Holder: "Waterboarding is Torture"
Attorney General-nominee disputes President Bush over legality of that interrogation method
By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder Jr. declared Thursday that waterboarding is torture, forcefully breaking from years in which the Justice Department deftly avoided the sensitive question about U.S. interrogation methods.
In past hearings, Attorney General Michael Mukasey and his predecessor, Alberto Gonzales, frustrated senators by repeatedly sidestepping questions about waterboarding, a harsh interrogation tactic that simulates drowning.
The controversial tactic was the first topic discussed at Holder's confirmation hearing, and he made an unambiguous statement about its nature: "Waterboarding is torture."
It was the latest signal that President-elect Barack Obama plans a sharp break from the Bush administration. As recently as last week, Vice President Dick Cheney defended waterboarding, saying it provided valuable intelligence. The CIA has used the tactic on at least three terrorism suspects, included alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
No Republican has said he will oppose Holder's nomination, but the GOP sees the confirmation hearing as the best early forum for showing that the minority party is still relevant despite a Democratic sweep in November.
After Holder issued his opinion on waterboarding, the questioning turned toward the 2001 pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich. Holder, who was the No. 2 official at the Justice Department at the time, told President Bill Clinton that he was neutral leaning toward favoring the pardon. On Thursday, Holder repeated a later conclusion, saying he regrets not studying the pardon more.
But Holder said he learned from the mistake and would be a better attorney general because of the experience.
- Read more about the controversy over waterboarding
- Read 10 Things You Didn't Know About Eric Holder
Reader Comments
Waterboarding
The debate about waterboarding is a political tool used by the left. If you believe in justice , then you'll agree the terrorist should be executed, isn't that worse than waterboarding? Whoever cares about waterboarding brutal criminals that killed innocent children is an irresponsible hypocritical leftist/communist pansy interested in their own political gain. The want to stretch the Geneva Convention rules to protect criminals not legitimate soldiers. I think they should all get what Guevara got, even the nice T-shirts.
Holder: "Waterboarding is Torture"
I note Holder stated that " waterboarding is torture ". But he wisely did not further state "and I will never condone waterboarding when I am faced with s suspect who has information that will harm this country I am sworn to defend ".
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
I don't care what valuable information that might be obtained from an extra-judicial prisoner. What happened to this Country's morals? If we only defend the Constitution for ourselves and not others, whatever their crimes may be, then how can the we be better than the scum of humanity that has defiled our great nation?
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