water boarding
n.— «In the case of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a high-level detainee who is believed to have helped plan the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, C.I.A. interrogators used graduated levels of force, including a technique known as “water boarding,” in which a prisoner is strapped down, forcibly pushed under water and made to believe he might drown.» —“Harsh C.I.A. Methods Cited in Top Qaeda Interrogations” by James Risen, David Johnston, Neil A. Lewis New York Times May 13, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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Also spelled “waterboarding”.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100402005.html
Key senators say Congress has outlawed one of the most notorious detainee interrogation techniques — “waterboarding,” in which a prisoner feels near drowning.