Peter King calls Senate report on torture 'terrible injustice' to CIA
Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) in Westbury on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Rep. Peter King said Sunday the U.S. Senate report on torture is a "self-inflicted wound" that "does a terrible injustice" to the CIA.
"We have to stop the self-loathing," the Republican from Seaford said on CNN's "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley. "The burden is on us, the burden is on people in positions of influence to stop hating ourselves and stop hating ... those who we've asked to do the job."
He said the CIA should be applauded for the jobs it's doing.
"As Americans, we've always stood together. During World War II, many, many civilians were killed by American forces, in Dresden, in Tokyo in other places. But we didn't tear ourselves apart. So we had the moral standing," King said.
The Senate Intelligence Committee released a lengthy report on CIA practices earlier this month, accusing the spy agency of inflicting pain and suffering on prisoners far beyond its legal boundaries, with limited effectiveness and disclosure to the public.
The report concluded the CIA repeatedly misled the White House, the public and Congress about the efficacy of the program.
But proponents of the interrogation tactics defended their use on Sunday talk shows.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney disputed President Barack Obama's characterization of them as torture. Cheney argued on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "moral equivalency" should not be sought between the 9/11 terror attack and what the U.S. government has done to suspects.
"It's what 19 guys armed with airline tickets and box cutters did to 3,000 Americans on 9/11," Cheney responded when asked for his definition of torture.
He said tactics were used "that worked, that saved lives, that kept us from another attack."
David Schwartz covers environmental issues. A native Long Islander, he's worked at Newsday since 2013.
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