WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration’s release of classified Bush-era memos on harsh CIA interrogations was delayed for nearly a month in part because of strenuous objections from four former intelligence directors.
Former CIA chiefs Michael Hayden, Porter Goss, George Tenet and John Deutch all told the White House that release of the so-called “torture memos” would compromise intelligence operations, current and former officials say. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to detail internal government discussions.
The former CIA directors also warned that the release would deter foreign intelligence services from sharing information with the United States, and they worried that the memos would be used to target CIA officers, the officials said.
President Barack Obama ultimately overruled those concerns after repeated internal discussions, the officials said.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.