September 18, 2009 3:55 PM

Former CIA Chiefs Ask Obama to Stop CIA Probe

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Domestic Issues
(AP / CBS)
Seven former CIA directors sent a letter to President Obama on Friday urging him to use his authority to reverse Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to re-open and pursue cases of prisoner abuse within the CIA in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In August, Holder appointed a U.S. prosecutor to begin a criminal probe of CIA questioning of terror suspects during the Bush administration, reversing the course set by the Bush administration. The investigation potentially exposes CIA employees and agency contractors to criminal prosecution.

"Attorney General Holder's decision to re-open the criminal investigation creates an atmosphere of continuous jeopardy for those whose cases the Department of Justice had previously declined to prosecute," the former officials wrote. "Moreover, there is no reason to expect that the re-opened criminal investigation will remain narrowly focused."

Allowing a political appointee to reopen an already-closed case would "seriously damage the willingness of many other intelligence officers to take risks to protect the country," the officials wrote, since they would run the risk of facing "endless criminal investigations" for actions that may have previously been deemed legal.

"Those men and women who undertake difficult intelligence assignments in the aftermath of an attack such as September 11 must believe there is permanence in the legal rules that govern their actions," the letter said.

The letter was signed by former CIA directors Michael Hayden and Porter Goss, who worked for President George W. Bush; John Deutch and James Woolsey, who served during the Clinton administration; George Tenet, who worked for both President George W. Bush and President Clinton; William Webster, who served under President George H.W. Bush; and James Schlesinger, who headed the agency during the Nixon administration.

Justice Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Holder works closely with the intelligence community to keep people safe, and he does not believe their commitment to conduct that important work will waver in any way.

"The attorney general's decision to order a preliminary review into this matter was made in line with his duty to examine the facts and to follow the law," Miller said. "As he has made clear, the Department of Justice will not prosecute anyone who acted in good faith and within the scope of the legal guidance given by the Office of Legal Counsel regarding the interrogation of detainees."

In their letter today, the former officials warned the president that publicly airing information about past intelligence operations could help al Qaeda elude U.S. intelligence.

"Success in intelligence often depends on surprise and deception and on creating uncertainty in the mind of an enemy," they wrote. "Disclosures about CIA collection operations have and will continue to make it harder for intelligence officers to maintain the momentum of operations that have saved lives and helped protect America from further attacks."

Furthermore, they said, foriegn intelligence services may be less inclined to work with the United States if the investigation proceeds out of concern over the United States' ability to keep secrets.

Current CIA Director Leon Panetta has defended the CIA employees under scrutiny, saying it is his primary interest "to stand up for those officers who did what their country asked and who followed the legal guidance they were given."

The Obama administration has said the president believes the attorney general should be fully independent from the White House and will let Holder decide whether or not to pursue the investigation.

Mr. Obama is, however, creating a new, special interrogation unit to be supervised by the White House, called the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group. The unit will be led by an FBI official, with members from across agencies. It will rely solely on the Army Field Manual when interrogating prisoners.

Add a Comment See all 66 Comments
by missheidi September 19, 2009 4:29 PM EDT
This witch hunt is nothing more than getting the attention off of this incompetant obama regime. Hey Eric Holder, Investigate ACORN and what they have been doing with taxpayer money, Rangel the tax cheat, all the bizarre czars. In Phila. at the last election, goons from the Black Panthers stood outside a voting place with nightsticks and intimidated voters. They were convicted but Eric Holder let them off. What a mess this regime has made in our country.
Reply to this comment
by robham777 September 19, 2009 3:01 PM EDT
One detainee was threatened with a pistol cocked by his ear, as well as a power drill. Interrogators staged a mock execution in an adjoining room to scare him. He was warned if he didn?t talk, ?We could get your mother in here.? Interrogators tried to convince him he was being held by a foreign country, because it?s widely believed that some foreign interrogations involve ?sexually abusing female relatives in front of the detainee,? the report said.


And interrogators threatened to kill the children of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26408.html

Why dont you ask Nicholas Berg, Jack Hensley, Eugene Armstrong, Daniel Pearl, or Paul Johnson if they would consider water-boarding and scary noises torture. Maybe if we had access to information about their captors you could, however since they were decapitated by the type of people who Holder wants to protect....
Reply to this comment
by stuart-johns September 19, 2009 2:58 PM EDT
I distinctly remember Cheney "demanding" that an investigation take place.

I distinctly remember him saying that such an investigation would prove that there was no wrong doing.

I distinctly remember me saying to you all back then that Cheney was bluffing.

I distinctly see that Cheney was wrong and I was right.
Reply to this comment
by r9119111 September 19, 2009 10:23 AM EDT
by Liberal_Hysteria September 19, 2009 8:08 AM EDT
skyk ran from Vietnam and Korea with his tail between his legs.No wonder we lost both wars.With guys like skyk fighting communism we couldnt win anything.

---------

Liberal_Hysteria:
What you say sounds like a lie to me. Speak for yourself only. Is this more right wing BS? Sure smells like it.
Reply to this comment
by bill0bob September 19, 2009 10:08 AM EDT
The CIA is a criminal agency. They think they are "above the law". They say we have to let them "protect us" without asking any pesky questions about what they do or how they do it, otherwise they say they won't be able to "protect us" any more. The CIA is just like the Mob, only worse, because we pretend they are the "good guys"! Like ALL criminals, they don't want anyone to look to closely at what they do. Are we surprised? No. Should we let them get away with it? Hell No.

"Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power." - Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1738.
Reply to this comment
by brianbwb-2009 September 19, 2009 9:25 AM EDT
They talk lke this is a bad thing,

"Attorney General Holder's decision to re-open the criminal investigation creates an atmosphere of continuous jeopardy for those whose cases the Department of Justice had previously declined to prosecute," the former officials wrote.

So? why did they decline, because they were denied evidence that they now have access to? Hey son, if they broke the law, then they pay the penalty.

"Moreover, there is no reason to expect that the re-opened criminal investigation will remain narrowly focused."

As well it should not be. We need to wash all the dirty laundry.

And check this BS,

"Allowing a political appointee to reopen an already-closed case would "seriously damage the willingness of many other intelligence officers to take risks to protect the country," the officials wrote,..."

They shouldn't be taking illegal risks in the first place.

"...since they would run the risk of facing "endless criminal investigations" for actions that may have previously been deemed legal..."

"Deemed" by whom? The acts have been illegal ever since we signed the Convention against torture, other acts violate the Geneva convention, which has been in existence since shortly after the Nuremburg trials.

A person can "deem" that torture is legal, "deeming" does not make it so.
Reply to this comment
by Liberal_Hysteria September 19, 2009 7:34 AM EDT
Former CIA Chiefs Ask Obama to Stop CIA Probe
*****************************************************

They should let our Commie-in-chief to continue his insanity.Obama will be accountable for disabling our secret service and for selling America to our enemies.
Reply to this comment
by Liberal_Hysteria September 19, 2009 7:41 AM EDT
by skyk-2009 September 19, 2009 7:37 AM E
************************************

Yeah skyk , and Obamas stench will be smelling forever on your nose.
by rdepontb September 19, 2009 8:57 AM EDT
The Justice Department is legally independent from the White House. Or did you forget that, since that law was continuously violated during Bush/Cheney?
by Hosheen September 19, 2009 6:50 AM EDT
Of course former CIA chiefs do not want anything done by the CIA investigated. They are likely all vulnerable to embarrassing questions, prosecutions, and prison. Yep, better nip this one in the bud before it gets to the indictments stage.
Reply to this comment
by Dr Newel September 19, 2009 6:19 AM EDT
There are too many control freaks in the CIA. They don't need to make recomendations to the President about probes he may authorize. At the point when some one at somewhere went against the normal chain of commmand to interrorgate a detainee then that may constitute a Coup De Etat. The President can do whatever he wants to or with the CIA it's the Executive Branch. It begs the question: what in the world is the CIA doing inside the borders of the U.S.? We don't need the executive branch CIA staging a Coup De Etat upon the United States or the world.
Reply to this comment
by r9119111 September 19, 2009 3:43 AM EDT
If crimes have been committed, they should be prosecuted, even if the previous administration covered its tracks by having mock prosecutions to prevent future prosecutions. What have we become as the result of "greed and crime is good politics"? No one should be above the law if we, as a nation, respect law and order to prevail. Not even those who attend church regularly. Unfortunately, The previous administration did not make us safer as the result of their disregard for the law and international convention. Instead, we have become the evil we claim to be addressing. Instead, we lie and then expect others to trust us. More damage was done during those years than we will ever be able to clear up over the next century. We've lived a lie for years and we are going to suffer the consequences --- whatever they may be. Just telling people we were safe because of their policies isn't going to work. It was part of a ongoing lie. Excuses just will not work.
Reply to this comment
See all 66 Comments
.

Follow Political Hotsheet

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...