Senate Intelligence chair Feinstein says concealment of program may have broken law

September 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram met with top US officials Wednesday to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation between the countries after the Mumbai attacks last year.

August 3rd, 2009 LaHood confident Senate will rescue car programWASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is predicting the Senate will pass legislation adding $2 billion to save a financially strapped "clash-for-clunkers" car-buying program. LaHood said Monday that the program has been "wildly popular" and argued that it is good for the economy as well as the environment.

July 15th, 2009 AP sources: Tenet canceled secret CIA hit teamsWASHINGTON — As CIA director in 2004, George Tenet terminated a secret program to develop hit teams to kill al-Qaida leaders, but his successors resurrected the plan, according to former intelligence officials. Tenet ended the program because the agency could not work out its practical details, the officials told The Associated Press.

July 13th, 2009 Officials: CIA program targeted al-Qaida leadersWASHINGTON — A secret intelligence program canceled by CIA Director Leon Panetta in June was meant to find and then capture or kill al-Qaida leaders at close range rather than target them with air strikes that risked civilian casualties, government officials with knowledge of the operation said Monday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the program, said the spy agency's program never got off the ground.

July 13th, 2009 Report: CIA had plan to kill al-QaidaWASHINGTON — The Wall Street Journal reports that the CIA program concealed from Congress was a secret plan to kill or capture al-Qaida operatives. Former intelligence officials tell the Journal that the plan, which was ordered halted by agency Director Leon Panetta, was an attempt to carry out a 2001 presidential finding authorized by President George W.

July 13th, 2009 Democrats push for probe into Bush policiesWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has been reluctant to probe Bush-era torture and anti-terrorism policies, but his Democratic allies aren't likely to let the matters rest. "I've always preferred my idea of a commission of inquiry to look at all these issues," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Sunday.

July 12th, 2009 Feinstein suggests CIA concealment broke lawWASHINGTON — Six months into Barack Obama's presidency, his Democratic allies are pushing for twin investigations into Bush-era torture and anti-terrorism policies. Two senators including the head of the intelligence committee suggested Sunday that the prior administration broke the law by concealing a CIA counterterrorism program from Congress.

July 12th, 2009 Durbin: Probe possible Cheney concealmentWASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin says Congress should investigate whether former Vice President Dick Cheney and others in the Bush administration ordered the CIA to conceal the existence of a counterterrorism program.

July 12th, 2009 2 senators: CIA concealment may have broken lawWASHINGTON — Six months into Barack Obama's presidency, twin investigations may be on the horizon into Bush-era policies in the war on terror. Two senators including the head of the intelligence committee suggested Sunday that the prior administration broke the law by concealing a CIA counter-terrorism program from Congress.

June 21st, 2009 Top intelligence Democrat: No interference in IranWASHINGTON — The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee says intelligence gathering in Iran is difficult and spotty. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also says she doesn't think U.S.

June 17th, 2009 Top senator: NSA not violating surveillance lawWASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday disputed a newspaper report that the National Security Agency conducted more widespread intercepts of private U.S. conversations in 2008 and early this year than has been acknowledged.

May 13th, 2009 'Cash for clunkers' bill hits speed bumpWASHINGTON — Legislation that would give car buyers a government voucher up to $4,500 when they trade in gas guzzlers hit a speed bump in the Senate amid concerns that a compromise between the White House and House Democrats doesn't go far enough to protect the environment. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who authored the "cash for clunkers" bill in the Senate, said Wednesday that she can't support the compromise announced last week after House Democrats met with President Barack Obama on global warming.

April 26th, 2009 Feinstein: Let Congress investigate interrogationsWASHINGTON — The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee says she hopes the public outrage over Bush-era interrogation methods subsides so Congress can calmly investigate the issue. Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she wants congressional hearings to move forward on the interrogation techniques.

February 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US senate Thursday unanimously confirmed Leon Panetta, former chief of staff in former president Bill Clinton's White House, as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Panetta, 70, will become the oldest person to head the spy agency.

January 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Michael McConnell has resigned, his office said Tuesday. Ronald Burgess, the third-in-command in McConnell's office, will be the acting DNI until Dennis Blair, who was picked by President Barack Obama to succeed McConnell, takes office, Spokesman Ross Feinstein said.