posted on November 8, 2005 08:53:14 PM
CIA Moves Toward Probe of Prisons Story
Nov 08 11:34 PM US/Eastern
By KATHERINE SHRADER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
The CIA took the first step toward a criminal investigation of a leak of possibly classified information on secret prisons to The Washington Post, a U.S. official said Tuesday.
The agency's general counsel sent a report to the Justice Department about the Post story, which reported the existence of secret U.S. detention centers for suspected terrorists in Eastern Europe.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue deals with classified information, said the referral was made shortly after the Nov. 2 story. The leak investigation into the disclosure of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity came about through the same referral procedure. The Justice Department will decide whether to initiate a criminal investigation.
Post spokesman Eric Grant said the newspaper had no comment.
On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert called for a congressional investigation into the disclosure of the existence of the secret prisons. The leaders made the request in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate intelligence committees.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sidestepped questions on secret prisons, saying the United States was in a "different kind of war" and had an obligation to defend itself.
If the Post story is accurate, "such an egregious disclosure could have long-term and far-reaching damaging and dangerous consequences, and will imperil our efforts to protect the American people and our homeland from terrorist attacks," wrote Frist, R-Tenn., and Hastert, R-Ill., asking for a joint leak probe by the Senate and House intelligence committees.
The newspaper's story of a week ago said the CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al-Qaida captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, part of a covert prison system set up by the agency four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries. Those countries, said the story, include several democracies.
"If the leadership determines that we should investigate the leak, it would be much like the 9/11" commission, said Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who did not dispute a reporter's suggestion that a probe would raise First Amendment press- freedom issues.
Such an investigation would become "very difficult when you're getting into matters like this," said the senator.
Roberts also said he would support hearings into the importance of maintaining a covert agent's cover, a topic triggered by the leak of Plame's identity, eight days after her husband accused the Bush administration of manipulating prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraq threat.
Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said the House and Senate committees with normal jurisdiction should conduct any hearings, not a bicameral committee as suggested in the letter of the two Republican leaders.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said any such joint investigation should also investigate possible manipulation of prewar intelligence on Iraq.
"If Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Frist are finally ready to join Democrats' demands for an investigation of possible abuses of classified information, they must direct the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to investigate all aspects of that issue," said Pelosi.
The letter asked, concerning the leak of information about prisons, "What is the actual and potential damage done to the national security of the United States and our partners in the global war on terror?"
"We will consider other changes to this mandate based on your recommendations," Frist and Hastert wrote.
The letter said the leaking of classified information by employees of the U.S. government appeared to have increased in recent years, "establishing a dangerous trend that, if not addressed swiftly and firmly, likely will worsen."
"We are hopeful that you will be able to accomplish this task in a bipartisan manner given general agreement that intelligence matters should not be politicized," it added.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Republicans "should be focused on the illegality of these prisons, not the revelation of the illegality."
The allegations about secret prisons prompted denials from governments in the former Soviet bloc. Such prisons, European officials say, would violate the continent's human rights principles.
While not confirming the existence of secret prisons, Rice told reporters, "We, our allies, others who have experienced attacks, have to find a way to protect our people."
The administration has protected itself "within the constraint of the Constitution and cognizant of our values," said Rice. "The United States holds to these values today as strongly as we ever have."
posted on November 8, 2005 10:57:25 PM
At a guess I would say....none. Bush & Co. had kept those prisons secret even from the Republican-dominated Congress (talk about pissing off your supporters). That left Bush & Co. in the know, not Democrats.
And it is Bush & Co. who have had the flapping lips when it comes to secrets lately.
____________________
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
"...Earlier Tuesday, Republican congressional leaders asked for an investigation into the matter, and Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi suggested his own GOP colleagues could be to blame for the possible leak."
"..."Every word that was said in there went right to the newspaper," he said. "We can't keep our mouths shut."
Lott, a former Senate majority leader who was pushed out in 2002, suggested the information was passed along by a senator to a staff member.
He said the investigation Frist and Hastert want may result in an ethics probe of a Senate member."
What--ANOTHER one?
____________________
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
posted on November 9, 2005 07:24:51 AM
We'll see. But who has the most to gain from leaking the info? Any demo attempting to embarass the current admin.
I gave my liberal neighbors son a book for his birthday. He went crazy trying to find where to put the batteries.
posted on November 9, 2005 07:28:52 AM
Democrats don't have to look for ways to embarrass this administration--it does that all by itself.
____________________
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
posted on November 9, 2005 07:36:19 AM
It's not a qustion of who has the most to gain, it's who has ANYTHING to gain and it's not as if staffers have never "leaked" stories in an attempt to look they are more "inside" than they really are.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on November 9, 2005 08:29:41 AM
No the biggest embarrassment was Bush Da Stoopid , who already was not getting a warm fuzzy reception in South America, standing up and saying with Gawd awful grammar "We don't DO torture".
Did he actually think people believed him!????
What a jackass he made of himself...is he on another dry drunk ...or a wet one ?
And, yes, bearsy, CLINTON DRANK, too.
There I said it before you could...you are as stale as Leno bringing up Monica....good way to TRY to keep the limelight off the garbage in the White House now....but as you can see by the current elections ...people are learning about the garbage and don't even want it coming around to help campaign.
posted on November 9, 2005 08:43:04 AMtalk about pissing off your supporters.
I don't see it as pissing off his supporters one bit.
I think any muture American citizen KNOWS there is lots the public doesn't know that our government's doing behind the scenes to protect this Nation.
What some here don't 'get' is that by outing this information....THEY'VE put our OWN soldiers at risk....AGAIN. Now they've let our enemies know where they are....and they have put their lives at risk.
But of course, the left doesn't care about that.....anything they can do to destroy this President...they'll do. Even if it creates a problem for our government, in protecting us, or our soldiers who are doing their jobs or in the out come of this war on terror.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on November 9, 2005 09:48:49 AM
Neocon words....""What some here don't 'get' is that by outing this information....THEY'VE put our OWN soldiers at risk....AGAIN. Now they've let our enemies know where they are....and they have put their lives at risk. """
Democrat words ""What some here don't 'get' is that by outing this information....THEY'VE(Bush admin.) put our OWN soldiers/and other agents, and their contacts at risk....AGAIN. Now they've let our enemies know where they are....and they have put their lives at risk. """
