Former president says Poland offered CIA a secret site, but did not agree to torture

Former President Aleskander Kwasniewski, left, and former Prime Minister Leszek Miller, second left, who were in power when the CIA ran a secret prison in Poland, speak to reporters a day after the publication of a report that sheds lights on the CIA program that involved the torture of detainees, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

Former President Aleskander Kwasniewski,left, and former Prime Minister Leszek Miller, who were in power when the CIA ran a secret prison in Poland, speak to reporters a day after the publication of a report that sheds lights on the CIA program that involved the torture of detainees, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Dec.10, 2014. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

WARSAW, Poland – Former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski says during his term Poland offered the CIA a site for a secret prison but did not authorize the harsh treatment of inmates.

His comments Wednesday were the first time that a Polish leader has admitted the country hosted a secret CIA site. Reports say it operated from December 2002 until the fall of 2003. Kwasniewski was in power from 1995-2005.

Kwasniewski was reacting to a published U.S. Senate report condemning CIA practices at secret prisons. It did not identify the host countries.

Kwasniewski said the activity in Poland was terminated under pressure from Poland's leaders. He gave no dates for the site's operation.

Until now, Polish leaders at the time have denied the site's existence, but their successors in 2008 ordered a probe.