Politico reports that Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) are urging President Bush to sign the recently passed Intelligence Authorization Bill (H.R. 2082). They did so in an op-ed piece published by The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Within this legislation is a provision that essentially bans waterboarding by requiring all intelligence agencies to abide by the United States Army Field Manual’s rules on interrogation. According to the op-ed article, the manual bans the following activities:
- Forcing the detainee to be naked, perform sexual acts or pose in a sexual manner.
- Placing hoods or sacks over the head of a detainee; using duct tape over the eyes.
- Beatings, electric shock, burns or other forms of physical pain.
- Waterboarding.
- Use of military working dogs.
- Inducing hypothermia or heat injury.
- Conducting mock executions.
- Depriving the detainee of necessary food, water or medical care.
The field manual authorizes some 19 interrogation techniques, most of which are psychological in nature.
