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C.I.A. Admits Penetrating Senate Intelligence Computers C.I.A. Admits Penetrating Senate Intelligence Computers
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — An internal investigation by the Central Intelligence Agency has found that its officers improperly penetrated a computer network used by the Senate Intelligence Committee in preparing its report on the C.I.A.'s detention and interrogation program. WASHINGTON — An internal investigation by the Central Intelligence Agency has found that its officers improperly penetrated a computer network used by the Senate Intelligence Committee to prepare its damning report on the C.I.A.'s detention and interrogation program.
In a statement issued Thursday morning, a C.I.A. spokesman said that agency’s inspector general had concluded that C.I.A. officers had acted inappropriately by gaining access to the computers. The report by the agency’s inspector general found that C.I.A. officers created a fake online identity to gain access on more than one occasion to computers used by members of the committee staff, and tried to cover their movements as they rooted around the system, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation’s findings.
The statement said that John O. Brennan, the C.I.A. director, had apologized to the two senior members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and that he would set up an internal accountability board to review the matter. The board will be led by former Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana. A statement issued Thursday morning by a C.I.A. spokesman said that John O. Brennan, the agency’s director, had apologized to the two senior members of the intelligence committee and would set up an internal accountability board to review the issue. The statement said that the board, which will be led by former Senator Evan Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, could recommend “potential disciplinary measures” and “steps to address systemic issues.”
The statement, which was first reported by McClatchy, gave almost no specifics about the findings of the report, written by David Buckley, the agency’s inspector general. The Justice Department has already declined to investigate the matter, so the inspector general report brings a degree of closure to the issue — and vindication for Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic chairwoman of the committee who excoriated the C.I.A. in March when the matter became public.
Officials said there was a tense meeting earlier this week when Mr. Brennan briefed the two senators — Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California and Saxby Chambliss, Republican of Georgia. The officials said Ms. Feinstein had confronted Mr. Brennan about past public statements on the issue, in which he defended the agency’s actions. The C.I.A. statement gave almost no specifics about the findings of the report, written by Inspector General David Buckley.
Officials said there was a tense meeting earlier this week when Mr. Brennan briefed the two senators — Ms. Feinstein, a Democrat of California, and Saxby Chambliss, Republican of Georgia. The officials said Ms. Feinstein had confronted Mr. Brennan about past public statements on the issue, in which he defended the agency’s actions.
When the C.I.A.'s monitoring of the committee became public in March, Mr. Brennan said, “When the facts come out on this, I think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong.”When the C.I.A.'s monitoring of the committee became public in March, Mr. Brennan said, “When the facts come out on this, I think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong.”
Last year, the C.I.A. gained access to a computer network, reserved solely for Senate investigators working at an agency facility in Northern Virginia, after officials suspected the intelligence committee had improperly obtained an internal C.I.A. report about the detention program, which is now defunct. Days earlier, he said that lawmakers were making “spurious allegations about C.I.A. actions that are wholly unsupported by the facts.”
Shortly after the C.I.A. action was made public, Ms. Feinstein gave a blistering speech on the floor of the Senate accusing the agency of infringing on the committee’s role as overseer. On Thursday, Senator Feinstein called Mr. Brennan’s apology and decision to set up an accountability board “positive first steps,” and said that the inspector general report “corrects the record.” She said that she expected that a version of the report would be declassified, but gave no further details.
The White House on Thursday publicly defended Mr. Brennan, saying he had taken “responsible steps” to address the situation, including suggesting an investigation, accepting its results and appointing an accountability board. Asked whether the results of the investigation present a credibility issue for Mr. Brennan, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary said, “Not at all.” Committee Democrats have spent more than five years working on a report about the C.I.A.'s detention and interrogation program during the George W. Bush administration, which employed brutal interrogation methods like waterboarding. Parts of that report, expected to conclude that the techniques yielded little valuable information and that C.I.A. officials consistently misled the White House and Congress about the efficacy of the techniques, are expected to be released in August.
The current crisis erupted late last year, when C.I.A. officials came to suspect that the committee’s staff — sifting through millions of documents at an agency facility in Northern Virginia — improperly obtained an internal review of the program that the C.I.A. never intended to give to Congress. In response, C.I.A. security officials penetrated a secure computer server that had been set up to allow the Senate investigators to work on their report without being monitored by the spy agency.
The C.I.A. and lawmakers spent months trading accusations in private, until the fight became public in March and Ms. Feinstein took to the Senate floor to deliver a blistering speech accusing the agency of infringing on the committee’s role as overseer.
Calling it a “defining moment” in the committee’s history, Senator Feinstein said that how the matter is resolved “will show whether the intelligence committee can be effective in monitoring and investigating our nation’s intelligence activities, or whether our work can be thwarted by those we oversee.”
The White House publicly defended Mr. Brennan on Thursday, saying he had taken “responsible steps” to address the situation, including suggesting an investigation, accepting its results and appointing an accountability board. Asked whether the results of the investigation present a credibility issue for Mr. Brennan, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said, “Not at all.”
Crediting Mr. Brennan with playing an “instrumental role” in helping the United States government destroy Al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mr. Earnest said, “He is somebody who has a very difficult job, who does that job extraordinarily well.”Crediting Mr. Brennan with playing an “instrumental role” in helping the United States government destroy Al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mr. Earnest said, “He is somebody who has a very difficult job, who does that job extraordinarily well.”
Democrats who have been critical of the C.I.A. said the report underlined how Mr. Brennan’s initial response to the claims of interference was untruthful. But Democrats who have been critical of the C.I.A.'s actions said the inspector general report reinforcedhow Mr. Brennan’s initial statements about the matter were untruthful.
“The C.I.A. inspector general has confirmed what senators have been saying all along: The C.I.A. conducted an unauthorized search of Senate files, and attempted to have Senate staff prosecuted for doing their jobs,” said Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who sits on the Intelligence Committee. “Director Brennan’s claims to the contrary were simply not true.” Senator Mark Udall, a Democrat of Colorado and another member of the intelligence committee, said he had “lost confidence” in Mr. Brennan, and was concerned about the C.I.A. director’s “inability to find any flaws in the agency he leads.”
“What’s needed now is a public apology from Director Brennan to staff and the committee,” Mr. Wyden said, “a full accounting of how this occurred and a commitment there will be no further attempts to undermine Congressional oversight of C.I.A. activities.” Mr. Udall also called for the Obama administration to appoint an independent counsel to explore possible violations of the Constitution’s separation of powers as well as federal criminal statutes.
Senator Mark Udall, Democrat of Colorado and another Intelligence Committee member, said on Twitter that the report “shows John Brennan misled public, whose interests I have championed.” In a statement, Mr. Udall said that he was concerned about Mr. Brennan’s “inability to find any flaws in the agency he leads.”
Mr. Udall also called for the administration to appoint an independent counsel to explore possible violations of the Constitution’s separation of powers as well as of criminal statutes.