Top Republicans warned Monday that the Tuesday release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture techniques could pose an "unconscionable" threat to U.S. assets and "endanger the lives of Americans" all over the world.
In a statement issued late Monday, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said the decision to release the report is a "partisan effort" by Democrats and claimed the report is not "serious or constructive," reported Fox News.
"We are concerned that this release could endanger the lives of Americans overseas, jeopardize U.S. relations with foreign partners, potentially incite violence, create political problems for our allies, and be used as a recruitment tool for our enemies," the senators said. "Simply put, this release is reckless and irresponsible."
The White House also acknowledged that releasing the report could pose a "greater risk" to American assets in countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Iraq. However, the ongoing months of preparations should have adequately prepared overseas Americans for any potential blowback according to The New York Times.
"When would be a good time to release this report?" White House press secretary Josh Earnest asked. "It's difficult to imagine one, particularly given the painful details that will be included.The president believes it is important for us to be as transparent as we possibly can about what exactly transpired, so we can just be clear to the American public and people around the world that something like this should not happen again."
Even Secretary of State John Kerry called Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., last week, asking her to consider delaying the release of the report due to possible backlash it could cause abroad.
The report's 480-page executive summary is expected to be released Tuesday, while the full 6,000 page study will remain classified for now. It will be the first time the CIA is held publicly accountable for its use of advanced interrogation techniques, and will include details on sexual threats made to prisoners, use of sleep deprivation techniques, waterboarding and humiliation techniques. At the heart of the report, according to Politico, is evidence that, contrary to popular opinion, use of waterboarding did not lead to the capture of Osama bin Laden.
