Fed: Torture has its place: Lib MP

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2009
Fed: Torture has its place: Lib MP

A federal Liberal MP has defended the former US BUSH administration's treatment of
terror suspects .. and says torture has a place.

Former barrister MICHAEL JOHNSON's comments on Sky News have startled Labor backbencher
MARK DREYFUS .. QC .. who says Australia needs to declare its opposition to torture.

The exchange follows revelations US interrogators threatened to kill the children of
alleged September 11 mastermind KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED .. and rape the mother of another
detainee.

Mr JOHNSON says the CIA interrogations happened in the context of 9/11 .. in an environment
of global terrorism .. and there's no way terrorism can be allowed to flourish.

AAP RTV saj/rl/jmt

KEYWORD: US CIA AUST (CANBERRA)

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