From MSNBC:
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has moved more forcefully than ever to abandon Bush administration interrogation policies, approving creation of a special unit supervised by the White House for questioning terrorism suspects.
At the same time, Attorney General Eric Holder is weighing whether to reopen and pursue prisoner abuse cases while the CIA inspector general is expected later Monday to unveil a report on Bush administration handling of suspects.
Deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton confirmed reports Monday that Obama had approved establishment of the new unit, which The Associated Press reported would be known as the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.
Burton told reporters covering the vacationing Obama family in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., that the new unit will be situated at the Washington headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The unit would be led by an FBI official, with a deputy director from somewhere in the government’s vast intelligence apparatus, and members from across agencies. It will be directly supervised by the White House. A U.S. official told NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell that the CIA welcomed the change. “The CIA didn’t want to house this initiative. They’re glad to be out of the long-term detention business,” the official said.
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