Confession That Formed Base of Iraq War was Acquired Under Torture: Journalist

Created by : Francis Goodwin View profile

By Agence France Presse

Oct. 27, 2006 -- An Al-Qaeda terror suspect captured by the United States, who gave evidence of links between Iraq and the terror network, confessed after being tortured, a journalist told the BBC.

Iban al Shakh al Libby told intelligence agents that he was close to Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri and "understood an awful lot about the inner workings of Al-Qaeda," former FBI agent Jack Clonan told the broadcaster.

Libby was tortured in an Egyptian prison, according to Stephen Grey, the author of the newly-released book "Ghost Plane" who investigated the secret U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prisons that housed terror suspects around the world.

U.S. President George W. Bush confirmed the existence of the network of CIA holding facilities overseas during a Sept. 6 speech defending controversial U.S. interrogation practices.