Senate Panel to Probe CIA Interrogations

By SIOBHAN GORMAN
Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON -- The Senate intelligence committee is expected to open a new probe into the Central Intelligence Agency's interrogation program as soon as Friday, congressional aides said, signaling a desire in Congress to examine Bush-era policies even as President Barack Obama talks of looking to the future rather than the past.

The review could produce ammunition for further investigations or lawsuits against Bush administration officials involved in the program.

The committee's probe will aim to determine what activities were conducted as part of the CIA's secret detention program, which prohibited the Red Cross from meeting with detainees, Senate aides said. One described it as "a fact-finding exercise to try to learn some lessons." He added, "It's a review to make sure the committee understands what happened with the intention of looking forward" to ensure future policies "are done in the right way."

The probe's findings could put Mr. Obama in a tough spot. He has said his "instinct" is to "make sure that moving forward we are doing the right thing" rather than pursue possible allegations against CIA officers or Bush administration officials. However, he has left the door open to prosecution if there is evidence of a crime.

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