The New York Times announced on Thursday that it will start using the word "torture" when pertaining to the United States' reported interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists.

Times executive editor Dean Baquet released a statement, saying that The Times will no longer use the term "brutal interrogation" to describe incidents where the publication knows that interrogators inflicted pain on a prisoner in an effort to get information. Instead, the paper said it will use the word "torture" in its stories. 

Like Us on Facebook

Since the controversy regarding the CIA's use of force in questioning suspects started, different news outlets have avoided using the word "torture."

The New York Times have always used the phrase "brutal interrogation," while Reuters called the tactics "brutal interrogation method" and the Associated Press referred to it as "enhanced interrogation techniques."

"Torture" has a legal definition that prompted media outlets to be cautious when using the word. But while the interrogation techniques weren't clearly disclosed to the public, the U.S. Department of Justice said that the tactics used were not sufficient to earn the legal definition of "torture."

However, according to Baquet, as more and more information are unraveling regarding CIA'S questioning techniques, media outlets have reviewed the case.

It was discovered that the CIA used waterboarding about 183 times on a terrorist suspect in custody. Waterboarding is a suffocation technique that mimics actual drowning.

Other interrogation techniques used included putting a suspect in a coffin-like box, extreme sleep deprivation and twisting bodies into impossible positions to elicit a confession.

Meanwhile, it was made clear that regardless of what is uncovered in the Senate report regarding the interrogation program, there will be no prosecution.

TagsNew York Times, toture, CIA