The Central Intelligence Agency and the department of defense are investigating whether classified information on the slain terrorist Osama bin Laden was released to a Hollywood film maker, a US lawmaker has said.
The decision by CIA and DoD follows the demand made by Republican Congressman, Peter King, who is chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
"The leaks that followed the successful bin Laden mission led to the arrests of Pakistanis and put in danger the mission's heroes and their families," King said in a statement, releasing copies of letters written to him by the CIA and DoD.
King said he received a December 23 letter from the DoD inspector general informing him that, following an initial review, the inspector general for intelligence and special program assessments has launched a formal investigation into "actions taken by defense department personnel related to the release of information to the filmmakers".
In another letter CIA said it is currently developing "a written policy to create a single point of reference that will govern future interactions with the entertainment industry".
In August last year, King had requested the inspectors general at the DoD and the CIA to investigate reports that the Obama administration has granted Sony Pictures and filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow high-level access for a film on the mission in which US Special Operations Forces killed bin Laden in Abbottabad in Pakistan on May 2.
{{/usCountry}}In August last year, King had requested the inspectors general at the DoD and the CIA to investigate reports that the Obama administration has granted Sony Pictures and filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow high-level access for a film on the mission in which US Special Operations Forces killed bin Laden in Abbottabad in Pakistan on May 2.
{{/usCountry}}The film was originally reported to have a planned release of October 2012, just a month before the November 2012 elections, King said in a statement.