CIA torture: Democrats influenced Senate report, says psychologist involved in interrogation work

One of the psychologists who shaped the CIA's terror interrogation techniques has claimed the Senate report is politically biased because the committee's Democratic majority are seeking to "smear" those involved.

James Mitchell told Reuters that the report, published earlier this week, "took things out of context" and made false accusations.

"It's a bunch of hooey," Mitchell said. "Some of the things are just plain not true." However he refused to clarify further, citing a non-disclosure agreement with the government.

Former vice-president Dick Cheney earlier told Fox News the report was "full of crap" and claimed he would repeat America's post-9/11 approach to terrorists "in a minute." Meanwhile six former CIA heads said the report was biased and said the methods in dealing with terror suspects were justified.

Criticism

The Senate investigation revealed that, between 2005 and 2009, the CIA outsourced work to Mitchell Jessen & Associates, a company run by two former air force psychologists who recommended techniques such as waterboarding and mock burial for prisoners captured after 9/11.

The two psychologists had no experience in counter-terrorism measures, the report said.

Following the Senate report, condemnation of the US and its approach to terrorists has poured in from various quarters.

China, Iran and North Korea, regularly under fire for their own human rights records, were quick to respond in denouncing the methods.

Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights, added to the criticism by saying that, according to the Convention Against Torture, not even a state of war justified torture.

However, the White House said the Justice Department had found no reason to indict anyone after investigations.