Most Americans think the CIA’s post-9/11 treatment of terror suspects was justified in a new poll that comes in the wake of a Senate report that detailed some of the uses of techniques like waterboarding and said the agency misled Congress and the White House about its interrogation program.
Fifty-nine percent say the agency’s treatment of suspected terrorists was justified, compared to 31 percent who said it was unjustified, even as 49 percent said the treatment amounted to torture and 38 percent said it did not, according to the Washington Post-ABC poll.
Fifty-four percent said the CIA intentionally misled the public about its activities, a charge the agency denies, and 53 percent said the treatment of suspected terrorists produced important information that could not have been obtained any other way.
A majority, 52 percent, said it was wrong to release the report because it might increase risks of terrorism — as the report’s critics have charged — while 43 percent said it was right to release the report to expose what happened and prevent it in the future.
The survey of 1,000 adults was taken Dec. 11-14 and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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