Washington  - US Attorney General Eric Holder is considering whether to probe allegations of the use of brutal torture by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to a media report published Sunday.

Holder is to decide whether he will appoint a prosecutor to look into the nature of the torture of terrorist suspects since the September 11 terrorists attacks on the US, the Washington Post reported.

Pushing ahead with a criminal investigation would bring Holder into conflict with President Barack Obama. Obama has appeared reluctant to probe the alleged use of torture and brutal interrogation methods by the government of his predecessor, George W Bush. (dpa)