Hoekstra Asks for Briefing Documents that Detail Congressional Discussions on Interrogation
Cautions Obama Administration Against Destroying Information
Washington,
Apr 27 -
U.S. Rep Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, today released a letter to Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair requesting the detailed briefing notes kept by CIA of all congressional briefings on enhanced interrogation. Hoekstra also warned the administration that serious questions would be raised if briefings records on the CIA interrogation memos were destroyed or not made available for committee review.
It is time for the administration to tell the entire story about enhanced interrogation," Hoekstra said. "Lawmakers in both parties knew about this program and they knew of the valuable intelligence it was producing. A complete and accurate accounting of the facts is critical for the American people’s understanding. The CIA was not operating this program in a vacuum, they were operating it with the knowledge, authorization and funding provided on a bipartisan basis by Congress."
In previous phone calls and in writing, Hoekstra warned the administration that it had a number of issues to consider before its rushed decision to release the memos. He raised the issue of potential damage to national security, and warned that the recriminations and finger-pointing would send a chill throughout the intelligence community.
Hoekstra also took the administration to task for failing to provide an accurate and complete list of the names, dates and locations of members of Congress briefed on the program a week after he wrote requesting it. An interim response on briefings provided to the committee appeared to be incomplete and inaccurate, not matching more comprehensive and complete briefing lists previously provided to the committee by CIA.
"A basic request the administration should have been able to answer immediately has languished for more than a week," Hoekstra said. "The Obama administration chose to release the interrogation memos, needlessly risking national security. Now it seems content to slow roll releasing a complete and accurate list in an attempt to quell the political firestorm it ignited on Capitol Hill."
Read Congressman Hoekstra's Letter to Secretary Blair
