WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- The CIA asked the Justice Department to investigate whether former operative John Kiriakou illegally disclosed classified information when he talked about the waterboarding of a terrorism suspect , government officials say . Ex-CIA agent John Kiriakou says he underwent waterboarding in training and cracked in a few seconds . Kiriakou spoke last week with several news organizations , including CNN , after the CIA disclosed that videotapes of certain interrogations were destroyed in 2005 . That revelation has prompted new calls for investigations on Capitol Hill . The Bush administration appeared in U.S. District Court on Friday to answer a judge 's questions about the tapes ' destruction . Speaking to CNN last week , Kiriakou said that U.S. interrogators drew valuable information from al Qaeda captive Abu Zubayda by `` waterboarding '' him . But Kiriakou said the procedure amounts to torture and should be stopped . Waterboarding involves pouring a stream of water onto the cellophane-covered face of a suspect to induce the sensation of drowning , Kiriakou said . Watch how a suspect is waterboarded » . Kiriakou told CNN he was unaware that CIA interrogations were being taped , but that the tapes should have been kept `` as a matter of historical record . '' Kiriakou 's attorney Mark Zaid told CNN that the referral of the case to the Justice Department is standard procedure . `` A criminal referral from the CIA would be both expected and normal under the circumstances , '' Zaid said in a written statement . `` It is a routine act that the CIA undertakes even when they know no violation has occurred . '' Zaid added that the question is whether the Justice Department will proceed , and that such a decision `` must be measured carefully . '' `` Doing so will unlock a Pandora 's box that will place a spotlight on the information in question as to the lawfulness of the alleged conduct and the activities of those involved . '' he said . `` There would also exist a challenge regarding whether Mr. Kiriakou was being targeted for exercising his First Amendment rights . '' CIA officers who leave the agency are required to sign documents promising never to divulge classified information . Written comments are cleared by an agency review board before publication , and unscripted oral comments -- such as television interviews -- are referred to the Justice Department after the fact . About one case a week is referred to the Justice Department , and an investigation could take months to complete , a source in the intelligence community said . For private citizens found to be in violation of the secrecy standard , penalties can range from loss of security clearances to criminal prosecution leading to jail time . Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said the department has no comment on the Kiriakou matter , and routinely refuses comment on whether another agency has referred a case . Kiriakou said he was not present when other agents used the waterboarding technique on Abu Zubayda , but that he was told the al Qaeda suspect lasted 30 or 35 seconds . Kiriakou said he himself was subjected to the treatment during his training , and lasted about five seconds before having to stop . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Kelli Arena contributed to this report .
Justice Department must decide whether to pursue probe . Former agent John Kiriakou talks about interrogation technique on TV . Kiriakou attorney says probe could cause CIA more problems . CIA calls for court martial on interrogation tapes .