Cyber & Technology

John Brennan's Answers to SSCI Post-Hearing Questions

By Jack Goldsmith
Friday, February 15, 2013, 10:04 AM

They are available here.  Lots of interesting stuff on a first quick read, but two thing stand out.  First, in response to the question “Could the Administration carry out drone strikes inside the United States?,” Brennan gave this non-response, which is sure to lead to more questions and concerns: “This Administration has not carried out drone strikes inside the United States and has no intention of doing so.”  And when asked to identify “those specific individuals to whom you expressed concerns (regardless of medium – email, text, conversations, phone calls) about the effectiveness, or legality of the CIA’s Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs) program,” he listed no specific individuals but reiterated the nature of his concerns.