Navy SEAL Who Killed Bin Laden Defends Waterboarding

Gina Haspel

Yesterday, Gina Haspel testified before the Senate as part of her confirmation process to head the Central Intelligence Agency.

She faced numerous questions about torture, and her role in overseeing waterboarding, and the destruction of evidence of waterboarding, while serving as chief of the base at a black site CIA prison in Thailand. John McCain, who was tortured during his time as a POW in Vietnam, called on the Senate to reject Haspel, while a less convincing man, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed also voiced opposition to Haspel.

Haspel did reveal during her testimony that she doesn’t believe torture works as an interrogation tactic. “I would not allow CIA to undertake activity that I thought was immoral, even if it was technically legal,” said Haspel,  “I would absolutely not permit it.” I don’t believe that torture works,” Haspel said.

She added that she doesn’t believe Trump would ever ask her to resume waterboarding, but that’s at odds with the President’s past statements. In a debate over waterboarding during one of the Republican primary debates in 2016, Trump said he’d bring back interrogation techniques that are “a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”

One man is coming out to defend waterboarding during the debate Haspel has helped ignite, Rob O’Neill, the Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama Bin Laden. In a tweet sent yesterday, O’Neill wrote “Waterboarding delivered special operators to bin Laden’s house so they could serve justice. Under the authority of a democrat president.”

He also had some colorful language for those who disagreed.

He also pointed out that waterboarding is extremely tame compared to the torture techniques used by our enemies. When someone asked O’Neill how he would feel if it were Americans being waterboarded, he replied “The terrorists aren’t into the waterboard. They are more power drill and open flame types… dull knives.”

No kidding.

Do you agree with Rob O’Neill’s comments about waterboarding, or is it torture? Share your thoughts below! 

By Matt

Matt is the co-founder of Unbiased America and a freelance writer specializing in economics and politics. He’s been published... More about Matt

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