After the revelations about the CIA spying on the Senate Intelligence Committee many people were wondering what statements, if any might come from the president. He has now come out with what is his most forceful statement on the subject to date.
Obama says after 9-11, US 'tortured some folks'
The United States tortured al Qaida detainees captured after the 9/11 attacks, President Obama said Friday, in some of his most expansive comments to date about a controversial set of CIA practices that he banned after taking office.
"We tortured some folks," Obama said at a televised news conference at the White House. "We did some things that were contrary to our values."
Addressing the impending release of a Senate report that criticizes CIA treatment of detainees, Obama said he believed the mistreatment stemmed from the pressure national security officials felt to forestall another attack. He said Americans should not be too "sanctimonious," about passing judgment through the lens of a seemingly safer present day.
"We crossed a line," he said. "That needs to be understood and accepted...We did some things that were wrong, and thats what that report reflects."
He also expressed confidence in CIA director Brennan. However, this strikes me as a stronger statement than I was expecting.