Even though we’ve heard over time that waterboarding may not always net accurate information, government psychologists gave it a hearty endorsement. That may have been what the administration needed to hear before using it.
By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration approved the use of “waterboarding” on Al Qaeda detainees after receiving reports from government psychologists that it was “100 percent effective” in breaking the will of U.S. military personnel subjected to the technique during training, according to documents released today by a Senate Committee.
The Senate Armed Services report concludes that waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques-including forcing detainees to stand naked, subjecting them to growling dogs and depriving them of sleep-were discussed by top members of the National Security Council and other senior administration officials inside the White House.
Some officials expressed strong concerns about the legality of the methods. But the techniques were ultimately given the green light, based on government assessments that showed such methods were quick and effective in breaking down the resistance of U.S. military officers who were subjected to them in so-called Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) classes.
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