Obama Backs Release of CIA Torture Report, But Stays Clear of Senate Row Facebook_20 Twitter_20 Reddit_20 Email_20 Addthis_20 President Obama has called for releasing the torture report at the heart of a dispute between its author, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and its subject, the CIA. Panel chair Senator Dianne Feinstein has openly accused the CIA of spying on Senate staffers and seizing material from their computers as part of an effort to undermine the exhaustive report on the agency’s torture and rendition program. The report has yet to be released but reportedly documents extensive abuses and a cover-up by CIA officials. At the White House, Obama said he will push for declassifying the report. President Obama: We have worked with the Senate committee so that the report that they are putting forward is well informed, and what I’ve said is that I am absolutely committed to declassifying that report as soon as the report is completed. In fact, I would urge them to go ahead and complete the report, send it to us. We will declassify those findings so that the American people can understand what happened in the past, and that can help guide us as we move forward. Despite aiding momentum for the report’s release, Obama also offered tacit support to the CIA in its showdown with Congress. In his remarks, Obama said he would stay out of the dispute over whether the CIA broke the law in spying on the Senate. President Obama: With respect to the issues that are going back and forth between the Senate committee and the CIA, John Brennan has referred them to the appropriate authorities, and they are looking into it. And that’s not something that is an appropriate role for me and the White House to wade into at this point. But the one thing that I want to emphasize is the substantive issue, which is how do we operate even when we’re threatened, even when we’ve gone through extraordinary trauma, has to be consistent with rule of law and our values. And I acted on that on the first day, and that hasn’t changed. Report: Admin Rebuffed Senate Requests for CIA Torture Docs Facebook_20 Twitter_20 Reddit_20 Email_20 Addthis_20 Obama’s apparent backing of the CIA falls in line with new reports showing the White House has helped stonewall the Senate’s investigation. McClatchy reports that for the last five years, the Obama administration has withheld 9,000 top-secret documents sought by the panel as part of its probe. The news suggests the White House has been more involved in the torture probe than it has publicly claimed. Report: NSA Expands Global Reach of Hacking Software Facebook_20 Twitter_20 Reddit_20 Email_20 Addthis_20 New disclosures from Edward Snowden show the NSA is massively expanding its computer hacking worldwide. Software that automatically hacks into computers — known as malware implants — had previously been kept to just a few hundred targets. But the news website The Intercept reports the NSA is spreading the software to millions of computers under an automated system codenamed Turbine. Leaks Detail Court Orders Behind Expansion of NSA’s Reach Facebook_20 Twitter_20 Reddit_20 Email_20 Addthis_20 More leaks from Snowden have identified key court orders that loosened restrictions on the collection of Americans’ private information. Most pivotal is the July 2002 Raw Take order, which granted intelligence agencies the authority to share private information with others without having to delete details irrelevant to investigations. NSA Nominee Vows Expansion of Cyber-Ops Facebook_20 Twitter_20 Reddit_20 Email_20 Addthis_20 President Obama’s pick to head the National Security Agency, Vice Admiral Michael Rogers, has appeared before the Senate ahead of his upcoming confirmation vote. Rogers would replace General Keith Alexander, who is set to retire. In his remarks, Rogers vowed to implement the proposed NSA reforms unveiled in the fallout over Edward Snowden’s disclosures. Vice Admiral Michael Rogers: We must do all of this in a manner which protects the civil liberties and privacy of our citizens. I will ensure strict adherence to policy, law and the oversight mechanisms in place. I will be an active partner in implementing the changes directed by the president with respect to aspects of the National Security Agency mission, and my intent is to be as transparent as possible in doing so and in the broader execution of my duties, if confirmed. Under questioning from Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, Rogers declined an invitation to deem Snowden a traitor, but said he doesn’t see him as a hero. Senator Joe Manchin: And you’ve said before, some of the things he’s done and has continued to do is irreparable? Vice Admiral Michael Rogers: I’m not sure that I said irreparable, but I believe it has significant risk, damage and consequences for us. Senator Joe Manchin: So you would look at him as a traitor? Vice Admiral Michael Rogers: I don’t know that I would use the word traitor, but I certainly do not consider him to be a hero. If confirmed, Rogers would also lead the new Pentagon unit in charge of offensive cyber-operations, despite recommendations by a presidential advisory panel to separate the two posts. In his testimony, Rogers said every major combat command in the U.S. military is slated to have its own cyber-attack operations.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:26:04 +0000
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