The CIA has launched an internal investigation into whether the agency broke any laws by closely cooperating with the NYPD’s antiterrorism operations in Muslim communities after September 11.
David Petraeus, the new director of the CIA, said in a congressional hearing Tuesday that “with respect to the CIA in New York, indeed, there was an advisor there…there is an IG investigation that I will continue to follow up on and ensure we are doing the right thing that particular case.”
Petraeus said that the agency’s inspector general launched the probe before he took office, after a request by acting director Michael Morell, the Associated Press reports.
The probe relates to an investigation by the AP that found that since 9/11, the NYPD, with the cooperation of the CIA, has been sending undercover officers known as “rakers” and undercover informants known as “mosque crawlers” into ethnic communities outside of their jurisdiction. In 2002 CIA Director George Tenet tapped Larry Sanchez, who worked for the CIA, to train officers in intel gathering, according to the AP. Sanchez reportedly started a secret squad to conduct operations in Muslim communities.
The NYPD denies that the squad exists.
Read the AP’s original report here.
Additional reporting by Susan Crabtree.
Jillian Rayfield
Jillian Rayfield is a Reporter/Blogger for TPM, and started as a News Intern in May 2009. She graduated from Cornell University in May 2008 with a degree in Film, and worked as a Research Assistant for a market research firm in London in between.
Facebook Conversations
Questions about commenting with non-Facebook accounts like Yahoo, or other concerns? Click here to read the TPM Commenting FAQ.