The release of the Senate report on CIA interrogation techniques prompted the Justice Department to say that it stands by its decision not to bring criminal charges after its own probe five years ago. "That review generated two criminal investigations, but the Department of Justice ultimately declined those cases for prosecution, because the admissible evidence would not be sufficient to obtain and sustain convictions beyond a reasonable doubt," the agency said in a statement Tuesday.
The statement said the Justice review was limited to whether any prosecutable offenses were committed and did not include "the broader questions regarding the propriety" of the conduct. "This inquiry was extraordinarily thorough and we stand by our previously announced decision not to initiate criminal charges," the statement said.