Republican Panel Press Conference on CIA Torture Report
U.S. Senator (R-KY) Mitch McConnell: We will accept questions now.
Reporter #1: Senator McConnell, you recently claimed that the CIA report released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence would harm national security. Can you explain how the release of this information will harm national security?
McConnell: That information is classified.
Reporter #1: How the release of the document harms national security is classified?
McConnell: That’s correct.
Reporter #2: Which government body has classified explanations of how the release of the CIA report harms national security?
Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney: That’s a matter of national security.
Reporter #2: Stating the name of the government agency that has made explanations of how the CIA report harms national security is … a matter of national security?
Cheney: Correct.
Reporter #3: How has exposing the CIA interrogation techniques harmed national security?
U.S. Senator (R-SC) Lindsey Graham: That question was answered earlier by Senator McConnell. It’s classified.
Reporter # 4: Doesn’t the public have a right to know how the government conducts investigations?
Cheney: That’s a matter of national security.
Reporter #4: So, transparency in government is a threat to national security?
Graham. That information is classified.
Reporter #1: Is there anything that is not classified or a matter of national security?
McConnell: We can’t answer that question at this time.
Reporter #1: Why?
Graham: That’s a matter of national security.
Reporter #1: You can’t tell the public what is NOT classified or a matter of national security? Not even one example?
Cheney: What is or is not classified is a matter of national security. What is or is not a matter of national security is classified.
Reporter #5: Have any of you read Joseph Heller’s Catch-22?
Cheney: That's a matter of national security.
McConnell: That information is classified.
Graham: I cannot answer that question at this time.
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