WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The CIA on Thursday rejected a request by former Vice President Dick Cheney that it make public documents that he said showed the effectiveness of using harsh interrogation methods on terrorism suspects. Cheney had asked the agency to declassify two memos that he believes back up his contention that useful intelligence was gained through such methods. The Bush administration authorized the use of waterboarding, sleep and food deprivation and forced nudity as it sought information after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The CIA said the two memos Cheney asked to be made public were relevant to pending litigation. "For that reason -- and that reason only -- CIA did not accept Mr. Cheney's request for a Mandatory Declassification Review," Paul Gimigliano, CIA spokesman, said.
| And there's always pending litigation ... |
A spokeswoman for Cheney, who has become the most public defender of much of key aspects of George W. Bush's presidency that ended in January, said he was preparing an appeal.
| The appeal will keep this in the news which is all Cheney really needs right now. |
He has been involved in an increasingly contentious battle with the Obama administration over the interrogation program, whose disclosure prompted international anger and undermined the United States' reputation around the world.
In one of his first acts as president, President Barack Obama ordered more humane treatment for terrorism suspects. Obama incorrectly called waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning, a form of torture and has not ruled out prosecution of those Bush administration officials who authorized it.
Cheney criticized Obama's decision last month to release legal opinions prepared during the Bush administration which justified the use of the techniques, employed against some caught in Bush's declared war against terrorism after the Sept 11 attacks.
| Brilliant move by Cheney to go after this. Most Americans don't particularly like him (too bad) but most everyone respects his intelligence and know-how. He can hammer this issue; every time Bambi's minions refuse to release the documents it looks like they have something to hide. Cheney the Crusader. Heh. |
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