Bush Vetoes Ban on Waterboarding

President Bush today vetoed a bill that would have prevented the CIA from using harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, the New York Times reports. "We need to ensure our intelligence officials have all the tools they need to stop the terrorists,” the president said. Democrats do not have the votes to override the veto.

The bill would have brought the rules for CIA interrogation in line with those in the Army Field Manual, which forbids the use of physical force against detainees. Yesterday, Ted Kennedy said the coming veto would be one of the most "shameful" acts of Bush's presidency. Bush was unswayed. "This is no time for Congress to abandon practices that have a proven track record of keeping America safe," he said. (More waterboarding stories.)