CIA nominee Haspel rejects torture

Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA said she does not believe torture works and would refuse a presidential order she considered ‘‘immoral’’ even if it was legal.

Gina Haspel faces opposition from Democrats because of her role in waterboarding at a secret CIA prison in Thailand in 2002, and the destruction in 2005 of 92 tapes showing a detainee being waterboarded.

The career CIA officer sat calmly as her Senate confirmation hearing was twice interrupted by protesters, one in a suit, who were dragged away after shouting ‘‘Bloody Gina!’’ and ‘‘You’re a torturer!’’

Haspel, 61, who would be the first female leader of the spy agency, said the years after the September 11, 2001 attacks had been a ‘‘tumultuous time’’.

She had been ‘‘in the trenches’’ in the fight against al-Qaeda and was told by Washington that waterboarding was legal and approved by the US president.

Senators asked Haspel if she would follow a direct order from Trump that was legal, but that she found immoral. She said: ‘‘No. I believe CIA must undertake activities that are consistent with American values.’’

Asked how she would respond to a direct order from Trump to waterboard someone, she said: ‘‘We’re not in the business of interrogating detainees. I would not restart an interrogation programme at CIA under any circumstances.’’ – Telegraph Group