The CIA's use of waterboarding to torture terror suspects was approved by the White House, a former agency official claimed yesterday. The accusation comes amid growing uproar over the destruction of videotapes showing the interrogation of al-Qaeda members.

John Kiriakou, the former agent, said that the waterboarding of Abu Zubaida — the first senior al-Qaeda operative captured after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 — broke him in less than 35 seconds, and “probably saved lives”.

The harsh interrogation technique, which critics — and Mr Kiriakou — say is torture, was approved at the highest levels of the US Government, said Mr Kiriakou, who led the team that captured Zubaida.

Referring to the waterboarding of Zubaida — a technique that simulates drowning — Mr Kiriakou told the NBC TV station: “This isn't something done willy-nilly. This isn't something where an agency officer just wakes up in the morning and decides he's going to carry out an enhanced technique on a prisoner.

“This was a policy made at the White House, with concurrence from the National Security Council and the Justice Department.”

Mr Kiriakou's comments came as the head of the CIA was questioned yesterday in closed-door hearings on Capitol Hill over the destruction of the tapes, amid allegations that the agency tried to hide evidence of illegal torture.

The videotapes recorded the interrogations at secret CIA locations of Zubaida and another al-Qaeda member, Abd al-Nashiri. Michael Hayden, the CIA Director, was forced to admit this week that the tapes had been destroyed, after the story broke in the press.

The tapes were destroyed in 2005, at a time when several US court orders had been made requiring the CIA and other agencies to preserve records relating to the interrogation and alleged abuse of terror suspects.

The Justice Department, the CIA Inspector General and Congress have all launched investigations into why and on whose authority the tapes were destroyed. Intelligence officials have said that Jose Rodriguez, the former head of the CIA's clandestine branch, authorised their destruction. But members of Congress believe that he would not have acted without higher authority.

General Hayden said that the tapes were destroyed to protect the identities of the CIA agents involved. He also said that the House and Senate intelligence committees were notified in 2003 of the existence of the tapes and the intention to destroy them.

The senior Republican and Democrat members of the House Intelligence Committee said in a joint statement that they were never notified of any intent to destroy the tapes.

Mr Kiriakou said that when Zubaida was waterboarded, it was “like flipping a switch”. He immediately broke down and began talking. “The next day, he told his interrogator that Allah had visited him in his cell during the night and told him to cooperate.” Mr Kiriakou said that the information he provided disrupted “maybe dozens of attacks”.

The 'technique'

Waterboarding involves strapping down a prisoner, covering his mouth with plastic or cloth and pouring water over his face. The prisoner quickly begins to inhale water, causing the sensation of drowning

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