Six Reasons Holder Should Not Re-Investigate CIA

Conn Carroll / August 24, 2009

According to a report this afternoon from The Washington Post, Attorney General Eric Holder has decided to appoint a prosecutor to re-examine whether there is enough evidence to launch a full-scale criminal investigation of current and former CIA personnel who may have broken the law in their dealings with detainees.

According to the New York Times, these cases were all already investigated and referred to the Justice Department by the C.I.A.’s Inspector General. There is no indication from the Washington Post or the New York Times that Attorney General Holder has found any new information not already known to the CIA and the Justice Department.

Reopening these investigations, after a previous administration already investigated and chose not to prosecute, would have grave implications for our national security. CIA General Counsel under the Clinton administration Jeffrey Smith explains why in today’s Washington Post: (more…)