Report: CIA held back plane downing info

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The CIA withheld critical information about agents' possible criminal behavior in the 2001 downing of a missionary plane in Peru, an internal probe revealed.

The report by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general could prompt the U.S. Justice Department to reopen its investigation into the incident, focusing on whether senior CIA officials obstructed justice or lied to Congress about the matter, The New York Times reported Friday.

In 2001, a CIA surveillance aircraft wrongly identified the small plane as a drug smuggling aircraft, and a Peruvian military jet shot it down, killing an American missionary and her 7-month-old daughter. The Justice Department declined to prosecute agency officials and closed its investigation in 2005.

John Helgerson's report, completed in August and partially released Thursday, said Justice Department investigators and Congress were denied access to internal reviews. The report said the spy agency often authorized interceptions of suspected drug planes "without adequate safeguards to protect against the loss of innocent life" in its drug battle in Peru, the Times said.

"This is about as ugly as it gets," said Rep. Peter Hoekstra, D-Mich., the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee who released unclassified portions of the report. The missionary family aboard the aircraft were from Hoekstra's district. The woman's husband, James Bowers, and their son survived the crash, along with the pilot.

CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said Helgerson's report was delivered to the Justice Department, and that CIA Director Hayden hasn't decided what actions to take.