A former government official has come forward to tell Firedoglakethat the government is prosecuting whistleblower John Kiriakou on the charge of revealing an identity of a “covert CIA officer” because the CIA was “totally ticked at Kiriakou for acknowledging the use of torture as state policy.”

According to the official, the “covert CIA officer” — referred to in the indictment as Official A — was “responsible for ensuring the execution” of the worldwide RDI program.