and then finally as far as what happens if in the future there is some type of challenge that we face here, the army field manual is the established basis to use for interrogations. we cia are not in the detention program. we are not contemplating at all getting back into the detention program using any of those eit's. so i defer to the policymakers in future times when there is going to the need to be able to ensure that this country stays

plans capture terrorists and save lives. let me be clear. we have not concluded that it was the use of eits within that program that allowed us to obtain useful information from detainees subjected to them. the cause and effect relationship between the use of eits and useful information subsequently provided by the detainee is in my view unknowable. irrespective of the role eits might play in a detainee's provision of useful information, i believe effective noncoercive methods are available to elicit such information. methods that do not have a counterproductive impact on our national security and on our international standing. it is for these reasons that i fully support the president's decision to prohibit the use of eit's another key

acknowledged over the years, we have brought those mistakes shortcomings and excesses to the attention of the appropriate authorities whether it be to our inspector general, the department of justice and others. the department looked at this for many years and decided there was no prosecutable crimes there. as far as the so-called panetta

when the president came foo office in january, 2009, he took the position that these techniques were contrary to our values and he unequivocally banned their use. he has consistently expressed the view that these techniques did significant damage to america's standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners. something i have experienced firsthand. but as the president stated this week, the previous administration faced agonizing choices about how to pursue al qaeda and prevent additional terrorist attacks against our country. while facing fears of further attacks and carrying out the responsibility to prevent more catastrophic loss of life. there were no easy answers. and whatever your views are on eits, our nation and in particular this agency did a lot of things right during this difficult time to keep this country strong and secure.

suspects around the world. in many respects, the program was uncharted territory for the cia and we were not prepared. we had little experience housing detainees and precious few of our officers were trained interrogators. but the president authorized the effort six days after 9/11 and it was our job to be carry it out. over time, enhanced interrogation techniques, d. -- which the department of justice authorized at the time to be lawful and which were duly authorized by the bush administration were introduced as a method of interrogation. as concerns about al qaeda's terrorist plans endured a variety of these techniques were employed by cia officers on several dozen detainees over the course of five years before they ended in december ef 2007. the legal advice under which they were authorized subsequently has been revoked.

agree that there were times when cia officers exceeded the policy guidance that was given and the authorized techniques that were approved and determined to be lawful. they went outside of the bounds in terms of their actions that as part of that interrogation process. and they were harsh. as i said, in some instances, i considered them abhorrent and i will leave to others how they might want to label those activities. but for me, it was something that is certainly regrettable but we are not a perfect institution. we're made up of individuals and as human beings, we are imperfect beings but as i think we have acknowledged over the years, we