CIA: U.S. tortured detainees for information on Bin Laden

- Obama had made it very clear to the Pakistanis that if we had solid evidence of where bin Laden was located, would enter into Pakistani territory for him. And that is precisely what occurred - said the CIA director.

NEW YORK - The director of the American Intelligence Agency (CIA), Leon Panetta, admitted on Tuesday that his team its the controversial technique of simulated drowning (waterboarding, its acronym in English) on detainees in secret prisons for information that would lead United States to locate bin Laden.
In an interview with U.S. network NBC, the director pointed out that the clues that led the intelligence services to find the hiding place of bin Laden came from many sources and not only that an interrogation technique.
- In this case, the coercive interrogation techniques were used against some of these prisoners. Regarding the debate about whether we could have obtained the same information by other means, I think this will always be an open question - Panetta said.
Asked if these were coercive interrogation techniques including waterboarding, Panetta replied correct.
Critics classify waterboarding as torture: the technique is to tie a piece of cloth or plastic in the prisoner's mouth and then pour water on his face. The prisoner quickly begins to inhale water, causing the sensation of drowning.
The CIA director, who will soon replace Robert Gates as head of the Department of Defense, stated that the orders of President Barack Obama in the operation required the death of bin Laden, and not just capture him.
- That was clear. But it was also, as part of the rules of operation, which he suddenly raised his hands and surrender, then we have the opportunity, obviously, to capture it. But that opportunity was never presented - he explained.
Panetta said, moreover, that the Pakistani government had never known anything about this mission, because the U.S. classified as unilateral mission.