CIA says no to federal judge’s order to turn over classified papers
WASHINGTON — The CIA says it cannot turn over more details of its interrogations of terror suspects without spilling classified government secrets.
A long-secret report released last week shed new light on alleged CIA abuses. The spy agency faced a Monday court deadline to turn over more papers, but the agency responded by telling the federal judge in the case that dozens of remaining documents must stay secret.
The American Civil Liberties Union has sought the documents as part of a long-running lawsuit seeking information about the U.S. government’s antiterror program.
The civil rights group criticized the CIA’s position, saying it contradicts President Obama’s policies on counterterror measures and transparency in government.
Attorney General Eric Holder last week appointed federal prosecutor John Durham to look into abuse allegations after the release of an internal CIA inspector general’s report that revealed agency interrogators once threatened to kill a Sept. 11 suspect’s children and suggested another would be forced to watch his mother be sexually assaulted.
It’ll be interesting to see where this goes, considering the fact that when a judge issues an order, by law you have to follow it – and I’m assuming the only way you don’t have to is if you’re the Justice Department and you successfully plead your case with the judge that the revelation/release of the documents in question will do serious damage to our national security interests. I would have to defer to legal experts on that though – hopefully a few will weigh in.