Judicial Watch Obtains New CIA Documents Detailing Results of Detainee Interrogations
Obama Administration Had Denied Former Vice President Cheney Access to These Records
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - August 24, 2009) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group
that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today
that it has obtained documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
regarding the results of the detainee interrogation program. The
documents, obtained by Judicial Watch through a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit filed on July 14, 2009, include two reports entitled, "Khalid
Shaykh Muhammad: Preeminent Source On Al-Qa'ida" and "Detainee Reporting
Pivotal for the War Against Al Qa'ida."
The records, which can be viewed at www.judicialwatch.org, were previously
held by the Office of former Vice President Cheney. On March 31, 2009,
Vice President Cheney personally issued a request to the National Archives
Presidential Libraries section for declassification review of these same
documents. The Archives then passed on the request to the CIA for review
on April 8, 2009.
Vice President Cheney has said the reports show the effectiveness of
enhanced interrogation techniques that were used on some detained
terrorists, such as Khalid Shaykh Muhammad and Abu Zubaydah.
In March, President Obama overruled objections from national security
officials and released documents detailing the government's enhanced
interrogation program of terrorists (the so-called "torture" memos).
However, President Obama initially withheld information detailing the
results of this program, including alleged terrorist plots that the program
prevented. It is these documents that Judicial Watch has obtained. They
have never before been released to the public.
CIA interrogations have been the subject of great controversy over the last
few months. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came under fire in April when she
claimed she was never briefed about the CIA's use of the waterboarding
technique during terrorism investigations. The CIA produced a report
documenting a briefing with Pelosi on September 4, 2002 that suggests
otherwise.
"These documents suggest that enhanced interrogation techniques prevented
terrorist attacks and protected our country," said Judicial Watch President
Tom Fitton. "Now, the American people can have a more complete
understanding of whether these enhanced interrogation programs are
effective. We are very pleased to be able to bring these documents to
light for the first time."
Judicial Watch filed its original Freedom of Information Act request with
the CIA on May 18, 2009. On June 25, 2009, the CIA acknowledged receipt of
the request but provided no documents and did not specify when Judicial
Watch would receive a substantive response, prompting Judicial Watch's
lawsuit. By law, the CIA had until June 30, 2009 to provide any non-exempt
records.
Visit www.JudicialWatch.org to read the CIA documents obtained by Judicial
Watch.