Turning a deaf ear to the worldwide condemnation of the CIA's inhuman interrogation tactics, President Bush has vetoed a legislation that sought to ban such harsh methods as the controversial "water-boarding" technique used by the CIA to extract information out of terror detainees. The bill would have actually prevented CIA officials from using the 19 interrogation methods as referred to by the US army field manual.

President Bush justified his decision by saying that the "specialised interrogation method", or water-boarding, is a "valuable tool" in the war on terror. He went on to say that without such measures, it would be impossible to deal with the world's "most violent and dangerous terrorists". And he explained that the legislation wouldn't have banned just one interrogation - it would have eliminated a host of other alternatives that, according to the president, are almost indispensable in the fight against terror.

The CIA recently admitted to using water-boarding, or a simulation of the fear of drowning, as one of the extreme methods used to interrogate some Al Qaeda suspects. There has been a huge international outcry against this method as well as other tactics like sleep deprivation and subjection to cold and prolonged periods of starvation since the September 11 attacks. Rights groups have always denounced these methods as being in breach of international, and also US, laws.

Although the Bush administration maintains that "torture" is illegal in America, it hasn't really outlawed the "enhanced techniques" — that are mainly confined to the CIA — which do not conform to the US definition of "torture". Now with Bush vetoing the legislation, it seems that despite the international outrage, harsh interrogation methods would continue to be practised by the US Intelligence. There seems to be little chance of the veto getting overturned.

In any case, it's no secret that President Bush and his allies like Israel believe in the efficacy of "torture". For instance, although President Bush has grand plans of achieving Middle East peace before his tenure ends in a year, Israel continues with its aggressive campaign against Palestinians with what seems to be a tacit support from its American allies.

Perhaps President Bush will do well to remember what fellow Republican McCain, who has been a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has to say on water-boarding. According to the presidential candidate, water-boarding is nothing short of torture!