US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein about the expected release of a report criticizing US torture techniques.
In a phone call between Kerry and Feinstein on Friday, the top US diplomat asked the senator to delay the release of the report.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement that Kerry called his former colleague and made clear that the timing was of course her choice.
“He wanted to make sure that foreign policy implications were being appropriately factored into timing,” she said. “These include our ongoing efforts against ISIL and the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”
The release of the report about the CIA’s use of torture methods could complicate Washington’s foreign policy issues.
The United States says the ISIL terrorist group and other groups that hold American hostages would execute them once the report is released.
At least three Americans, including one woman, are believed to be held by terrorist groups.
The torture program was launched under former president George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
The report had been scheduled to be released next week.
According to legal experts, the CIA’s use of waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and other harsh techniques used on detainees in overseas secret prisons constituted torture.
The document has reportedly ignored the role of Bush and his administration officials in approving the torture program.
AGB/AGB
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