US senator claims Obama was aware of intelligence committee monitor by CIA

In a letter addressed to US President Barack Obama, Senator Mark Udall said that the White House was aware of the secret monitoring conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency on the Senate intelligence committee in relation to the latter's investigation about the torture done by the federal agency's interrogators post-9/11 tragedy. The Guardian said that the action done by the CIA had prompted an inspector general to conduct a probe on the federal agency at its headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Part of the letter wrote, "As you are aware, the CIA has recently taken unprecedented action against the committee in relation to the internal CIA review and I find these actions to be incredibly troubling for the Committee's oversight powers and for our democracy."

Earlier reports on Wednesday by McClatchy and the New York Times said that CIA had monitored the computers used by staff members of the Senate Committee while preparing the inquiry report. The report on the CIA's torture tactics were deemed to be brutal and ineffective, and at the same time also shed light on the deceptive practices CIA had resorted to to cover up its actions from policymakers and the US Congress. The UK newspaper said the CIA had since rejected the findings of the Senate Committee report.

Political pundits were surprised about the CIA's spying on congressional committees, which were created in the 1970s to investigate abuses that US intelligence agencies allegedly had done.

Intelligence analyst Steven Aftergood at the Federation of American Scientists said, "In the worst case, it would be a subversion of independent oversight, and a violation of separation of powers. It's potentially very serious."

On the other hand, National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden emphasized Obama's support on making the CIA torture findings public. She said, "For some time, the White House has made clear to the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that a summary of the findings and conclusions of the final report should be declassified, with any appropriate redactions necessary to protect national security."

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CIA torture abuse probe, US President Barack Obama, Senator Mark Udall CIA spying claims

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