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Ex-CIA chief: Pelosi did not object to waterboarding

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    Ex-CIA head Jose Rodriguez claims he briefed Nancy Pelosi on the torture tactic; former speaker denies it

  • Duration 6:42
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That segment tonight new book called hard measures how aggressive CIA actions after 9/11 saved American lives.

Causing a major controversy it's written by Jose Rodriguez who was in charge of the CIA's Counterterrorism Center.

And we did have authority to Warner board captured terrorist suspects.

On May fourteenth 2009.

Then speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi denied the CIA told her that waterboarding was being used.

And the bracing for that I received.

We were told that they had legal opinions that this was legal we were not told that it was.

Time that there were other legal opinions to the contrary in the administration.

And we were told specifically that waterboarding was not good news.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- That close all right you tell waterboarding was -- -- a he I was the person who let the team.

On September 4 2002.

For the congress to brief horror and Porter -- and some -- their staff.

About the interrogation of Abu zubaydah.

The techniques that were used including waterboarding -- I'm gonna tell you don't rephrase -- question again did you tell you.

Tell Nancy Pelosi waterboarding was being used yes they did okay.

Call Carolina.

Well she is confused or she is not telling the truth and I think -- -- -- are sitting there.

And you look at her any -- like -- look at me and Leon.

And your talent her and the other people in the room.

That you did use waterboarding on Abu zubaydah.

And she then comes out and says.

They didn't tell me is not about our confusion that that's that's a word that people remember.

Waterboarding correct and you know what they don't have to take my -- -- -- there is a cable dated 10 September of 2002.

Where we spell out exactly.

The briefing that we gave NASA from those keys to ward waterboarding use and I can with it's used waterboarding and there are other techniques that -- used -- Abu -- Abu zubaydah.

Had been.

Subjected to -- -- -- interrogation techniques.

In August of that year and the briefing took place in September when she got back to Washington camera was it -- -- written any cable of what happened in the meeting.

Saying they use the word waterboarding and then -- your word any other people who with you correct you told Nancy Pelosi that that was being used -- -- When you told the congresswoman the speaker of the house this access -- was not the speaker she was then all minority rank -- up our mind on it right yeah that's right they just commit.

When you told her that.

Did she say to you mr.

-- readers do not use waterboarding or I object waterboarding -- waterboarding is torture -- she said she did not.

What did she say about the technique she did not say a word about the technique and actually the way I remember this is that we talked about other potential techniques that we were going to use.

And she objected to those would -- want you know that was.

Talk about mock execution.

And you know we never.

There you can do you say you might do to.

Yeah well that I objective OK but waterboarding your a 100% positive she did not raise an objection to it I am a 100% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Is an FBI guy wrote a book to this knowledge to fund says that.

-- screw up this drug reviews here's what he says.

Zubaydah gave up valuable information to the FBI interrogators including information about Khalid Sheikh Mohamed.

May obtain information that led the CIA.

And the FBI captured Jose Padilla all right the American guy in Chicago.

That's you -- says when the CIA interrogation team headed by you mr.

Rodriguez use enhanced interrogation techniques zubaydah.

Stopped.

Cooperate.

Well at least two from what's not there when we started to use it has interrogation techniques that I think yeah you -- -- let's walk through it.

-- -- -- That the FBI got the information about Khalid Sheikh Mohamed not to CIA true -- false.

You know the only two things that -- suppan got the one thing that he thought.

-- that Khalid Sheikh Mohamed.

-- more power book dar was the nickname that I couldn't Sheikh Mohamed had used.

But even the story about Jose Padilla is not so give -- the -- don't get heady stuff to cool way cool.

Interrogated.

Zubaydah first you -- the FBI.

It was our prisoner it was.

Our detention facility and we had a joint FBI CIA who went in first to ask him CIA or FBI it was a joint effort and we went in together early -- -- get together a priority of tidbits to fund says that he got.

Information from zubaydah that led directly to Khalid Sheikh Mohamed weed -- the rough stuff.

They did not lead to Khalid Sheikh Mohamed to bill and where we're where -- but once you started the rough stuff you get a shot up.

Is that true well no I was indeed basically.

I had had enough of the FBI have basically total obvious -- to go home.

That basically says he'll -- -- did you -- Shut up after you wore aborted and they did did he just shut down no because we -- not waterboarding on tool August.

Of that -- did the FBI gets.

Very high valued information without the rough stuff did they get it I mean the FBI and you do the only thing the FBI.

-- will give them credit.

-- for them to not get the the nickname of -- -- and that was it okay.

So you contend that Alley -- fun is not telling the truth here I -- content that he's not telling the group.

And he doesn't know.

Because he was not -- when we started to do the enhanced interrogation techniques he doesn't know what we got.

We got thousands of intelligence reports that basically allow owners to -- down and destroy the al-Qaeda organization that attacked -- -- nine elevenths he doesn't know.

These are bad blood between the FBI and the CIA on the terror front no there is not actually the relationships are very good.

And having proves we're up improve with time so this guy's just a -- guide to -- front not a terrible guy he's he had difficulty before he even got.

To the black -- he had difficulty -- the millennium plot in Jordan exactly was thrown out there.

And yet difficulty after he left Austin went to Guantanamo with the military and so you know he's a difficult -- All right well the book is fascinating have to say anybody whose interest in the war on terror.

Don't -- oh pick up part measures and we appreciate you coming and distributors of.