Ex-CIA agent alleges waterboarding took place before authorization memos

[JURIST] A former CIA counter-terrorism agent alleges that top al Qaeda suspect Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded prior to the issuance of legal memos justifying the practice, the BBC reported Monday. John Kiriakou, who was part of the CIA team that captured Zubaydah in Pakistan, said that the detainee was subject to the controversial interrogation technique prior to the August 2002 issuance of legal guidance from the Office of Legal Counsel . Kiriakou claims that former US President George W. Bush had approved the technique in writing before the memos were authored. Kiriakou transferred out of the counter-terrorism section in July 2002.