DOJ, FBI to consult on Miranda rights

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department and the FBI will consult with the intelligence community on information about terrorism suspects arrested in the United States before deciding whether to read them their Miranda rights under a plan now under review in the White House, according to senior administration officials.

The proposal follows a controversy over the handling of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, accused in the attempted Christmas day bombing of a passenger jet over Detroit and who was read his constitutional rights 10 hours after his arrest, a move Republicans said cost the Obama administration valuable intelligence.

"We are analyzing lessons learned with the goal of ensuring full information from across the government is available to law enforcement personnel on the ground as they conduct interrogations and make decisions on how to handle terrorist suspects," a senior official who requested anonymity said Friday.

"The final decision about Miranda and other law enforcement decisions will continue to lie with the FBI and Department of Justice," the official added.

Republican lawmakers have criticized the administration for not consulting the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies before FBI agents read the Abdulmutallab, 23, his Miranda rights.

The Washington Post