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 of Antiwar.com.