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Prosecutor to Begin Probe of CIA Abuses

Obama Approves New Interrogation Unit

By STEVEN R. HURST and DEVLIN BARRETT

posted: 3 HOURS 29 MINUTES AGO

comments: 3318

filed under: National News, Terrorism News

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WASHINGTON (Aug. 24) — The Obama administration is assigning a veteran prosecutor to begin a criminal probe of CIA questioning of terror suspects during the Bush administration, and a new detainee interrogation unit is being created to be supervised by the White House, officials said Monday.

Federal prosecutor John Durham will be appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate alleged CIA abuses, said a Justice Department official, speaking only on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the matter.

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Alex Brandon, AP

President Barack Obama has approved the creation of a new interrogation unit to deal with terrorist prisoners. The unit, to be known as HIG, will operate under direct White House supervision.

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Also See: CIA Threatened Detainee's Children

Word of that decision came within minutes of the release of a newly declassified CIA document describing how interrogators threatened to kill the children of one Sept. 11 suspect and may have threatened to sexually assault the mother of another detainee.

The administration also announced Monday that all U.S. interrogators will follow the rules for detainees laid out by the Army Field Manual. That decision aims to end years of fierce debate over how rough U.S. personnel can get with terror suspects in custody.

Formation of the new interrogation unit for "high-value" detainees does not mean the CIA is out of the business of questioning terror suspects, deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton told reporters covering the vacationing President Barack Obama on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

Burton said the unit will include "all these different elements under one group" and will be located at the FBI headquarters in Washington.

The unit, to be known as the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, is to be led by an FBI official, with a deputy director from somewhere in the government's intelligence apparatus and members from across agencies. It will be directly supervised by the White House, but senior administration officials said the unit's agency bosses will make operational decisions.

Officials also said that in cases where terror suspects are transferred to other countries, the U.S. will work harder to ensure they are not tortured.

Durham, the man chosen for the investigation of possible interrogation abuses of the past, is already probing the destruction of videotapes of CIA questioning. He now will examine whether CIA officers or contractors broke laws in harsh handling of suspects.

The structure of the new unit the White House is creating would depart significantly from such work under the previous administration, when the CIA had the lead and sometimes exclusive role in questioning al-Qaida suspects.

Obama campaigned vigorously against the Bush administration's interrogation practices in his successful run for the presidency. He has said more recently he didn't particularly favor prosecuting Bush administration officials in connection with instances of prisoner abuse. Obama still believes "we should be looking forward, not backward," Burton said Monday.

Nonetheless, the spokesman added, Obama believes the attorney general should be fully independent from the White House and he has full faith in Holder to make the decision on whether to reopen several such cases with an eye toward possible criminal prosecution. "He ultimately is going to make the decisions," Burton said of Holder.

CIA Director Leon Panetta said in an e-mail message to agency employees Monday that he intends "to stand up for those officers who did what their country asked and who followed the legal guidance they were given. That is the president's position, too," he said.

Panetta said some CIA officers have been disciplined for going beyond the methods approved for interrogations by the Bush-era Justice Department. Just one CIA employee— contractor David Passaro— has been prosecuted for detainee abuse.

"The CIA has played a vital role in the work of the task force, and its substantive knowledge will be essential to interrogations going forward," agency spokesman George Little said Monday.

The administration confirmed the new interrogation unit on the same day the CIA inspector general unveiled a report on Bush administration handling of suspects. A federal judge ordered the report to be made public in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

In the future, all questioning of terror suspects will fall under the rules of the Army manual.

The manual, last updated in September 2006, prohibits forcing detainees to be naked, threatening them with military dogs, exposing them to extreme heat or cold, conducting mock executions, depriving them of food, water, or medical care, and waterboarding.

Subjecting prisoner abuse cases to a new review and possible prosecution could expose CIA employees and agency contractors to criminal prosecution for the alleged mistreatment of terror suspects in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Associated Press Writers Pamela Hess and Jennifer Loven in Washington and Philip Elliott in Oak Bluffs, Mass., contributed to this story.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2009-08-24 12:09:09

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Graceb711

08:22 PMAug 25 2009

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Bbrockp

08:21 PMAug 25 2009

Now we know what the CHANGE is. Obama keeps changing vacation sites. At least he isn't doing as much damage while he is on vacation.

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fasteddie1257

08:21 PMAug 25 2009

Bring all our troops home from around the world...And give back control to our Lord...The Ultimate answer. We have proved we cannot do it alone as our government in their own words condemn US. The time is NOW to reunite . Block borders, return to farming, manufacturing for ourselves, leave this country...see ya. We have a lot to learn from the Menninites, Quakers...They dont need Cadillacs or even a TV. Ever wonder if Electricity had never been invented how the world would be...Not just the World, but, your relationship with your neighbor...This is how "WE THE PEOPLE" began and yall cant see that. GIMME, GIMME, GIMME. I CANT DO FOR MYSELF. GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF BITCH THAT NO ONE WILL WIPE YOUR ASS FOR YOU. Infantile youngins....still have not grown up. Never will in the Land of Internet.

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EricW1004

08:21 PMAug 25 2009

TLComm2 08:19 PMAug 25 2009 One American is happy with Obama. CARTER will no longer be looked at by history as the WORST AMERICAN PRESIDENT.............Cater never was considered one of the worst presidents....he is considered rather middle of the road....a Washington outsider who, because of his lack of insider political knowledge, was ineffective....

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User609348

08:21 PMAug 25 2009

DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL;; NUMBNUTS IS ALLOWING THIS WITCH HUNT TO BOLSTER HIS FAILING EXTREME LEFTWING SUPPORT. MY LEFT HAND DETRACTS WHO WHILE MY RIGHT HAND ***** YOU; STAY ON TARGET, SOCIALISM IS WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING, WHO CARES ABOUT THE CIA; IT IS A DISTRACTION TO DUPE US. THE NI66ER IS PLAYING POLITICS AGAIN

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DShovelhead66

08:21 PMAug 25 2009

OOPS -- MAKE THAT BO'S APPROVAL RATING IS NOW DOWN TO 56%! CHECK IT OUT: http://www.gallup.com/tag/Gallup Daily.aspx

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Parrotsrnuts

08:20 PMAug 25 2009

AS WE SPEAK....SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO IS STILL JAILING POOR IMMIGRANTS IN HIS TENT CITY LOCATED IN THE ARIZONA DESERT AT 120 DEGREES, AND PUNISHING THEM WITH HARD WORK AND TORMENTING THEM WITH PINK UNDERWEAR...!..THIS IS TORTURE FOLKS..!

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Susanctuary78

08:20 PMAug 25 2009

Ggschk 08:18 PMAug 25 2009 yall im gonna go and watch reily and hannity......but I ,ll be back ...bye HisMightyLight ,,washy,,Jtonkins,,,Razz,,,,susan,,,,etc etc etc.........................See you later, Gg:-)

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TLComm2

08:20 PMAug 25 2009

BDozer1947 08:18 PMAug 25 2009 TLCOM2 ANOTHER ***** FOR INSURANCE WE WILL FIND YOU PEOPLE WHEN WE GET CANCER AND HAVE NO HEALTH CARE ALL YOU PRICKS BETTER WAKE UP WE ARE COMING FOR YOUR MOTHERS SISTERS AND YOU BANK ACCOUNTS... WE WANT YOUR GUNS YOU MONEY AND YOUR SICK ASS CHURCHES WILL BURN... THE BROTHERS ARE COMING FROM OAKLAND COMPTON BALTIMORE PHILLY AND BEYOND TO TAKE WHAT IS OURS YOUR ASSES _________well spoken and true. thanks for showing your true self. but I didn't recognize your ALIAS - MR. PRESIDENT

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I r marcus

08:20 PMAug 25 2009

This Administration can't even fake its way with 4 news networks and a couple hundred newspapers working for them, all Americans except for the ignorant or connected few should be outraged, union thugs, liberal attorneys, socialism, you aren't going to LET me keep my healthcare you freakin' clown, ask me if I let you keep yours, you work FOR Me.

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