WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 - A classified report issued last year by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general warned that interrogation procedures approved by the C.I.A. after the Sept. 11 attacks might violate some provisions of the international Convention Against Torture, current and former intelligence officials say.
The previously undisclosed findings from the report, which was completed in the spring of 2004, reflected deep unease within the C.I.A. about the interrogation procedures, the officials said. A list of 10 techniques authorized early in 2002 for use against terror suspects included one known as waterboarding, and went well beyond those authorized by the military for use on prisoners of war.
I'm no John McCain fan but all politicians should take a look at how he handled the ridiculous "I've been watching too many episodes of 24" scenario yesterday morning:
S. O'BRIEN: Aren't there examples, though -- where are examples, maybe, where torture is the only option left?
MCCAIN: Well, first of all, torture doesn't work, as we have proved. Second of all, if there was a one in a million situation where that would happen, then the president would take responsibility for it.
That's exactly right. If extraordinary circumstances ever arose nothing would stop the president from doing what is necessary. The power of pardon is absolute, and no president is going to be impeached for stopping someone from blowing up New York.