Another Leak Probe? GOP Calls for Investigation into 'Wash Post' Scoop on CIA 'Black Sites'

By: E&P Staff Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Tuesday called for a congressional investigation into who told Washington Post reporter Dana Priest about previously undisclosed CIA interrogation centers.

On Nov. 2, Priest's report on the so-called "black sites" -- which she describes as a "covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago" to interrogate some of the most important al Qaeda captives -- drew worldwide interest and focused attention on the Bush administration's anti-terror strategy.

"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," Frist and Hastert said in a letter to Senate and House intelligence committee chairmen.

Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, told E&P this afternoon that she believes the Post would not "knuckle under" to any subpoenas if such an investigation were convened.

Late tonight the Washington Post quoted Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.): "Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. The real story is those jails." The paper added, "More generally, Republicans suggested it is unwise to pick a fight with the media over an issue that exposes so many political vulnerabilities for their party."

Last week in her story, which gained wide attention, Priest attributed her scoop to "U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement." The Bush administration has neither confirmed nor denied the paper's report.

Priest wrote that the CIA has not acknowledged the existence of its black sites, and quotes "officials familiar with the program" as saying to do so "could open the U.S. government to legal challenges, particularly in foreign courts, and increase the risk of political condemnation at home and abroad."

According to the AP, Frist and Hastert said the joint probe by the House and Senate intelligence committees should determine 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 obtained by AP asked. "We will consider other changes to this mandate based on your recommendations."

The letter went on to say that the leaking of classified information by employees of the U.S. government appears to have increased in recent years, "establishing a dangerous trend that, if not addressed swiftly and firmly, likely will worsen."

Reuters reported this evening: "Mississippi Republican Sen. Trent Lott, who caused a stir by saying a Senate staffer may have provided information for the story, later said he was talking about the issue of detainee torture, not secret prisons. 'Two different issues but they do get kind of interwoven,' he told reporters. But Lott questioned whether a congressional probe of potential leaks was a good idea: 'I don't see how we have the time or how we get into that without getting into all of it.'"

Dalglish called Priest's article "an incredible piece of journalism that informed the public about questionable behavior by government officials....Reporting on government information is a fine tradition of American journalism," Dalglish said. "Do we need another investigation? Absolutely not."

She called the atmosphere between politicians and political reporters "nasty."

Calls to Priest and Post Managing Editor Philip Bennett were not immediately returned.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Republican leaders should also investigate possible manipulation of prewar intelligence on Iraq and the disclosure of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity.

"If Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Frist are finally ready to join Democrats' demands for an investigation of possible abuses of classified information, they must direct the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to investigate all aspects of that issue," said Pelosi.