US President Donald Trump declared that he believes torture works as his administration readied a sweeping review of how America conducts the war on terror.
In an interview with ABC News, Trump said he would wage war against ISIS militants with the singular goal of keeping the US safe.
Asked specifically about the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, Trump cited the extremist group's atrocities against Christians and others and said: "We have to fight fire with fire."
Trump said he would consult with new Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo before authorizing any new policy. But he said he had asked top intelligence officials in the past day: "Does torture work?"
"And the answer was yes, absolutely," Trump said.
He added that he wants to do "everything within the bounds of what you're allowed to do legally." "When ISIS is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since Medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding...?" he added.
