Others with knowledge of the interrogations said the Cumhuriyet journalists were repeatedly questioned on their editorial policies and decisions, and that they faced allegations of fomenting terrorist propaganda.
But interviews with current and former government officials who have direct or indirect knowledge of the Abu Zubaydah interrogation suggest that the United States began the waterboarding, labeled as illegal torture by top Obama administration officials, based on a profound misunderstanding of its captive.
Then, after he resumed his own remarks, he came under unexpectedly intense questioning from both Democrats and Republicans about drone strikes, leaks of classified information and his knowledge of the agency's former interrogation program.
WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - John Brennan, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the CIA, had detailed, contemporaneous knowledge of the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on captured terrorism suspects during an earlier stint as a top spy agency official, according to multiple sources familiar with official records.
Brennan's role in that program and the extent of his involvement in and knowledge of severe interrogation methods such as waterboarding during the Bush era were the subject of pointed questioning during his confirmation hearings after Obama nominated him to head the CIA in January 2013.
But Kwasniewski and former Prime Minister Leszek Miller denied knowledge of the abuses reportedly committed during the interrogation of terror suspects, including Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Al Qaeda kingpin Abu Zubaydah and the prisoner accused of bombing the U.S. destroyer Cole in 2000, Abd al Rahim al Nashiri.
Mr. Brigitte had contacts with Lashkar-e-Taiba members in the United States, Canada and Europe, a senior law enforcement official with knowledge of his interrogation said.
Jamal al-Harith was rendered to Guantánamo simply because he had spent time in a Taliban prison in Afghanistan and was thought to have knowledge of Taliban interrogation techniques.
One Briton, Jamal al-Harith, was rendered to Guantánamo simply because he had been held in a Taliban prison and was thought to have knowledge of their interrogation techniques.
The appeal court judges continued: "In principle, a real risk of serious damage to national security, of whatever degree, should not automatically trump a public interest in open justice when it concerned UK knowledge of unlawful interrogation techniques used by US officials".
