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Anti-secrecy groups unhappy with Obama
Advocates for more open government who had hoped that the Obama administration would be less secretive than its predecessor say it is continuing to use executive privilege to block lawsuits over allegations of past abuses in the fight against terrorism.
A new report from OpenTheGovernment.org, a coalition of anti-secrecy groups, criticized the Obama administration's interpretation of the so-called "state secrets privilege." Under it, the Justice Department has argued that courts must dismiss national security cases challenging wiretapping and the transport of suspected terrorists to CIA and foreign jails, where they claim they were tortured.
The flap over the issue appears to be another example of Mr. Obama charting a relatively centrist path on issues regarding terrorism. Past CIA directors and some Republicans have criticized the president for disclosing information regarding harsh interrogation procedures and for allowing the Justice Department to reopen cases against CIA interrogators.