President Barack Obama's pick to head the CIA retreated on Friday from a charge that the United States sent terrorism suspects to other countries so they could be tortured under questioning.
"On that particular quote, that people were transferred for purposes of torture, that was not the policy of the United States," Leon Panetta told a Senate hearing... . "To that extent, yes, I would retract that statement."
Panetta ... was asked whether the CIA would continue "extraordinary renditions," where prisoners are sent outside the United States for questioning.
He replied that Obama had banned the use of secret "black sites" for questioning last month. "That kind of extraordinary rendition, where we send someone for the purposes of torture or for actions by another country that violate our human values, that has been forbidden by the executive order," he said.
...Although Obama banned the "black site" program, the CIA might continue to send suspects to third countries for questioning, provided there are verifiable assurances they would be treated humanely, Panetta said.