Udall demands secret CIA torture report

Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is demanding the CIA disclose a secret report that is believed to contain criticism of waterboarding and other extreme interrogation techniques.

He made the demand at a confirmation hearing Tuesday for President Obama’s nominee for the CIA’s general counsel, Caroline Krass.  

{mosads}Udall threatened to put a hold on her nomination to block it until the study is provided to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Udall said the agency’s internal study confirms the findings of the Senate Intelligence panel’s 6,000-page report criticizing the George W. Bush administration-era interrogation techniques, despite the CIA’s statements claiming the congressional report had factual problems.

“It appears that this review, which was initiated by former Director [Leon] Panetta, is consistent with the Intelligence Committee’s report, but, amazingly, it conflicts with the official CIA response to the committee’s report,” Udall said.

“And if this is true, it raises fundamental questions about why a review the CIA conducted internally years ago and never provided to the committee is so different from the CIA’s formal written response to the committee’s study.”

Krass told the Senate panel during the hearing Tuesday its members didn’t have the right to see the document, which she said legally justifies those controversial interrogation practices.

Democrats on the Senate Intelligence panel are also seeking to have portions of the committee’s report declassified and released publicly. Last week was the one-year anniversary of the completion of the report.

The hearing also focused on the nomination of Daniel Smith to be the assistant secretary of State for intelligence and research.