Top Intel Experts: GOP ‘Covering Their Ass’ on Torture Investigation

[Hissyspit]

Source: Raw Story

BY DANIEL TENCER

Top intel experts: GOP ‘covering their ass’ on torture investigation
By Daniel Tencer

Published: August 23, 2009
Updated 1 hour ago

Far from jeopardizing US security, as some politicians claim, an investigation into torture practices during the Bush administration would prevent future abuses, say three senior veterans of the intelligence community.

An article by Jason Leopold at the Public Record news site says that former FBI counterterrorism expert Jack Cloonan, military interrogator Col. Steve Kleinman, and “Matthew Alexander,” the pseudonym of a special-ops interrogator who was part of a task force in Iraq, are all urging Congress and the White House to launch investigations into torture practices during the Bush era.

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“What this is really about is cover your ass,” Leopold quoted Cloonan as saying. “To suggest (intelligence gathering) will come to a screeching halt if there were an investigation is not accurate.”

Added Kleinman: “I’m a professional interrogator, I have 25 years of experience in this, and I don’t have any concern whatsoever that an investigation into how we conducted ourselves since 9/11 would in any way undermine our ability to continue gathering intelligence.”

Read more: http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/08/23/torture-probe-intel-experts/