After the scandal about mistreatment of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq became public in April, all harsh techniques were abruptly suspended, they said.
A fascinating new development in the ongoing saga of the BBC and its description of waterboarding as a "harsh interrogation technique".
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Tuesday to approve the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey as attorney general despite opposition from most of the committee's Democrats over Mr. Mukasey's refusal to label a harsh interrogation technique used on terrorist suspects as torture.
In an age when torture has become a "harsh interrogation technique" and "freedom" and "democracy" are used to curtail freedom and democracy, we'll surely miss his critical eye and his passionate love affair with the American language.
Sanchez has said that after that date, he approved the use of only one harsh technique, long-term isolation, in 25 or so cases.
Others said that the negotiations were a sham and that an array of harsh techniques remained available.
In 2002, CIA officials drew up a list of harsh techniques, including those that would allow interrogators to slap and forcefully grab detainees, put them in stress positions and deprive them of sleep, place them in confinement boxes and subject them to waterboarding, or simulated drowning.
But a closer look at prisoner interrogations suggests that the harsh techniques played a small role at most in identifying Bin Laden's trusted courier and exposing his hide-out.
Members of both parties said it was necessary for the U.S. to have a torture policy that eschews harsh techniques, while still allowing them here and there.
On Thursday, they finally got their wish: Thickly bearded and glaring out through half-rimmed glasses, David S. Addington, a top aide to Vice President Cheney and alleged master-mind of the legal rationale for the harsh techniques, appeared before a House subcommittee.
