Leaders on Capitol Hill are at odds regarding a report on CIA methods — including torture — used to extract information in the so-called "war on terror."
Chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has been fighting for the release of her 480-page executive summary of the report since April of this year, and it finally was scheduled for a reveal this week.
But Secretary of State John Kerry called Feinstein on Friday on behalf of the White House, asking for a delay.
The reason for the request is a general fear from both sides of the political aisle that details in the report will put American personnel in danger overseas and incite further violence from extremists.
Feinstein's counterpart in the House, intelligence committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), appeared on CNN's State of the Unionon Sunday to express his concerns about the release.
"I think this is a terrible idea," said Rogers. "Foreign partners are telling us this will cause violence and deaths. Our own intelligence community has assessed that this will cause violence and deaths."
Feinstein gave her own interview to The Los Angeles Times, published Sunday. The article pointed out that Kerry's phone call presented a unique struggle as Washington prepares for a change in political leadership and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) takes over Feinstein's job.
Still, Feinstein defended her position in the interview.
"We have to get this report out," she said. "Anybody who reads this is going to never let this happen again."
NPR's Sam Sanders reported Sunday that "officials who've seen the report say it details sleep deprivation, confinement and waterboarding."
NPR's Mara Liasson spoke with host Rachel Martin on Weekend Edition Sunday about the Obama Administration's view of the release.
Feinstein has a number of supporters in her corner when it comes to releasing the report this week. Martin and Liasson discussed Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) — who lost his bid for reelection in November — threatening to read the report on the Senate floor. And Sanders also reported that several Democrats worry time is running out to release it, since the Republicans will soon gain control of Congress.
Amnesty International released a statement Friday calling for delivery of the report.
Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., who was appointed chief of staff of the National Counterterrorism Center for the Bush Administration following the Sept. 11 attacks, defended the CIA interrogation program in Friday's edition of The Washington Post.
The Times article quotes former CIA director Leon Panetta's memoir Worthy Fights when he refers to the "enhanced interrogation."
Feinstein says her report can answer that question.
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