Cheney hid CIA program from US Congress - senator

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The CIA withheld information from the U.S. Congress about a secret counterterrorism program on orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, a senator said on Sunday as Democrats called for an investigation.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein told "Fox News Sunday" that CIA Director Leon Panetta disclosed Cheney's involvement when he briefed members of Congress two weeks ago. She said Panetta told them he had cancelled the program.

President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Panetta to head the agency early this year. The still-secret program, which The New York Times said never became operational, began after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

The Wall Street Journal said the secret initiative terminated by Panetta was an effort to carry out a 2001 authorization by then Republican President George W. Bush to capture or kill al Qaeda operatives.

Citing current and former government officials, the newspaper reported the CIA spent money on planning and possibly some training but the initiative had not become fully operational. Panetta ended the CIA effort after learning about it on June 23, the Journal said.

'COULD BE ILLEGAL'

News of Cheney's involvement, reported by the Times on Sunday, prompted an outpouring of criticism by Obama's fellow Democrats and support by rival Republicans in Congress.

Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: "Director Panetta did brief us two weeks ago -- I believe it was on the 24th of June ... and, as had been reported, did tell us that he was told that the vice president had ordered that the program not be briefed to the Congress."

Asked if the matter should be investigated, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said: "Absolutely."