ACLU Demands Immediate Release Of Inspector General Report On FBI's Role In Illegal Interrogations

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ACLU Demands Immediate Release Of Inspector General Report On FBI's Role In Illegal Interrogations (4/22/2008)


Filing Follows Stonewalling By Defense Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request today with the Departments of Justice and Defense for the release of a report on a long-running investigation of the FBI's role in the unlawful interrogations of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched the investigation after internal government documents - uncovered by an ACLU lawsuit - revealed that FBI agents stationed at Guantánamo Bay expressed concern after witnessing military interrogators' use of brutal interrogation techniques.

According to recent media reports, the OIG investigation has been completed for months. The Defense Department, however, has blocked the OIG from releasing it, claiming that the report still needs to be reviewed and redacted by the Pentagon.

"The Pentagon is using the classification review as a pretext to delay the release of a report that ought to have been released months ago," said Jameel Jaffer, Director of the ACLU National Security Project. "It's increasingly clear that the report is being suppressed not for legitimate security reasons, but in order to protect high-level government officials from embarrassment, criticism, and possibly even criminal prosecution. The report should be released immediately."

Inspector General Glenn Fine has stated that his report was finalized months ago. In the last few weeks, Fine has taken the unusual step of publicly criticizing the Defense Department for delaying the release of the report.

more:http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/34967prs20080422.html