Senate Won’t Follow Up on CIA Torture

Incoming Intel Chair Shrugs Off Report as 'Footnote'

A 6,000-plus page Senate CIA torture report followed by a 540-page heavily redacted summary is an awful lot of content, but those expecting to see the Senate follow up are likely to be very disappointed.

Sen. Richard Burr (R – NC), the incoming Senate Intelligence Committee, shrugged the whole thing off as a “footnote in history,” saying there would be no hearings or any further action, adding that he didn’t see the point.

Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) has more of a problem with torture than most, and while he warned about the lack of effectiveness and immorality of the practice, even he didn’t suggest there would be a serious chance for policy changes.

One of the only senators pushing for reforms was Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D – WV), but he’s retiring at the end of the month. The White House insisting changes were possible, but “they may not be the kind of changes we can announce.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.