George Bush defends alleged torturers: 'These are patriots'


In anticipation of the release of a damning report on the CIA's use of torture following the September 11 attacks, former President George W. Bush said the participants in the brutal program were "really good people."
"These are patriots," Bush said Sunday on CNN. "And whatever the report says, if it diminishes their contributions to our country, it is way off base."
The report documents the use of controversial rendition and interrogation tactics, like waterboarding, and suggests the CIA misled federal officials about the extent of their actions, according to leaked details. A 480-page executive summary of the report is expected to be released this week. --Jon Terbush
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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