Release of 'Holy Grail' Torture Document To Be Delayed

About a month and half ago, we made note of the way the stars seemed to be aligning for the release of ex-CIA Inspector General John Helgerson's classifed report on the CIA's detentions and interrogations program, the so-called "Holy Grail" of torture-related documents.

This document was believed to have ramifications in the ongoing debate about the efficacy of torture, which has been cast only too recently by the media as an epic national security battle between President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney. As Greg Sargent noted, back in May:

Dem Congressional staffers tell me this report is the "holy grail," because it is expected to detail torture in unprecedented detail and to cast doubt on the claim that torture works -- and its release will almost certainly trigger howls of protest from conservatives. Tellingly, neither the CIA nor the White House knocked down the story in response to my questions, with spokespeople for both declining comment.

A month ago, I wondered of the threat of this disclosure might temper Cheney's outspoken support for those torture policies. Clearly, it did not!

Well, if the arc of the Obama administration truly bends toward transparency, it seems that we've still got a ways to bend. As Spencer Ackerman reports today:

It was supposed to be a magical day: the day when, in response to an agreement reached in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Obama administration will declassify an important document in the history of its predecessor's apparatus of torture. I refer to the 2004 inquest undertaken by ex-CIA Inspector General John Helgerson into the CIA's interrogations and detentions programs. The Bush administration released an almost-totally-redacted version in May 2008, and despite the Obama administration's pledge to disclose a more-detailed version of the document, it punted the disclosure a week ago Friday to today. "We can only hope that this delay is a sign that the forces of transparency within the Obama administration are winning over the forces of secrecy and that the report will ultimately be released with minimal redactions," ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said last week. "The CIA should not be permitted to use national security as a pretext for suppressing evidence of its own unlawful conduct."

Yeah, if only. The Obama administration won't release the document today. According to the ACLU, the CIA has asked for a three-day reprieve. ACLU's consented. Game Day is now supposed to be July 1.

Ackerman has a copy of the DOJ's letter, and a pessimistic take on the prognosis: "Maybe we'll see the answers to those torture questions early next week, but it's sure not looking good."

We'll obviously be watching for some sort of news, one way or the other, on July 1. Watch carefully, though, for the possibility that this gets lost over the Independence Day holiday.

On these pages, Rep. John Conyers called for these documents to see the light of day, citing a shared responsibility:

To me, the bottom line is this: If we move on now without fully documenting what occurred, without acknowledging the betrayal of our values, and without determining whether or not any laws have been broken, we cannot help but validate all that has gone on before. If we look at the Bush record and conclude that the book should simply be closed, we will be tacitly approving both the documented abuses and the additional misdeeds we will have chosen to leave uncovered.

That is why there is nothing partisan about the call for further review. In the end, these acts were not taken by George Bush, or by John Yoo, or even by Dick Cheney -- they were taken by the United States of America. By all of us. There is no avoiding the responsibility we all bear for what has been done, and for what we choose to do next.

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Comments

[super]

Holy Grail? The Knights Templar, they are a trifle rusty!

[Lyr]

What do you bet it shows they were trying to torture out a link between saddam and alqueda?

[RRG64]

that`s already known....

[CherokeeGirl]

The administration said they were going to release the report on June 19th and we're still waiting. If they think we are gonna just forget about this while they dangle other shiney baubles, they are very much mistaken.

[BumpyKnight]

Let's not throw away the possibility that the release of this document would incriminate some important Democrats.
If that were the case, Cheney is playing the game of "political chicken".

[poobah]

Bring on the report, and prosecute any and all those guilty. I don't care if they are Dems or Thugs.

[Emerald1943]

It would appear that there are some very powerful forces in the government that are determined to sweep this whole sordid mess under the rug, just as surely as the Ayatollah has swept the Iranian demand for freedom into oblivion.

I am ashamed of my government!

[sviolette]

The CIA is the powerful force. We need to end their power in this country.

[SKonnery]

I think they learned a lesson from J Edgar Hoover in that they now own the little black book with something incriminating on everyone therefore unchecked power. How do you do a bad job and then get the medal of freedom? Unchecked power.

[DrPneumann]

"The United States is committed to the worldwide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example."
George Bush, 26 June 2003

Some example, eh?

[blueskybigstar]

While you're doing that, release the redacted portions of the Sep eleven commission report!!!

[KCFreedom]

How about completing that "second phase" or "third phase" report from Congress?

[blueskybigstar]

Please, explain.

[poobah]

That report, just like the Warren Commission report was useless in that they refused to investigate or allow into the report anything that didn't agree with the official version.

[mmgbizgirl]

Call in as many favors as you want Mr. Cheney.

Answers are sought and will be found. For the right price, one of your peons will reveal everything for us.

[RRG64]

it`s only a matter of time, he is already a liability to all of his illicit nuclear proliferating friends...

[RRG64]

that`s already known....

[aznurse]

I think the lack of responses to this isn't because of people don't care, I think it's because it;s what we expect to happen with all things Cheney.

[Layman23]

Cheney has been proven wrong again and again over the last many years... he is a never ending story of contradictions.

[deutchs]

I don't understand why some completely innocuous posts get censored on this site.

[poobah]

Clueless about that myself. I keep plugging anyway.

[lianmolive]

when you find out, will you let me know?

sometimes i think when I'm critical of the HP, I get censored. but i really don't know.

[solarian]

release it now or obama is the same as bush a crook

[sviolette]

Technically Bush is a war criminal not a crook as far as anyone has determined.

[surlyguvna]

I think everyone needs to calm down here. It has only been like 6 months since Obama took office, he can't do everything at once...give the man some time...Jebus Christ!!!

[deutchs]

First it's "he's only been in office one month, then two, then three, now six. At what point to we start holding him responsible for neglecting or retreating from his campaign promises. For the most part, Obama has done far more than anyone could have expected but we in the progressive community can't pretend that all is well, and that given time Obama will fix everything, because obviously, he lacks the will to keep some of his promises.

Closing of Gitmo isn't progressing well, we're still in Iraq, unemployment is rising as the banks responsible get richer and richer, the conflict in Afghanistan is escalating, gas prices go up on speculation and market manipulation, all of these things are cause for concern because even though Obama has made most of the right sounds he hasn't always backed up his words with progressive deeds. At some point Obama needs to realize that seeking middle ground when the whole earth is splitting in two, won't save us from the chasm. Besides, the longer we progress into Obama's presidency the less people pay attention and the less pressure there will be for him to take the hard stand, to support the big changes that are so necessary.

[lianmolive]

let's give it 3 1/2 more weeks

[pomegrante]

Obama dealing with Cheney-Bush is dealing with the for real godfathers.He has been given an offer he better not refuse.

[nick1936]

Why isn't this War Criminal before the bar of Justice????

[CherokeeGirl]

I think the DOJ owes us an explanation of what they are working on and what their priorities are and why they choose to defend Ted Stevens (to show they are bi-partisan) over the rule of law where torture and warrantless wiretapping is concerned. I think that we deserve to know.

I'm getting really tired of a certain group of people deciding what the rest of us can see and not see.