The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has paid millions of dollars in legal fees to shield its employees accused of using waterboarding on suspects. The agency agreed to cover at least $5 million in legal fees for Jim Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, former US officials said on Friday.
The contractors, now facing a federal investigation over the harsh interrogation technique, are considered the main architects of the program and have conducted dozens of waterboarding sessions themselves.
The deal, confirmed by former CIA officials, is part of the agency’s secret protection agreement. It is aimed at defending two guilty contractors.
According to a report, the agency agreed to pay the legal bills for the psychologists’ firm, Mitchell, Jessen & Associates, directly from CIA accounts.
It is the first time those who carried out the waterboarding have been publically identified.
Waterboarding is a tactic used by interrogators that simulates drowning. The torture includes putting a rag in the mouth of a victim and pouring water on his head, giving the impression of drowning.
Source: Press TV