Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 16 May 2018

CIA nominee toughens interrogation stance, picks up support

By LISA MASCARO and DEB ligence committee, said the CIA. Still, McCain said
RIECHMANN Haspel has been "profes- her role "in overseeing the
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- sional and forthright" with use of torture by Americans
dent Donald Trump's CIA the panel. "Most important- is disturbing. Her refusal to
nominee appeared to be ly, I believe she is someone acknowledge torture's im-
on a path toward confir- who can and will stand up morality is disqualifying."
mation as she picked up to the president if ordered In announcing her sup-
support from key Demo- to do something illegal or port, Heitkamp said it was
crats Tuesday and tough- immoral — like a return to not an easy decision. "Ms.
ened her public stance torture," Warner said. Haspel's involvement in tor-
against harsh interrogation. Haspel testified at a Senate ture is deeply troubling, as
"With the benefit of hind- hearing that torture does my friend and colleague,
sight and my experience not work as an interroga- John McCain, so eloquent-
as a senior agency leader, tion technique and that, as ly reminded us," Heitkamp
the enhanced interroga- director, her strong "moral said. "However, Ms. Haspel
tion program is not one the In this May 9, 2018 photo, CIA nominee Gina Haspel testifies compass" would ensure explained to me that the
CIA should have under- during a confirmation hearing of the Senate Intelligence Com- she did not carry out any agency should not have
taken," Gina Haspel said mittee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. administrative directive she employed such tactics in
in written answers to more Associated Press found objectionable. Her the past and has assured
than 60 questions released written answers to ques- me that it will not do so in
by the Senate intelligence ethical values." West Virginia, Joe Donnel- tions went further to under- the future." Haspel's nomi-
committee. "I do not support use of en- ley of Indiana, Bill Nelson of score her opposition to any nee has sparked a fresh
Haspel, who was involved hanced interrogation tech- Florida and Heidi Heitkamp attempt to reinstate harsh debate over brutal inter-
in supervising a secret CIA niques for any purpose," of North Dakota — an- interrogation of suspects. rogation practices. Trump
detention site in Thailand, Haspel wrote. nounced their support. The McCain, who was beaten himself has said the coun-
wrote that she had learned The Senate intelligence only Senate Republicans as a prisoner of war dur- try should consider resum-
"hard lessons since 9/11." committee is expected to who are not expected to ing the Vietnam War, has ing the use of harsh inter-
In comments aimed at vote Wednesday to rec- vote for her are Kentucky's urged colleagues to reject rogation techniques. And
clarifying her position on ommend that the full Sen- Rand Paul and Arizona's the nominee over her past former Vice President Dick
now-banned torture tech- ate confirm her. John McCain, who is bat- role in CIA interrogations. Cheney, who was integral
niques, Haspel said that she Confirmation by the full Sen- tling cancer. After the hearing, McCain to the post-Sept. 11, 2001,
would "refuse to undertake ate appeared likely as five In announcing his support issued a statement call- strategy, said last week if
any proposed activity that Democrats — Mark Warner Tuesday, Warner, the top ing Haspel a patriot for her it were up to him, "I'd do it
is contrary to my moral and of Virginia, Joe Manchin of Democrat on the intel- three decades of service to again."q
EPA inspector general investigating Pruitt email accounts

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and other issues. Information Act requests. searched before we re- were being searched in re-
Associated Press The request for the email EPA spokesman Jahan Wil- spond to the FOIA request," sponse to Freedom of Infor-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The investigation came from cox said Tuesday that the he said. mation Act requests.q
Environmental Protection Democratic Sens. Tom agency does not com- A House committee and
Agency's inspector general Carper of Delaware and ment on matters before the Government Account-
is opening an investigation Jeffrey Merkley of Oregon. the inspector general. He ability Office also are con-
into Administrator Scott Carper released a copy of referred to a previous state- ducting investigations and
Pruitt's use of multiple email the IG's response. ment that EPA has three audits related to Pruitt's ac-
accounts. The senators asked the IG emails accounts for Pruitt, tions as EPA chief.
Inspector General Arthur El- to review whether Pruitt two used by staff for main- Last month, the Republi-
kins said in a letter released was complying with feder- taining his calendar and can chairman of a Senate
Tuesday that his office will al law and EPA policy when public correspondence oversight committee, Sen.
review the matter, the lat- using multiple email ac- and the third for Pruitt him- John Barrasso of Wyoming,
est in a series of federal in- counts and whether all ac- self. issued a letter asking Pruitt
vestigations of Pruitt's trav- counts are searched when "When we receive a FOIA to disclose all his email ad-
el, security and spending responding to Freedom of request all accounts are dresses and affirm that all