WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to prohibit the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from using "waterboarding" and other harsh tactics to interrogate terrorist suspects.

    Being voted 222-199, the intelligence bill was sent to the Senate and will take effect should President George W. Bush sign it.

U.S. CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to prohibit the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from using "waterboarding" and other harsh tactics to interrogate terrorist suspects. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Among the bill's provisions that were made public, one requires reporting to the committees on whether intelligence agency employees are complying with protections for detainees from cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. Another provision requires a report on the use of private contractors in intelligence work.

    As the first intelligence authorization conference bill Congress has presented in three years, the bill also suspended 70 percent of the intelligence budget spending in 2008 until the House and Senate intelligence committees are briefed on Israel's Sept. 6 air strike on an alleged nuclear site in Syria.

    It also requires the creation of a new internal watchdog to oversee all the intelligence agencies.

Demonstrator Maboud Ebrahimzadeh is held down during a simulation of waterboarding outside the Justice Department in Washington Nov. 5, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

 

    The bill was approved days after CIA Director Michael Hayden testified at Congress hearings on the agency's destruction of interrogating videotapes, reviving debate whether CIA was trying to cover torture on terrorist suspects including waterboarding.

    However, the White House threatened to veto the bill this week, noting that they disagree with more than 11 areas of the bill, especially opposing restricting the CIA to interrogation methods approved by the U.S. military in 2006.

U.N. rights expert suspects CIA of torture at Guantanamo

    GENEVA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations human rights expert expressed grave concerns on Thursday that the CIA may continue using torture on terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay.

    Martin Scheinin, U.N. special rapporteur on protecting human rights while countering terrorism, said the behavior of CIA officials he met on a visit to the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba last week only strengthened his suspicions. Full Story

CIA not inform Congress of interrogation tape destruction

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) has not totally informed U.S. Congress of their intent to destroy the videotapes of interrogating terrorist suspects, a House committee said on Wednesday.

    "Our committee was not informed, has not been kept informed, and we are very frustrated about the issue," said Democratic Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Sylvestre Reyes after a close-door meeting with CIA Director Michael Hayden. Full Story