WASHINGTON — American embassies, military units and other U.S. interests are bracing for possible security threats related to Tuesday’s planned release of a report on the CIA’s harsh interrogation techniques, the White House says.
The report from the Senate Intelligence Committee will be the first public accounting of the CIA’s use of torture on al-Qaeda detainees in secret facilities in Europe and Asia in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The committee is expected to release a 480-page executive summary of the more than 6,000-page report compiled by Democrats on the panel.
“There are some indications that the release of the report could lead to a greater risk that is posed to U.S. facilities and individuals all around the world,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday. “The administration has taken the prudent steps to ensure that the proper security precautions are in place at U.S. facilities around the globe.”
Likewise, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said that “there is certainly the possibility that the release of this report could cause unrest” and combatant commands have been directed to take protective measures.
