WASHINGTON: John McCain, the US senator subjected to brutal treatment as aprisoner in North Vietnam, questioned Tuesday the nomination of a CIAofficial once involved in torture to lead the spy agency.
McCain said Gina Haspel, currently the deputy director of the CentralIntelligence Agency, must pledge “without reservation” to oppose the use oftorture if she is to be approved as director.
“The torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one ofthe darkest chapters in American history,” McCain said in a statement.
“Ms. Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement inthe CIA’s interrogation program during the confirmation process.”
President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Haspel, 61, to replace MikePompeo, who has been named to take over the State Department after the topUS diplomat, Rex Tillerson, was fired.
Haspel, who has had a long career in the CIA’s clandestine service, ran theagency’s “black box” interrogation cell in Thailand after the September 11attacks.
Two high-profile detainees, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, weresubjected to waterboarding and other torture methods while they were heldin the secret prison.
McCain, a navy pilot, was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. Takenprisoner, his severe injuries weren’t treated and he was repeatedly boundand beaten.
Since then he has steadfastly opposed the use of torture by the USgovernment.
“In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, our government squanderedprecious moral authority in a futile effort to produce intelligence bymeans of torture,” McCain said.
“We are still dealing with the consequences of that desperately misguideddecision.”
“Current US law is clear in banning enhanced interrogation techniques. Anynominee for director of the CIA must pledge without reservation to upholdthis prohibition,” he said. – Agencies