrogation techniques". That is a false staement. Legality is what is decided by the appropriate government agency at the time. Laws change, but waterboarding was not illegal after 2001.
Posted by tobytobinnh at 5:01 PM : Apr 26, 2009 '

Then why did the US execute Japanese for waterboarding American POW?

At least the American POWs were registered, rather than hidden from the Geneva Convention.

===

excellent point sir

another thing to consider is that no ruling of legality can be made that has already been show by precedent (WW2) to be illegal and punishable by death. nor can a leagl ruling be made which is contrary to international laws and treaties.

a rubber stamp attorney general is just as guilty of conspiracy to commit torture as those who ordered it. mr gonzales we have a nice jail cell with your name on it too.

this thing is NOT over. the world courts will have something to say about it and if we give immunity to protect those who authorized torture for their political justifications....then we are outlaws just as much as bin laden and the jackal. murders all!

keep trying to defend the indefensible mr cheney. we love it! you reveal your and your administration's complicity and guilt for torture. keeping trying to explain and keep trying to defend you and your actions.

and contrary to your opinion mr cheny, even if useful information was obtained (yet to be shown) that is no excuse for violating the law. even if your toady gonzales says it's ok.

kepp talking dick. just like the guy who decideds to defend himself in court you will hang yourself and have a fool for a client.

i like dick. he confesses even without being tortured!

LOL; Reply to this comment


by ohdearme May 2, 2009 7:15 AM EDT: ' Your article stated that waterboarding and stress positions are " now rearded as illegal interrogation techniques". That is a false staement. Legality is what is decided by the appropriate government agency at the time. Laws change, but waterboarding was not illegal after 2001.
Posted by tobytobinnh at 5:01 PM : Apr 26, 2009 '

Then why did the US execute Japanese for waterboarding American POW?

At least the American POWs were registered, rather than hidden from the Geneva Convention.; Reply to this comment


by ohdearme May 2, 2009 6:55 AM EDT: 'As far as I'm concerned these people can operate on standing orders to shoot to kill unless they need the information, then they can douse, dunk, or rip the hearts out of the bodies with their bare hands to get it! They have my permission not to take a prisoner one that we have to house, feed or provide medical assistance for. The fewer the better, especially if they're caught on the battlefield. '

Except it isn't just 'enemy combatants' is it. Its civilians, and innocent people. Kept in detention centres ILLEGALLY, raped, beaten, and killed.

The hypocrisy that portrays the Iraqi 'enemy' as animals, or criminals, and yet America is clearly so impressed that they imitate the crimes they say the terrorists commit.

When crimes against American soldiers are unearthed, the US is full of righteous indignation. Its 'good' versus 'evil', look at the scum. You can't say anything against the disgusting behaviour of the American military, because that brands you 'unpatriotic', and it would seem thats the worst insult you can use. The culture of blind nationalism and misplaced pride in America needs to change.; Reply to this comment


by tigerrram9 April 30, 2009 9:10 AM EDT: I blame Rice for the torture, but she was only following guideance from her hight ups.....Dick Cheney. He is the one that should be prosecuted. Because of his greed many Americans have lost their lives in Iraq. All for what? For the oil my friend, greedy Cheney and Haliburton stealing money from Americans, over pricing their services. Do you think Cheney doesn't have a stake in the company? Yeah right, do you think he is going to give up such a profitable business WAR. He has a lot of American and Iraqi blood on his hands.; Reply to this comment


by tigerrram9 April 30, 2009 9:04 AM EDT: Pursuing the prosecution ot the persons involved in approving the torture of prisoners is the right thing to do. This would show the world that we are committed to justice. It doesn't matter if you are a high official or not if you approved the torture you should be prosecuted. The reason McCain and other republicans are against prosecutions is because this goes up high in the chain of command. These prosecutions would include Cheney, Rove, Rice, Tenet, and maybe even President Bush. That is why they want to see this prosecutions go away. What are going to tell the world, we are Americans and we condone torture, that is wrong. We are better than that.; Reply to this comment


by tobytobinnh April 26, 2009 8:15 PM EDT: Your article stated that waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques are" now regarded as illegal". That is false. Those techniques were declared legal by the appropriate government agencies. Laws can be changed and legal arguments can be changed, but those techniques were legal after 2001.; Reply to this comment


by tobytobinnh April 26, 2009 8:01 PM EDT: Your article stated that waterboarding and stress positions are " now rearded as illegal interrogation techniques". That is a false staement. Legality is what is decided by the appropriate government agency at the time. Laws change, but waterboarding was not illegal after 2001.; Reply to this comment


by ramos1129 April 25, 2009 5:30 AM EDT: No question that these two guys are unsavory and no one would want them as neighbors.

By her statement , and other now public evidence, then Sec. Rice admits that she broke the law and should be held accountable. I cannot understand how Sanford University, where she now works, can continue to employ her.; Reply to this comment


by Ignoramus2 April 23, 2009 6:23 PM EDT: Who said waterboarding was illegal? The United States executed several Japanese service men after WWII for waterboarding American POWs. So, sixty years ago, we said waterboarding was criminally unacceptable. We're more civilized now, though.; Reply to this comment

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