Trump defers to Mattis on torture

“I think it’s fair to say that refugees coming into the United States to be resettled are some of the most vetted individuals entering the United States”, Maestracci said.

“I happen to feel that it (waterboarding) does work”.

Either way, if you voted for Trump because you believed his promises about torture, it looks like you’re going to be disappointed, at least for now.

The defense secretary welcomed the president to the headquarters of the military “where America’s awesome determination to defend itself is always on display”.

Republicans and Democrats alike are anxious what President Trump plans to do with our interrogation measures. John McCain of Arizona.

It’s unclear who wrote the draft order or whether Trump will sign it, though members of Congress in both parties were taking that prospect seriously on Wednesday. “But the law is the law”.

“It also makes the United States less safe”, the rights campaigners said, adding that terrorist groups continue to use the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo, and the abuses it represents, as a recruiting tool. Once again, it has made the leap from medieval parchments to TV screens, as President Trump signals he may seek to revive its use.In modern times, waterboarding is so named for the board, angled downward at the head, to which a subject is strapped before interrogation. “And I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding”. The 1996 War Crimes Act punishes any “grave breach” of the Geneva conventions, including “torture”.

However, a senate committee concluded waterboarding is not an effective technique for gathering important intelligence.

Soufan said his interrogation relied on building a relationship with the terrorism suspects and confronting them with evidence.

“Torture is absolutely prohibited, and no executive order can change that”.

The U.S. ground commander for Iraq said earlier this week that he had received no notice of plans to change troop levels or rules of engagement since Trump took office. They’re not gonna refuse me. Tomorrow, I will swear in General James Mattis as our new secretary of defense.

Once he turned to the substance of the question, Trump said he would let Mattis make the decision about the sort of interrogation techniques used by the United States.

“[Mattis] is a man of honor and action, he likes action, he’s the right man at the right time and he’ll do us proud”, Trump said. “He said, ‘I’ve always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture.’ And I was very impressed by that answer”.