Condoleezza Rice Approved Torture Techniques and Waterboarding

A Senate Intelligence Committee document has revealed that Condoleezza Rice personally approved the CIA’s use of waterboarding on al-Qaeda suspects.

The new narrative provides the most detailed timeline yet of the conception and top-level approval of the violent “enhanced interrogation” techniques employed by American officials.

The report describes a meeting between then-CIA Director George Tenet and Dr Rice in July 2002. The Secretary of State "advised that the CIA could proceed with its proposed interrogation" of alleged al-Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah, the report said.

The release of the report, prepared by the attorney general's office at the request of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, details and declassifies the advice given to the CIA regarding its interrogation techniques.

The techniques again gained the endorsement of the Bush administration in spring 2003 when the CIA asked for a "reaffirmation of the policies and practices in the interrogation program."

The latest report, which compiles legal advice provided by the Bush administration to the CIA, indicates that Rice personally conveyed the administration's approval for waterboarding Zubaydah to the then CIA director, George Tenet, in July 2002.

Last autumn, Rice acknowledged to the armed services committee only that she had attended meetings where the CIA interrogation request was discussed. She said she did not recall details. Within days, the justice department secretly approved the use of waterboarding. Zubaydah underwent waterboarding at least 83 times in August 2002.