MOSCOW, December 10 (Sputnik) – Under certain circumstances torture should be used to obtain intelligence from terrorist suspects, said Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right Front National, later stating her words were misinterpreted.
“There are times, such as if a bomb is about to go off, when it is useful to get a suspect to talk…by any means,” the politician explained, commenting on the CIA torture report released on Tuesday.
The US Senate Intelligence Committee published a comprehensive review condemning extreme interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, used by the CIA following 9/11. In one of its major findings, it pointed out that torture does not help to obtain useful information.
Le Pen later said her comments were misinterpreted in a post on Twitter. “When dealing with terrorism we can’t behave like angels,” she tweeted. “But ‘by any means’ means within the law, so obviously not torture,” she clarified.
Interprétation malveillante. Face au terrorisme, pas d'angélisme. "Les moyens qu'on peut": les moyens de la loi, évidemment pas la torture.
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) December 10, 2014
The tweet sparked intense debate on the popular microblogging network, with some siding with Le Pen and others criticizing her for earlier comments. One user said, “I am not against torture of pedophiles and jihadists.” Another one stated that “the media are looking for any comment to interpret it against Front National.”
Le Pen’s remarks came on a day the international community commemorates the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention against Torture by the United Nations. The document is aimed at bolstering efforts against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading forms of treatment or punishment worldwide.
