CIA probe to revive dormant cases

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department's inquiry into CIA interrogation techniques will resurrect dormant abuse claims against CIA contractors, department officials said.

Civilian contractors used by the agency at secret overseas facilities were accused of detainee abuses and deaths in the years after the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, but only one case was brought to trial.

Justice Department officials said the review of the dormant cases is a central part of a preliminary review by federal prosecutor John H. Durham, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

Durham was appointed this week by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, a move prompting criticism from both sides of the political aisle.

Conservatives said they feared Durham's appointment could lead to a witch hunt targeting well-meaning intelligence officers, while liberals said they want the prosecutor to investigate the architects of the George W. Bush administration's so-called enhanced interrogation program, the newspaper said.

Indications are that the scope of Durham's inquiry may be limited to about a dozen cases, most of which already have been subjected to several reviews, with the possibility of expanding his scope later, especially if he recommends a full-blown criminal investigation after the preliminary review, the Times said.

If a criminal investigation is sought, officials said Durham could inquire into whether CIA supervisors and officials at CIA headquarters knew about or authorized the use of interrogation tactics not approved in Justice Department legal memos.