Central Intelligence Agency Director Porter Goss (file photo)

The head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has defended the agency against media reports that terrorist suspects are allegedly being tortured in prisons abroad.

In an interview Tuesday with ABC television, CIA Director Porter Goss said the agency's interrogation techniques do not come close to torture, noting that the practice is "counter-productive."

He also said there is a lot of disinformation on the subject.

Mr. Goss refused to directly address recent media reports that the CIA allegedly runs secret prisons in eastern Europe for detaining and interrogating terrorist suspects.

U.S. authorities have refused to confirm or deny the reports.

Regarding the search for Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Mr. Goss said the CIA knows a lot more about the two al-Qaida leaders than it is able to say publicly.

Some information for this report provided by AP.