Reports: Cheney told CIA not to inform Congress
If true should Cheney be arrested?
THEHILL-Former Vice President Dick Cheney ordered the CIA not to inform Congress about a secret counterterrorism program for eight years, according to separate media reports on Saturday.
Subsequent CIA officials determined the program had not gone forward enough to merit telling members of Congress, the Associated Press reported. Cheney’s involvement was first reported by The New York Times.
Democrats on the House Intelligence panel this week said President Obama’s CIA Director, Leon Panetta, told them in a briefing that Congress had not been told of the program. The AP reported that Panetta determined the other CIA officials had made a mistake in not alerting Congress.
The latest revelations make it likely lawmakers will continue to deal with the battle over what intelligence officials have told the congressional panels with oversight over their activities when Congress returns to Washington next week. The issue has become a distraction for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who repeatedly has been hit with questions over the briefings.
UPDATE!!!
FYI
Obama doesn’t want to look back, but Attorney General Eric Holder may probe Bush-era torture anyway.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/206300
FYI
Michael Hayden: Congress Was Informed About Surveillance Program
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/11/michael-hayden-congress-w_n_230066.html
YES ! ! !
Wait. Does the VP actually have the authority to tell the CIA to do anything?
Doubt if it’s true, but if so — Good for Cheney, eff the bunch of whiney-ass wimps in congress!
The VP’s executive power is zilch. This was purely illegal. Which, come to think of it, pretty much describes the entire eight years.
Bart
You were never one for the Constitution.
No idea how this particular problem will shake out – a different political administration is re-evaluating the decisions of the past.
In general most Americans would prefer we err on the side of secrecy in planned covert activities rather than sharing it with a large number of folks where someone will keep a secret like a colander holds water. For political, financial, power or other subversive motive.
Cheney is a member of the NSC – chaired by the President – which determines the covert activities the CIA engages in.
The article says: “Subsequent CIA officials determined the program had not gone forward enough to merit telling members of Congress, the Associated Press reported.”
Panetta now determined Congress – hopefully he is referring to the intelligence oversight committees only – needed to be told.
Democrats want to expand the numbers advised but Obama thinks the expansion is too much.
According to the CIA FAQ’s page:
7. Who decides when CIA should participate in covert actions, and why?
Only the president can direct the CIA to undertake a covert action. Such actions usually are recommended by the National Security Council (NSC). Covert actions are considered when the NSC judges that US foreign policy objectives may not be fully realized by normal diplomatic means and when military action is deemed to be too extreme an option. Therefore, the Agency may be directed to conduct a special activity abroad in support of foreign policy where the role of the US government is neither apparent nor publicly acknowledged. Once tasked, the intelligence oversight committees of the Congress must be notified.
https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/faqs/index.html#covertactions
John,
Where does the Constitution direct the CIA to divulge all of it’s covert strategies to Congress?
Do you trust either party in control of congress to not leak critical information directly related to the security of this country?
bb,
The CIA is supposed to inform congress because of a law passed in the 70’s. Really now the Constitution says nothing about the CIA so that argument is really making the case that we don’t need it.
The Constitution is clear about checks and balances between the branches of government.
Dispute this:
If I read the CIA FAQ page correctly they have to report covert ACTIONS to intelligence oversight committees not STRATEGIES.
The news media reports that the program NEVER became operational and Panetta cancelled the program.
“The still-secret program, which The New York Times said never became operational, began after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.”
“The Wall Street Journal said the secret initiative terminated by Panetta was an effort to carry out a 2001 authorization by then Republican President George W. Bush to capture or kill al Qaeda operatives.”
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20090711/NEWS-US-SECURITY-USA-CHENEY/
Saltyd
The issue is not about what the policy was about. I do not want any President Democrat or Republican running rough shot over congress.
John,
Does not compute. No one was run over. If Obama & Co. act the same way, they are within their authority. They don’t need to expand their decision making “committee”.
When Panetta saw it differently, that’s ok too, risky but that’s his job. It appears Cheney was on a better track of security and second guessing is BS. Unless you can show the program was underway.
John,
You dems are pissed at the CIA for strategizing on how to kill terrorists?
This is nothing more than an attempt to cover the ass of Pelosi after her ridiculous remarks last month. Jimmy Carter f’d up our intelligence services, now dems want to do it again.
Frankly, I would be extremely worried if the CIA was NOT planning just about every possible scenario, legal or otherwise. That’s their job, like it or not.
Actions are different, and have to follow rules, but planning is just good . . . planning.
.
What is totally unacceptable is for the VICE President to instruct the CIA on what it can or cannot tell Congress.
What is also totally unacceptable is for any part of the government to lie to Congress so as to win support for launching an unnecessary war of aggression against another sovereign nation.
.
Jail the bastards.
DOR,
When did congress become a house of virtue worthy of the “truth” from the executive branch?
This entire episode is a joke. The CIA should withhold critical information from those who notoriously leak such information to the media. They must have some ability to conduct covert ops w/o need of micro-management from totally unqualified, self-serving partisan hacks, aka politicians!