EXCLUSIVE: Guantanamo's Chief Interrogator Says 'We Don't Employ Torture'

June 26, 2006 — -- The Supreme Court could rule today on the future of the detainees being held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. While most Americans continue to favor holding suspected terrorists at the detention, the public overwhelmingly opposes the current terms of their imprisonment.

"Nightline" anchor Terry Moran is at Guantanamo Bay this week, and had the rare opportunity to interview the prison's director of interrogations.

Here is the transcript from "Nightline" on June 26, 2006:

PAUL RESTER, JOINT INTERROGATION GROUPThe entire effort is to be as - I know the - it's hard to fathom this. But as cordial as possible under these circumstances.

TERRY MORANThat slightly grandfatherly civilian there with us is Paul Rester, he'sthe director of the joint interrogations group in Guantanamo Bay. He'sthe man who runs all the interrogations of detainees here, though hedoesn't like to use the word "interrogation." Interrogation is a negative word. What would you call what you do?

PAUL RESTERHere, we are -- we are involved into custodial interviews.

TERRY MORAN Paul Rester has been interrogating or interviewing or questioningAmerica's enemies or suspected enemies for 35 years, going back toVietnam. He is fiercely proud of his work at Guantanamo Bay.

TERRY MORAN When people think about interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, they thinkabout torture.

PAUL RESTERI think that what people forget is that when these individuals were firstbrought here, there were four smoking holes in the ground. We hadindividuals who in fact were party to or witting of, at the time, presentand future, immediate future plans and intentions to continue to do harmagainst the mainland of the United States and the American people or itsinterests abroad. I really think we should give some pause to simplythrowing semantics around and cheapening terms such as torture and humanrights abuses. And really look at the root of what the issues are.