US Attorney General Eric Holder has ruled out the use of 'waterboarding' as an interrogation technique for terrorism suspects today, calling it a form of torture that the Obama administration could never condone.
Under President George W. Bush, the United States faced sharp criticism from human rights groups around the world for employing methods such as "waterboarding," which simulates drowning, on suspects held in Mr Bush's war against terrorism.
"Waterboarding is torture ... My Justice Department will not justify it, will not rationalize it and will not condone it," said Mr Holder, who is heading a review of the treatment of terrorism suspects, said in a speech to the Jewish Council of Public Affairs in Washington
President Barack Obama, who took office on January 20th, had signaled during his election campaign he would break with the Bush approach and he reiterated that in a speech to Congress last week.
"Living our values doesn't make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture," Mr Obama said.
Mr Obama also vowed "swift and certain justice for captured terrorists."
He has also ordered the closure of the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where many foreign terrorism suspects have been held for years without trial.
Reuters