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 Senator Mark Udall, a Colorado Democrat, demanded the document — a
CIA study of the interrogation techniques — at a confirmation
hearing for Caroline Krass, President Barack Obama's nominee to be
the CIA's general counsel.
Udall said he would not support Krass' nomination until the
previously undisclosed document was provided, raising the
possibility that he might use a "hold" to stop the nomination.
The intelligence panel's disagreement with the CIA over its
6,300-page report and the need for cooperation with Congress were a
major focus of Tuesday's hearing, which also covered the nomination
of Daniel Smith to be assistant secretary of state for intelligence
and research.
The dispute over the report — and revelations by former contractor
Edward Snowden about sweeping electronic surveillance by the
National Security Agency — have sparked debate over whether
congressional oversight of U.S. spy agencies is effective enough.
The Senate panel approved a draft of its report a year ago. But the
CIA disputes many of its findings and has not met lawmakers'
requests that parts of it be made public, leaving some senators
frustrated at what they see as a lack of cooperation.
During the hearing, Krass told Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs
the committee, that she did not believe members of the Senate panel
had the right to see documents that provide the legal basis for CIA
actions, such as waterboarding.
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was "troubled" by
Krass' answer.
"FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS"
Udall asked Krass to ensure that the CIA provide the committee a
copy of the internal review initiated under former CIA Director Leon
Panetta of the agency's detention and interrogation program.
"It appears that this review ... is consistent with the Intelligence
Committee's report, but, amazingly, it conflicts with the official
CIA response to the committee's report," Udall said. "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," he added.
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The report's existence was not public knowledge until Udall
questioned Krass during the hearing.
Committee Democrats have concluded that the CIA obtained little or
no critical intelligence from its use of secret prisons and harsh
interrogation. Several panel members offered tough criticism and
closely questioned Krass over her view of such techniques.
"It (the use of such techniques) was a tragic mistake of great
significance in the history of this country," West Virginia Senator
Jay Rockefeller said.
Krass said she considered waterboarding to be torture.
Udall said he also wanted the White House to make a public statement
committing to "the fullest possible declassification" of the
committee's study, and the CIA's response, before he could support
Krass' nomination.
Asked if Udall would use a hold, his spokesman Mike Saccone said the
senator was committed to working with the committee and the CIA on
the nomination and to get the information he requested.
But Saccone added: "He will have a full range of procedural tools to
pick from to accomplish this objective."
(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball;
editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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