GOP launches

Post leak probe

Washington Post reporter Dana Priest (courtesy: Washington Post)

The Republican leaders of the House and Senate are calling for a bicameral investigation into the alleged leak of classified information to the Washington Post about secret CIA prisons that hold high-value terrorist subjects.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert point to an article by the Post's Dana Priest Wednesday that allegedly revealed highly classified information.

"If accurate, such an egregious disclosure could have long-term and far-reaching damaging and dangerous consequences, and will imperil our efforts to protect the American people and our homeland from terrorist attacks," stated a draft of a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and his House counterpart, Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, according to the Associated Press.

Priest's story said, "The CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al-Qaida captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, according to U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement."

The secret facility, Priest reported, "is part of a covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, according to current and former intelligence officials and diplomats from three continents."

The GOP leaders want the joint probe to find out who leaked the information and under what authority.

"What is the actual and potential damage done to the national security of the United States and our partners in the global war on terror?" the draft letter asked, according to the AP. "We will consider other changes to this mandate based on your recommendations."

The letter notes a "dangerous trend" of leaking classified information by U.S. government employees that "if not addressed swiftly and firmly, likely will worsen."

"We are hopeful that you will be able to accomplish this task in a bipartisan manner given general agreement that intelligence matters should not be politicized," the letter said.