The vote came at a time when a series of developments have called attention to the CIA's treatment of detainees. Last month, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden acknowledged that the agency had destroyed videotapes of interrogations of two prisoners who subjected to harsh methods. The disclosure triggered a criminal inquiry by the Justice Department that is in progress.
Acknowledging last week that the agency had used waterboarding on three prisoners in 2002 and 2003, Hayden said that information from those prisoners accounted for roughly a third of the CIA's intelligence reports on Al Qaeda after Sept. 11.
Hayden said waterboarding may no longer be a legal option in light of new laws and rulings. But he has argued against requiring the CIA to abide by the Army Field Manual, saying it would deprive the agency of effective tools against terrorism.
The Army Field manual bans all but 19 interrogation approaches. It outlaws sleep deprivation and the practice of putting prisoners in stress positions designed to cause pain. It also bans unwarranted touching of detainees, the use of dogs to intimidate, and imposition of temperature extremes.
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greg.miller@latimes.com
Times staff writer Maeve Reston in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
