In a move antithetical to his duties as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Sen. Richard Burr reportedly sent a letter last month to the White House requesting that copies of the committee’s report on post-9/11 CIA interrogation techniques be returned.
Yes, returned. The letter was in response to the actions of former chairwoman, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who sent copies of the report to various departments in the executive branch.
While his own party remains divided, Burr has taken a dangerously close-minded stance on the debacle. Only the report’s executive summary has been made public, but numerous news outlets — as well as Burr’s conspicuous attempt to limit the report’s exposure — suggest that its contents go into extreme detail about both the CIA’s gruesome “enhanced interrogation techniques” and its lack of efficacy in obtaining information.
Though the Senate Intelligence Committee was created to “provide vigilant legislative oversight over the intelligence activities of the United States,” Burr’s actions prove he is committed to hiding the truth of America’s post-9/11 foreign policy, which continues to disregard human rights and both national and international law.
Burr’s attempt to keep the truth from reaching the public is embarrassing, especially for North Carolinians.
