One such volunteer was the late Christopher Hitchens, who famously wrote about the experience in Vanity Fair back in 2008. The encounter was also videotaped.. A Creative Loafing staff writer also voluntarily submitted to waterboarding; in his 2008 Urban Explorer column, "Waterboarded," Alex Pickett said "unequivocally, yes" that the practice amounted to torture.
Another brave soul who wanted to experience the "sensation" or whatever you want to call it was Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson.
That's according to a passage in the new book written by former CIA official Jose Rodriguez, who has been all over the media in the past couple of weeks with the publication of his memoir, Hard Measures ? How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American Lives, where he strongly defends the use of waterboarding.
But according to an excerpt released in the Washington Post, Rodriguez writes that ?the agency decided that it would not be wise to accommodate the senator?s thirst for knowledge,? Rodriguez writes. And while Nelson, known for liking to do his homework, ?appeared to be in great shape,? he was in his mid-60s at the time.
?Even though we would have had medical personnel standing by, we wondered what would happen? if Nelson had a heart attack and well, expired.
Pretty interesting, huh? Who knew Florida's leading Democrat was so intellectually curious?
CL requested comment from Senator Nelson on Thursday asking for confirmation. We have yet to hear back from him or his aides.
