Posted by Sabrina Eaton March 16, 2009 11:18AM
LinkCleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich wants the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to investigate allegations by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh that the White House operated an 'executive assassination ring' during the presidency of George W. Bush.
In a letter to Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns of New York, Kucinich explained that Hersh made the allegations on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 before an audience at the University of Minnesota.
According to Kucinich's letter: Hersh "stated, 'Under President Bush's authority, they've been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving... It is a special wing of our special operations community that is set up independently. They do not report to anybody, except in the Bush-Cheney days, they reported directly to the Cheney office. . .Congress has no oversight of it.'"
Such a practice would violate longstanding U.S. policy regarding covert actions and illegally bypass Congressional oversight, Kucinich said.
"If substantiated, the allegation would have far reaching implications for the United States," Kucinich said in the letter dated March 13. "Such an assertion from someone of Hersh's credibility that has a long and proven track record of dependability on these issues merits attention. Mr. Hersh is within a year or more of releasing a book that is said to include evidence of this allegation. However, we cannot wait a year or more to establish the truth. As such, I request that the Full Committee immediately begin an investigation to determine the facts in this matter."
The CIA has since issued a denial of Hersh's claims.
"Mr. Kucinich raised a serious issue and I will work with him to look into it," Towns said in a statement emailed to The Plain Dealer.
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