Hmmm...Guess the Office of Legislative Counsel was conspiring with the President too?
Apparently. I wouldn't say "conspire" - but they all wanted a legal rationalization that allowed for torture. The first step is redefining it from torture to "enhanced interrogation techniques".
But a rose by any other name is still a rose.
The very definition of torture begs to differ with you, nothing is severe or extremely pain inducing about waterboarding. Its seems, that 4 directors of the CIA agree with me.
An yet this non-severe non-extremely painful procedure reportedly gets trainees, including guys like Navy Seals, to cooperate 100% of the time.
Either the Seals are pussies, which I very much doubt, or you're quite wrong in your description.