Reply #5: Mukasey Undecided on CIA Tapes Questions [View All]

[L. Coyote]

Mukasey Undecided on CIA Tapes Questions
By LARA JAKES JORDAN – 8 hours ago - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hAGOTRpWF7FEZrFaoOOhoiUxaJZgD8TFFEC01

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Michael Mukasey refused Tuesday to be rushed into deciding whether he considers waterboarding a form of torture, saying simply he understands the "intense interest" in the issue now at the heart of an inquiry into videotaped interrogations of terror suspects that were destroyed by the CIA.

In his news conference, Mukasey relied on his nearly two decades as a federal judge to push back on questions about his thoughts on waterboarding, much as he had done with senators who asked before voting to confirm his nomination on Nov. 8.

Mukasey said he has not yet concluded a review of Justice Department memos to determine whether waterboarding amounts to torture — which would deem it illegal.

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