WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says he is more concerned about the leak of information regarding secret CIA detention centers than activity in the prisons themselves.

Frist told reporters Thursday that while he believed illegal activity should not take place at detention centers, he believes the leak itself poses a greater threat to national security and is "not concerned about what goes on" behind the prison walls.

"My concern is with leaks of information that jeopardize your safety and security -- period," Frist said. "That is a legitimate concern."

He noted that the CIA has also called for a federal criminal investigation into the leak of possibly classified information on secret prisons to The Washington Post. A November 2 Post article touched on a number of sensitive national security issues, including the existence of secret CIA detention centers for suspected terrorists in Eastern European democracies. The Bush administration has neither confirmed nor denied that report.

Frist was asked if that meant he was not concerned about investigating what goes on in detention centers.

"I am not concerned about what goes on and I'm not going to comment about the nature of that," Frist replied.

He added that as Senate majority leader he is privy to classified information and discussions about prison activity. "I'm going to make sure that everything that's done is consistent with the Constitution ... and the laws of the United States of America," he said.

Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, wrote the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees earlier this week calling for a joint congressional investigation into the leak.

"What is the actual and potential damage done to the national security of the United States and our partners in the global war on terror?" the letter said, referring to the leak.

The Post's story said the CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al Qaeda captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, part of a covert prison system set up by the agency four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries. Those countries, the Post said, include several democracies.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Commentary:
Bush is breaking the law (secret prisons that torture POW's) and Frist is more interested in finding out who leaked this fact to us. Fascinating. "A government of the people, by the people and for the people" shouldn't have so many secrets that have nothing to do with national security.

If the GOP has it's way, they'll classify every crime committed by Bush and then go after anyone who leaks the crime.

If Frist were a REAL leader he could investigate both. But there are two problems; first, everyone knows Bush is breaking the law and would be impeached if we had a respectable congress and second, the leaker is probably a GOP senator (either McCain or Lott - most likely Lott).