Cheney Defends Waterboarding Use (Al Jazeera, QATAR)

Dick Cheney, the US vice-president, has defended the use of waterboarding on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and said the prison should remain open until the "war on terror" ends.

In an interview with US broadcaster ABC News on Monday, Cheney admitted he was aware that waterboarding was used on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged planner of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

Waterboarding is used in interrogation to make a detainee feel as if he is drowning.

Asked whether he thought it was appropriate, Cheney replied: "I do."

Asked if he thought, in hindsight, any of the tactics went too far, Cheney said, "I don't."

"I was aware of the programme, certainly, and involved in helping get the process cleared, as the agency in effect came in and wanted to know what they could and couldn't do," Cheney said.

"And they talked to me, as well as others, to explain what they wanted to do. And I supported it," he added.

The out-going US vice-president was also asked about when Guantanamo Camp could be shut down.

"Well, I think that that would come with the end of the war on terror," he told ABC.

Cheney was then asked when that was. "Well, nobody knows," he said. "Nobody can specify that.

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