Bush to Veto Waterboarding Bill

[leobold1]

Bush to Veto Waterboarding Bill

Mar 7 06:04 PM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Bush will veto legislation on Saturday that would have barred the CIA from using waterboarding—a technique that simulates drowning—and other harsh interrogation methods on terror suspects.
Bush has said the bill would harm the government's ability to prevent future attacks. Supporters of the legislation argue that it preserves the United States' right to collect critical intelligence while boosting the country's moral standing abroad.

"The bill would take away one of the most valuable tools on the war on terror, the CIA program to detain and question key terrorist leaders and operatives," deputy White House press secretary Tony Fratto said Friday.

The bill would restrict the CIA to using only the 19 interrogation techniques listed in the Army field manual.

The legislation would bar the CIA from using waterboarding, sensory deprivation or other coercive methods to break a prisoner who refuses to answer questions. Those practices were banned by the military in 2006.

The legislation cleared the House in December and won Senate approval last month.