The story

The debate over controversial CIA interrogation practices -- tactics that some say constitute torture -- is rooted in the early years of the fight against terrorism and the Iraq war.

After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the Bush administration crafted the legal basis for aggressive CIA interrogation techniques of prisoners and terrorism suspects.

The techniques included keeping the prisoner in stress positions for extended periods of time, sleep deprivation, slapping, enclosing the prisoner in a box with insects, and waterboarding, which simulates drowning. Read full article »

CNN's Arwa Damon, Terry Frieden, Ed Hornick, Jonathan Mann, Mike Mount and Samira Simone contributed to this report.

All About TortureAbu GhraibAl Qaeda

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