Senior members of the Bush administration who approved the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation measures could face torture themselves, Barack Obama said yesterday, in a surprise about-turn by the president.
"For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinion, I do not think it is appropriate for them to be prosecuted" Obama said.
"With respect to those who did not work within such parameters, it leaves us with no choice but to torture them."
He did not name any individuals. Those in the frame could be Bush's former attorney general or justice department lawyers.
It is believed the form of torture favoured by the Obama administration is a variation on waterboarding called "snow boarding".
Seen as a more liberal form of torture and exclusive to snowy areas.
