Investigation of Secret CIA Program Turns Into Political Brawl
Email ABC News’ Jonathan Karl reports:
The CIA is so heavily investigated these days you wonder how much time they have for actual intelligence work.The latest: The House intelligence committee announced a new investigation on Friday into whether the CIA broke the law by not telling Congress about a secret post-9/11 program to target Al Qaeda leaders. In a written statement, committee Chairman Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) said the investigation will focus on "possible violations of federal law, including the National Security Act of 1947." Republicans immediately denounced the investigation as an effort by Democrats to "tear down the CIA." At issue is a secret program the CIA began planning shortly after the September 11 attacks but did not tell Congress about until June 24 of this year. The program never got beyond the planning and preparation stages.By my count, this will be the fifth on-going investigation into the CIA counter-terrorism activities. Here are the other four (and their may be more):- The Senate Intelligence Committee is investigating the CIA's interrogation program
- The House Intelligence Committee is investigating the destruction of the CIA's interrogation tapes
- The Justice Department is investigating the destruction of the tapes, and
- Attorney General Eric Holder is considering naming a special prosecutor to investigated whether CIA interrogators broke the law.In his statement, Chairman Reyes said the decision to launch the investigation was made after consulting with the top Republican on the committee, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI). But Hoekstra put out his own statement blasting the announced investigation as "little more than partisan, political theater and continues the politicization of important intelligence matters by Democrats.""The chairman and I talked about doing a balanced review of congressional notifications, an issue we both agree should be reviewed, " Hoekstra said. "Instead, they announced an investigation of 'violation' of the National Security Act when the current facts clearly do no support such an accusation."Hoekstra went so far as to suggest that Republicans on the Intelligence committee may not cooperate with the investigation."At no time will the Republicans of this committee agree to or take part in congressional Democrats efforts to tear down the CIA to provide cover for Speaker Pelosi." As for the CIA, the agency is trying to stay out of this political brawl, but is promising to cooperate with the investigation.”Like Chairman Reyes, the agency’s goal is that this new investigation not become a distraction to the men and women of CIA, who have the vital mission of protecting the United States from foreign threats," CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano told ABC News. "The agency will, of course, work closely with the committee on this review.”
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Umm. This secret program that congress “didn’t know about” until June 24th was reported about by the NY Times in 2002
Posted by: DJ | July 17, 2009, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
How is the CIA and its Gulag different from the KGB and its Gulag?
Posted by: Sammy | July 17, 2009, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
How is the CIA and its Gulag different from the KGB and its Gulag?
That’s simple. One is good,and one is bad.
Posted by: Pat | July 17, 2009, 5:41 pm 5:41 pm
Obama and the thugs first tried to legislate failure in Iraq for political gains while Bush was president and when that did not work, Obama now has his Chicago thugs go after the very ones who were zealous in defending our lives and freedom for political gain.
we should just throw these worthless pieces liberal of trash into Iran
HOW QUAINT..
Posted by: paller | July 17, 2009, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
Remember: Those darn facts always seem to mess us a good liberal rant.
Posted by: s | July 17, 2009, 5:57 pm 5:57 pm
AS I SEE IT, by Mainer Mike Brown.
Yeah, like Congress can keep a secret?
Posted by: Mainer Mike Brownai | July 17, 2009, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
AS I SEE IT, by Mainer Mike Brown.
The Congress is too inept to know top secret information. They are also too inept to realize this.
Posted by: Mainer Mike Brown | July 17, 2009, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm
Here’s the thing; the CIA is the American version of the KGB. We need them, but they bear watching. If they spend too much time doing clandestine spy stuff all on their own without any supervision by highly placed people who aren’t immersed in the shadowy world that CIA operates in—-then they get into trouble. Like in 1986 under the Reagan administration when the executive branch sold arms to IRAN and then used the money to finance rebels in the southern hemisphere and then, oops, all the paper got destroyed when Congress found out about it. Sound familiar? As in the tapes of torture were destroyed in defiance of a court order? We need to be safe, but we need to stand for American ideals in more than just words. That’s why we have a system of checks and balances and that’s why the CIA will be investigated when they break the rules about that oversight.
Posted by: karela | July 17, 2009, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
Hoekstra’s claim that this investigation is to “provide cover for Pelosi” doesn’t even make sense, what is obvious though is that his refusal to co-operate is meant to provide cover for Cheney.
Posted by: JR | July 17, 2009, 7:24 pm 7:24 pm
Isn’t the term “secret CIA program” a superfluous redundancy? Isn’t that the point? Aren’t all CIA programs supposed to be secret?
Posted by: tony | July 17, 2009, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
I remember walking up West St from my apartment on Sept 12, 2001, two blocks from the south tower of the World Trade Center lying in ruins and thinking, “how many people are going to die before this is over”? – ITWARZ
Posted by: ITWARZ | July 17, 2009, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
Remember how much we bitched and moaned when Argentina murdered somebody they didn’t like on American soil? Remember when the Russians killed a couple of people in London, one with an umbrella weapon, another with nuclear poisoning? Remember how uncomfortable it made you feel when you thought of Putin sending hit squads out to kill people who said he stole their property? Next time you read about the US running secret hit squads think! – ITWARZ
Posted by: ITWARZ | July 17, 2009, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
“The CIA is so heavily investigated these days you wonder how much time they have for actual intelligence work.” Jonathan, I don’t wonder. For years,no matter what party was in power, they appear to have just “made stuff up”. Then when busted, they claim to be above the law. A more poignant political question, “Why are Republicans-the party of personal liberty-seemingly blocking any oversight? Protecting Bush-Cheney is the politics of past failure.
Posted by: B. Bear | July 17, 2009, 8:03 pm 8:03 pm
I don’t know about you Tony, but I’m bothered by programs that are secret from our own government, especially when they involve “assassination squads”. That level of secrecy isn’t healthy to ANY society.
Posted by: JR | July 17, 2009, 9:00 pm 9:00 pm
Can you imagine working for the CIA in a deep cover program and knowing your life depended on the ability of Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, Frank, and Waxman to keep their mouth shut and actually act in America’s best interests? Anyone who would work for the CIA at this point is suicidal.
Posted by: DisgruntledRightWingVet | July 17, 2009, 11:56 pm 11:56 pm
Who the hell has “oversight” over Pelosi? Waxman? Murtha? Durbin? Rangel?
No one. These jerks are too busy
trying to destroy our country in the
name of liberalism, than protect this
country from enemies both foreign
and domestic.
Posted by: Trajan | July 18, 2009, 12:09 am 12:09 am
Two things to consider:
(A) The proposed program was only in the initial planning phase – it never came close to going operational. Does every proposal have to go through Congress? Get real.
(B) Isn’t the CIA supposed to be trying to kill Al Qaeda leaders?????? That should be a no brainer.
Posted by: Patrick | July 18, 2009, 9:04 am 9:04 am
This is not about the CIA.It’s about Cheeneey.Cheezy.Cheney and Rumsfelt
Posted by: Mike | July 18, 2009, 9:08 am 9:08 am
The CIA is being investigated because over the last 60 years they are front and center in some of our worst foreign policy blunders. The latest is shooting missiles into a sovereign country that has asked us not too. Got to love that!
Posted by: Huh | July 18, 2009, 10:46 am 10:46 am
The real problem is that if it a secret program as soon as you tell anyone in Congress it is no longer a secret program but a political item for them to use as they see fit. I’m all for keeping politicians out of the loop since they can’t keep a secret.
Posted by: Sandcrab1612 | July 18, 2009, 10:54 am 10:54 am
This is what you get when a political hack like Leon Panetta is named head of CIA rather than someone with intelligence credentials.
Posted by: Ron | July 18, 2009, 11:57 am 11:57 am
The Democrat-Communist Party is hell-bent on destroying America thru any means possible.
Posted by: Ron | July 18, 2009, 12:00 pm 12:00 pm
I’m OK with a CIA investigation on this. I think we should also have Pelosi provide a list of the times they lied to her. She knows they did and I would like to see how that turns out!
Posted by: TexBork009 | July 18, 2009, 6:19 pm 6:19 pm
This whole “investigation” is nothing other than a partisan witch hunt.
The FACTS are this “secret program” was NEVER a program!!
Thoughts do NOT have to be briefed by Congress!!
These democrats and the liberal loonies on MSNBC have brain damage. Trying to make something out of nothing.
One more time for the incredibly slow….. NEVER WAS A PROGRAM!!!
Hello!!! McFly!!!! (rub head with knuckles repeatidly)
Posted by: Makayla | July 19, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
How can anyone argue that Congress should be kept out of the loop and still call themselves patriotic? The CIA is under the executive branch. Without congressional oversight we throw away the notion of checks and balances. What you wind up with is a secret state police working for the president and vice president. As for politicians not being able to keep secrets, there’s some justice in the charge. Look at the outing of Valerie Plame. No one favors “tearing down” the CIA but every sane person should be interested in having the flow chart clarified once and for all.
Posted by: Robert Maxwell | July 19, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm
Politicians all answer to the voters who elect them. They could care less about the opinions of those who don’t live in their voting districts. Thats just the way it is, you don’t get to change those facts as if you could.
Posted by: b | July 19, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
Remember the CIA and FBI were involved in the torture and abuse of men, women and children in America and Canada under the MKULTRA and COINTELPRO secret projects in the 1970s. Those programs are continuing under different names and more scientific methods, involving the mutiltation, cruel torture and murder of US citizens on a daily basis. Congressman Rush Holt is advocating reopening a committe investigation of these crimes against America. Please write to him and urge him to investigate these torturous crimes carried out in the name of our”defense”.
Posted by: Eleanor Connor | August 10, 2009, 1:35 am 1:35 am
Hello,
I would like to contribute to the ongoing political debate.
I have some critical information about your political representatives and the secret services.
Political parties exploit your intelligence for attacks on people in other countries.
Particularly people connection to the Republican Party.
Used by state agencies of other countries for illegal activities (especially the Ministry of Interior)
It is illegal activity.
In my opinion, seek revenge after their illegal activities is not acceptable.
I hope that your nation is able to comply with the laws and even his other nations.
This activity has a very negative impact.
In conclusion, I wish in the future to your political representatives to respect the laws and
rules of conduct in society.
Jan P
Czech Republic, Prague
Posted by: Jan P | May 21, 2010, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
I have one post.
Much of the problem that the U.S. has caused the illegal activity of your government.
Wishing more freedom: Jan P
Posted by: Jan P | May 23, 2010, 5:15 am 5:15 am