Associated Press writer Robert Gehrke reports in this article published in the Tuscon Citizen website (and wrongly dated 8 August). Excerpt:
WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Kyl says he would gladly take a lie detector test and his colleagues should do the same to help the FBI find out who leaked intelligence information gathered before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Arizona Republican is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which along with its counterpart in the House are investigating the handling of information prior to the Sept. 11 attacks.
The chairmen of the two committees asked the FBI to investigate leaks from the committees after CNN and other news organizations reported that Arabic conversations apparently referring to the attacks had been intercepted on Sept. 10.
Kyl said he was asked by FBI agents last week if he would be willing to take a polygraph test and he said he would.
“I have volunteered and I think it would be appropriate for all of my colleagues to do the same,” Kyl said Monday.
Several members of the committee, including two leaders of the inquiry ‹ House Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. ‹ have said the tests intrude on the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.
Kyl disagrees.
“We’re investigating the executive branch. They could claim separation of powers on that,” he said. “There are appropriate oversight responsibilities of Congress to look into activities of the executive branch and there are appropriate investigative activities of the executive branch.”