CIA chief Brennan says he would resign before going back to waterboarding

WASHINGTON, July 13 (UPI) — U.S. intelligence chief John Brennan said Wednesday that if the next president were to order his agency to return to waterboarding or use more harmful forms of interrogation, he would consider quitting rather than follow the order.

The CIA director, who has a mixed history on the issue of enhanced interrogation techniques that critics have said are tantamount to torture, told the Brookings Institute in a speech that it’s his responsibility to carry out orders from the president — but added that it’s an individual’s responsibility to determine whether they can do so “in good conscience.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a return to waterboarding, which simulates drowning, as well as more severe forms of interrogation — a position Brennan has criticized in the past. The GOP contender has called Brennan’s refusal “ridiculous.”

For the first time Wednesday, Brennan elaborated by saying he would rather resign than carry out a hypothetical order to torture an interrogation suspect.

“I’m not going to be the director of CIA that gives that order. I think [they would] need to find another director,” Brennan said.

Brennan has been a lightning rod in the debate over enhanced interrogation techniques that were put in place by the George W. Bush administration and used by the CIA after 9/11.

President Barack Obama, though, has since signed an executive order outlawing waterboarding and other severe forms of interrogation.

Brennan was not the CIA’s director at the time the agency used the techniques, but during his confirmation hearing he did defend the practices as necessary for national security.

He has also said, however, that he personally opposes the use of waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques.

“The agencies’ detention and interrogation program, I believe, was instrumental in keeping this country safe in the aftermath of 9/11,” he said Wednesday. “There were individuals that were subjected to these [enhanced interrogation techniques] that subsequent to that provided information that was in fact credible and worthwhile for pursuit.

“Were mistakes made in it? Absolutely. But the Agency was directed and authorized to carry out this program to the best of its capabilities even though it had never done it before.”