Mattis and Pompeo 'blindsided' by black sites report

Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo were both "blindsided" on Wednesday by reports of a draft executive order that would walk back restrictions on torture and handling detainees, people close to the officials told Politico.

The document was published Wednesday by The New York Times and The Washington Post, and calls for the director of national intelligence to look into reopening the CIA's secret black site prisons, where brutal interrogations of terrorism suspects were carried out from 2001 to 2006. The draft order also would revoke an executive order signed by former President Barack Obama stating suspects must be treated in compliance with international law.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said he had "no idea where it came from" and it is "not a White House document." It is unclear who wrote the draft order or if President Trump will sign it, but lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have spoken out against it, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who said "the president can sign whatever executive order he likes. But the law is the law." Trump, who on Wednesday told ABC News he has been told torture "absolutely works," said he will defer to Mattis and Pompeo on the issue.

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