Posted on 11/08/2005 5:52:19 PM PST by aculeus
WASHINGTON (AP) - 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.
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."
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Associated Press writer Pete Yost contributed to this report.
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As far as I'm concerned, terrorists have no rights whatsoever.
Good. Republicans seem to turn the table on this leaking case. Hopefully they clean up the CIA and other agencies that keep leaking stuff.
What gives? We don't torture, we outsource it?
I hope that they refer every leak to the DOJ for investigation. It's about time.
And I hope that the CIA under Porter Goss conducts a thorough investigation of the CIA's efforts to sabotage the Bush Administration
As for a law for reporters, how about MANDATORY SENTENCES with no parole?
I agree. Also believe we need to get over it and declare this is a war.... and while we are at it clean out the CIA and the real detrimental leakers.
I vote for a Congressional inquiry.
Maybe it was McCain.
No, the problem is that the Post has too many subversive comments. Shut it down for 90 days. See if that gets their attention.
Well, gee Mr. Condition-of-Anonymity seems to be part of the problem. The CIA is a sieve.
If they need help interrogating any of the traitorous Posties, put me on the list.
Probably a Republican Senator says Trent Lott.
Happened after Cheney breifed them on exemtion of CIA on abuse of terrorist captives.
Pelosi and Reid asking for another (3rd of 4th) investigation on prewar intelligence. I can't stand those two putzes.
The CIA agents who have been leaking to the MSM, and the reporters and editors who have been publishing their leaks, should be prosecuted and jailed. Our Bill of Rights does not give the press a license to lie and commit treason.
No more slaps on the wrist. Their treasonous lies and corrupt political manipulations have been getting more and more outrageous, because no one has made any attempt to bring the offenders to justice.
Our relations with our loyal allies, our country's reputation in the world, and our conduct of the war on terror have all been seriously damaged by people who are willing to do anything to seize political power.
Does anyone else notice that the GOP is floundering badly and that the administration is virtually hiding. Nothing is being done to quell the onslaught from the left or the MSM.
The Press Secretary [Scotty boy] is getting bitch slapped daily and is nothing but a big liability.
Tomorrow more of the same from the MSM can be expected with the defeat of the GOP in the Gov races in NJ and VA.
When is the administration going to FIGHT BACK??
It was McCain. The Republican Senators were briefed on the existence of these prisons by Cheney last week.
Leaking their existence to the press helps McCain get his silly anti-torture bill signed.
There was a post on another thread that said that Lott told CNN that it was a Republican Senator that leaked the information to the WaPO!!!
Lott has been saying way too much since Katrina. I beginning to not like him all over again.
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