Senator Seeks to Defer Probe of CIA Prison Leak-WAPO

[kpete]

washingtonpost.com
Senator Seeks to Defer Probe of CIA Prison Leak

By Jonathan Weisman Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 10, 2005; A04

The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence told Senate leaders yesterday that Congress should hold off on a probe of the disclosure of classified information on secret prisons to The Washington Post until the Justice Department completes its own inquiry.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said he will "respectfully" request that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) back off a strongly worded request that a bicameral investigation into the disclosure be convened immediately. Frist spokeswoman Amy Call said the majority leader had not decided how to respond. "He always takes what his chairmen say into consideration," she said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110901976_pf.html

[atommom]

1. SHUT UP, PAT!

There's no way this can be properly investigated if he's involved. :mad:

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Roberts is such a tool

That's a good boy Roberts, give you're buddy Frist an excuse to cover his bare ass.

[acmejack]

3. Well sure, there was a Con involved.

No need for a messy old investigation! Save those for Democratic Party wrongdoing. IOKIYAR

[rodeodance]

4. You bet--Once Trent Lott spilled the beans that most of info came from

the GOP meeting with Cheney lunchean--it was over!

[rodeodance]

6. Here is the Frist/Hasturd letter.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/LEAKED_Draft_letter_prepared_to_call_1108.html

Letter calls for inquiry into Washington Post story on CIA jails

John Byrne


Senior Republicans are pushing for an investigation into who revealed the existence of secret CIA prisons overseas for "high-value" al Qaeda suspects to the Washington Post, RAW STORY can confirm.

The Post reported on the existence of secret U.S. prisons in Eastern Europe Nov 2. The Bush administration has not commented on the report.

The letter follows.


November 8, 2005

Honorable Peter Hoekstra
Chairman
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Honorable Pat Roberts
Chairman
Select Committee on Intelligence
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Hoekstra and Chairman Roberts:

We request that you immediately initiate a joint investigation into the possible release of classified information to the media alleging that the United States government may be detaining and interrogating terrorists at undisclosed locations abroad. As you know, if 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.

The purpose of your investigation will be to determine the following: was the information provided to the media classified and accurate?; who leaked this information and under what authority?; and, 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.....

[WilliamPitt]

5. "Uh, fellas...? I'm the leak. So, let's just chill...

...and have Trent Lott's legs broken."

[rodeodance]

9. "Asked how long that (Justice invest.) could take, Roberts joked,

......The CIA general counsel's office also has notified the Justice Department that a release of classified information took place in connection with The Post's report. After the CIA details what it sees as the damage done by the article, Justice prosecutors will determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

Asked how long that could take, Roberts joked, "Decades," indicating he is in no rush to convene his own inquiry. Hoekstra said he has not decided how to proceed.

After months of partisan charges over the White House release of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name and false information on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, disclosure of classified information has become an issue among Republicans.

Hoekstra said some Republican lawmakers were livid when a top administration intelligence officer inadvertently released the annual budget for U.S. intelligence operations, a figure that is classified and closely held by lawmakers who draft the budget.....

[rodeodance]

10. Roberts has no desire of EVER investigating!

[babylonsister]

7. I'm looking forward to the Dems' response; seems to me the

toothpaste is already out of this tube!

[rodeodance]

15. Lou Dobbs reported this last night. I have not seen a Dem. response yet.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Oh, this is precious. Just precious.

I'm so SHOCKED!:eyes: They are so damn corrupt and it's become OBVIOUS to anyone who bothers to pay attention.

[kevinmc]

11. Republican's are going too need their own Cell Block n/t

[htuttle]

12. Ouch!

[rodeodance]

13. they are also upset the somone released the secret 44 billion$ Intel

budget.

..After months of partisan charges over the White House release of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name and false information on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, disclosure of classified information has become an issue among Republicans.

Hoekstra said some Republican lawmakers were livid when a top administration intelligence officer inadvertently released the annual budget for U.S. intelligence operations, a figure that is classified and closely held by lawmakers who draft the budget.

At an intelligence conference last week in San Antonio, Mary Margaret Graham, deputy director of national intelligence, said the annual intelligence budget is $44 billion, a slip witnessed and recounted by a U.S. News & World Report writer.

Keeping the figure secret was a contentious issue as Congress retooled the intelligence structure after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said Hoekstra, who battled to maintain the budget figure's classification.

[rodeodance]

14. So much info is keep secret!--even this Intel budget!

[rodeodance]

16. Kick