Calls to reopen CIA abuse cases

The US justice department is calling for some dozen prisoner abuse cases to be reopened, the New York Times says.

The recommendation could lead to the prosecution of CIA employees and contractors over the treatment of terrorism suspects, the newspaper says.

The call comes as justice officials are set to disclose previously censored parts of a report into detainee abuse.

These show how electric drills and mock executions were used by CIA agents to elicit information, US media say.

A heavily censored version of the 2004 internal Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report was released last year but in an almost meaningless form because so much remained classified, the BBC's Daniel Sandford reports from Washington.

A federal judge ordered more details to be released on Monday, after a legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union (Aclu).
According to US media, the report by the CIA's inspector general details how a gun and an electric drill were brought into an interrogation session of suspected USS Cole bomber and alleged al-Qaeda commander Rahim al-Nashiri in a bid to frighten him.

In another case, a gun was fired in another room to lead a detainee to think another suspect had been killed.

The US has banned harsh interrogation methods, including death threats.

Even under the Bush administration's controversial interpretation of the law, causing "severe mental pain" by the "threat of imminent death" was considered illegal.

Criminal inquiry

The call for the reopening of the prisoner abuse cases - mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan - was made by the US department of justice's ethics office, the New York Times reported.

The cases account for about half of those that were referred to the justice department by the CIA's inspector general but which were later closed.

A CIA spokesman told the New York Times that the advice to reopen closed cases had not been sent to the agency.

"Decisions on whether or not to pursue action in court were made after careful consideration by career prosecutors at the justice department. The CIA itself brought these matters - facts and allegations alike - to the department's attention," said the spokesman, Paul Gimigliano.

The recommendations to review some cases, which would reverse Bush administration policy, have been sent to US Attorney General Eric Holder.

He is set to announce soon whether he will appoint a prosecutor to investigate alleged abuse by CIA agents.

It is expected that he will go ahead with a new criminal inquiry.

Such a decision would pose problems for the CIA. It would also have political ramifications given President Barack Obama's desire to leave questions over the Bush administration's interrogation practices in the past, correspondents say.

In another development, Mr Obama has approved the creation of a new unit to question key terrorism suspects, the Washington Post reported.

The unit, called the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, is to be composed of experts from several intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

It will be housed at the FBI but will be overseen by the national Security Council, giving the White House direct oversight, the paper reports.