In an interview with the BBC, Karl Rove declared he is 'proud' of the US's use of harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding. The former Bush adviser argued that the techniques helped keep America safe from further terrorist attacks and that they should not ultimately be considered torture.
Rove told the BBC: "I'm proud that we used techniques that broke the will of these terrorists and gave us valuable information that allowed us to foil plots such as flying aeroplanes into Heathrow and into London, bringing down aircraft over the Pacific, flying an aeroplane into the tallest building in Los Angeles and other plots."
Regarding the legality of the techniques sanctioned in a series of controversial memos by Bush administration lawyers in 2002, Rove said "They're appropriate, they're in conformity with our international requirements and with US law."
Asked whether he thought waterboarding was torture, Rove said, "No, it's not."
"Yes, I'm proud that we kept the world safer than it was, by the use of these techniques," he said.
President Obama banned the use of waterboarding last year, stating that it was a form of torture and its use a "mistake."
You can watch video of Rove's interview with the BBC here.