Bend News

Senator Ron Wyden Calls For CIA Report

Oregon Senator Wants Public Release of Sept. 11 Report

By Joseph Friedrichs, 3-08-07

Fresh off his visit to Bend last month, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) proposed on Wednesday the release of at least part of a federal report on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

No, this is not going to lead to another one of those conspiracy-theory films that claim the U.S. government actually plotted the attacks. Wyden’s move is legit and comes with good reason. Nearly two years ago, the Central Intelligence Agency’s inspector general completed a classified report about CIA accountability leading up to Sept. 11. Wyden has proposed an amendment to the homeland security bill that would declassify and publicly release the report’s executive summary. Joining Wyden in the mission is Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.). Both are members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, a group Wyden mentioned several times during his visit to Bend two weeks ago.

“I’m sure that some may and will consider a number of the inspector general’s findings unsettling, perhaps embarrassing, but the report is of high quality, and it is comprehensive,” Wyden said, according to the Oregonian.

Not surprisingly, declassification of the report has been met with opposition by the CIA.

“There is no good reason why the CIA cannot declassify this report. The executive summary is concise, and it contains little information about CIA sources and methods,” Wyden said, as reported in the Oregonian. “It could be redacted and released quickly, and that information is in the interest of the American people.”

The Senate is expected to vote on the proposal by the end of the week. 

Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.