U.S. delays again the release of CIA report on detention

The U.S. Justice Department delayed again the release of an internal CIA report on the agency's secret detention and interrogation program during the Bush Administration.

The report had been expected to be made public two weeks ago but was held back over debates about how much of it should be censored.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said it was disappointing.

“We think that any delay hurts the public debate and there’s the importance of timeliness in disclosure, but we hope these delays have allowed the administration to work out debates and release as much as possible,” said Alex Abdo, an expert from ACLU National Security Project.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that the report, expected to be made public in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, may not be released this week.

The report expected to be released was written in 2004 by the CIA's chief, who questioned the effectiveness of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, known as simulated drowning.

Several Guantanamo detainees have alleged severe torture and abuse and horrific stories of their abuse have put further pressure on Obama who has vowed to shut down the controversial prison at a U.S. naval base in Cuba.