Feinstein urges Obama not to make public pronouncements about who should or shouldn't be prosecuted

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/39671/senates-cia-probe-already-finished-looking-at-two-detainees

Senate’s CIA Probe Already Finished Looking at Two Detainees
By Spencer Ackerman 4/20/09 5:38 PM


In a just-released letter urging President Obama not to make any public pronouncements about who should and shouldn’t be prosecuted for torture until the Senate intelligence committee completes its review of the CIA’s interrogation and detention program, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee’s chairwoman, released an interesting piece of information:

A study of the first two detainees has already been completed and will shortly be before the committee.

I’m not entirely clear on who “the first two detainees” are, but if Feinstein means the first two detainees to have been subjected to the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation program,” at least one of them is Abu Zubaydah, the al-Qaeda detainee captured in Pakistan in 2002 whom had his very own interrogation regimen designed for him and approved by the Office of Legal Counsel. It’s also unclear if there will be any public hearings about the CIA program as the committee continues its review.

Here’s Feinstein’s full letter:

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to respectfully request that comments regarding holding individuals accountable for detention and interrogation related activities be held in reserve until the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is able to complete its review of the conditions and interrogations of certain high value detainees.

This study is now underway, and I estimate its completion within the next six to eight months. A study of the first two detainees has already been completed and will shortly be before the committee.

Sincerely Yours,

Dianne Feinstein

United States Senator

Phil Zelikow, a former top aide to ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and staff director of the 9/11 Commission, made the same point in a Shadow Government post today.

[CreekDog]

1. I have been agreeing with her lately

:wtf: :rofl:

[polichick]

2. Chris Matthews just mentioned this - I was looking for it; thanks for posting!

[tekisui]

3. Interesting. Not sure if it means the Senate has their own plan of action

and doesn't want Obama taking people off the hook prematurely.

[bemildred]

4. Obama IS the chief executive, CEO of the Justice Department, eh?

Congress on the other hand is neither part of the Executive or the Judiciary. Why does she want to stall?

[Duer 157099]

5. I can't decide whether to take this as:

1) "Shhhhhh! Let us at least finish the formality of "reviewing" (snicker) this, before announcing what everyone expects to happen anyway!"

or

2) "How dare you! It's not YOUR job to do this! It's OUR job! Dammit!! You have enough to do, stay out of our business!"

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

8. I don't know either. Maybe she wants some space between all that's

going on now and is hoping things will settle down in a few months. OTOH, I don't trust Feinstein.

[polichick]

6. Maybe they're playing "good cop, bad cop" with this.

[tishaLA]

7. That's my hope. I almost never agree with DiFi, but

I'm thinking that, with her bona fides among hawks on intelligence/defense issues, she can push this in ways Obama can't. Unless she backs off, which she invariably does, and then I can insult her again.

[Vidar]

9. She might be right for once.

[AtomicKitten]

10. I'm having a hard time visualizing DiFi being on the right side of this.

[babylonsister]

12. You're not alone. nt

[ThomWV]

11. 6 to 8 months from now we will be on the doorstep of the Statute of Limitations

and she damned well knows it.

[DonCoquixote]

13. This is just her attempt

To keep Rahm Emmanuel from playing his hand too much. She knows Rahm is going to try and squish prosecutions, because it will make Israel look awful, but Feinstein knows the only way to let that happen is to allow the media to plow over this story in the news.