18 October, 2013

Former C.I.A. Lawyer Stephen Preston's Undisclosed Answers on Detentions : The New Yorker

Former C.I.A. Lawyer Stephen Preston's Undisclosed Answers on Detentions : The New Yorker: The C.I.A. has defended its record on keeping Congress informed. In contrast, Preston, in his answers to Udall, concedes that, during the Bush years, the C.I.A. “fell well short” of current standards for keeping the congressional oversight committees informed of covert actions, as is required under the 1947 National Security Act.

In fact, Preston admits outright that, contrary to the C.I.A.’s insistence that it did not actively impede congressional oversight of its detention and interrogation program, “briefings to the Committees included inaccurate information related to aspects of the program of express interest to Members.”