a strange defense of waterboarding

A former CIA agent name of John Kiriakou has come forward to say that the use of waterboarding made Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaida break and admit to all sorts of things - although Kiriakou is careful to say that although he participated in interrogations of Zubaida in Pakistan, he wasn't there for the actual torture, excuse me I mean "enhanced interrogation." Kiriakou said that the info they got from Zubaida "saved lives." He also said that he considered waterboarding to be torture.

I wonder why he is coming forward with this story now? It just seems very curious. I mean, didn't the CIA just erase a bunch of tapes of torture sessions - not the word they would use, I guess - to preserve the identity of CIA agents to save them from reprisals by Al Qaeda? Isn't Kirakiou afraid of being identified? I mean hell, he was even on ABC-TV.

And what proof that the waterboarding saved lives? What proof that normal interrogation techniques would not have gotten to the point of making Zubaida talk?

I just find this very odd. And Kiriakou said he just wanted to get the story out there. But why now? Why like this.

And what is in it for John Kiriakou?