Washington ( CNN ) -- CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday defended harsh interrogation techniques as providing `` useful '' information to authorities , including in the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden . But he said it is `` unknowable '' what information could specifically be attributed to those techniques . `` It is our considered view that the detainees who were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques provided information that was useful and was used in the ultimate operation to go against Bin Laden , '' Brennan said . Brennan 's comments , in a rare news conference , come two days after a Senate panel released a blockbuster 528-page report detailing `` enhanced interrogation techniques '' -- including mock executions , `` rectal rehydration , '' sleep deprivation and beatings -- in interrogations in the mid-2000s . He admitted that some CIA officers ' actions were `` not authorized , were abhorrent and rightly should be repudiated by all . And we fell short in holding some officers accountable for their mistakes . '' Brennan acknowledged that the agency sometimes exceeded its legal authority during interrogations of terrorism suspects . RELATED : CIA feared for future of interrogation program , report shows . He said detainees who faced `` enhanced interrogation techniques '' did provide some information that provided useful -- as well as other information that did n't . He said whether those interrogations had anything to do with that information is `` unknowable . '' `` Let me be clear : We have not concluded that it was the EITs within that program that allowed us to obtain useful information from the detainees subjected to them , '' he said . But he staunchly defended the agency during the 45-minute news conference , adding : `` CIA officers ' actions that did comport with the law and policy should neither be criticized nor conflated with the actions of the few who did not follow the guidance issued . '' Brennan opened his remarks with a vivid depiction of the events of the Sept. 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks , and described the atmosphere going into fighting terrorism and collecting intelligence in the immediate aftermath of the attacks . `` There were no easy answers , and whatever your views are on [ enhanced interrogation techniques ] , our nation and in particular this agency did a lot of things right during this difficult time to keep this country strong and secured , '' Brennan said . RELATED : Who is John Brennan ? Brennan praised those who worked with him but he added the agency was `` unprepared to conduct a detention and interrogation program , and our officers inadequately developed and monitored its initial activities . '' Brennan never used the word `` torture '' to describe the CIA 's tactics . And he deflected a question about whether , in the interest of transparency , he supported the Senate Intelligence Committee 's decision to release its report . `` I think there 's been more than enough transparency that 's happened over the last couple days , '' he said . `` I think it 's over the top . '' Brennan said it 's `` lamentable '' that the Senate panel did n't conduct interviews with CIA agents -- a contrast , he said , with its handling of a report on Iraq 's lack of weapons of mass destruction , which included interviews with more than 200 officers . His strongest criticism of the report was with its contention that the CIA misled the public and government officials -- including then-President George W. Bush . That , Brennan said , is untrue -- a stance former Vice President Dick Cheney backed up in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night . Still , he did n't fault the report 's finding that the CIA 's tactics were harsh and , at times , went beyond the legal authority Bush 's Justice Department said the agency had . `` Many aspects of their conclusions are sound and consistent with our own prior findings , '' Brennan said . `` Over the years , internal agency reviews , including numerous investigations by our office of the inspector general , found fault in the CIA 's running of the program . We have acknowledged these mistakes . '' Brennan was the CIA 's deputy executive director while the tactics were being used . He said he had `` some visibility '' into what was happening , but that he was n't in the chain of command for that program , and did n't say whether he had made any effort to push for changes at the time . He also noted that the program for using `` enhanced interrogation techniques '' was ended in 2007 . `` In light of the fact that these techniques were banned seven years ago , however , my fervent hope is that we can put aside this debate and move on to issues that are relevant to our current national security challenges , '' Brennan said . Meanwhile , one of Brennan 's sharpest critics , Sen. Dianne Feinstein , the chairwoman of the committee behind the report , live-tweeted along with the press conference and sharply rebutted several points throughout his press conference . This story was updated to include additional information .
FBI director William Brennan gave a rare press conference on Thursday . His questions and answers come days after the Senate released a report on torture . Brennan described the events in the courtroom that led to enhanced interrogation techniques .