White House says harsh interrogation methods undermined U.S. moral authority

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The White House says harsh questioning tactics used on terrorism suspects and described in a Senate report undermined the moral authority of the United States around the world.

Even if, as some CIA officials have said, the tactics produced useful intelligence, they still should not have been used because of the damage done to America's image, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a press briefing.

"I don't think moral authority is something that you rebuild overnight. This is a process. But certainly, the release of this report is a critically important step, because it demonstrates a commitment to transparency, it demonstrates a commitment to accountability, in terms of 'fessing up for falling short. And it also demonstrates a commitment to making sure that these kinds of shortcomings don't ever happen again," Earnest said.