Justice asked to probe tape destruction

[bif]

Source: Yahoo News

WASHINGTON - The Senate's No. 2 Democrat on Friday asked the Justice Department to investigate whether the CIA obstructed justice by destroying videotapes that documented the harsh 2002 interrogations of two alleged terrorists.

A day after CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden told agency employees the tapes were destroyed in 2005, members of Congress, human rights groups and lawyers for accused terrorists said the tapes may have been key evidence that the U.S. government had illegally authorized torture.

In a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois asked for a probe of "whether CIA officials who destroyed these videotapes and withheld information about their existence from official proceedings violated the law."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071207/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/cia_videotapes

---

I'm sure the Republican Justice Dept. will do an excellent job!

[rodeodance]

1. destruction of record -keeping docs--he said earlier.

[maddezmom]

2. NYT: Democrats Call for Inquiry in Destruction of Tapes by C.I.A.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 — Angry Democratic lawmakers called for investigations today into the Central Intelligence Agency’s destruction in 2005 of at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Qaeda operatives in the agency’s custody.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts accused the C.I.A. of “a cover-up,” while Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois said it was possible that people at the agency had engaged in obstruction of justice. Both called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate.

“We haven’t seen anything like this since the 18½ -minute gap on the tapes of Richard Nixon,” Mr. Kennedy said in a speech on the Senate floor, as reaction to the disclosure about the videotapes seemed to intensify minute by minute.

Mr. Durbin, the Democratic whip, said he had written Mr. Mukasey to ask for an inquiry into “whether C.I.A. officials who destroyed these videotapes and withheld information about their existence from official proceedings violated the law.”

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/washington/07cnd-intel.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Yeah, Mukasey will get right on it

We can expect the non-whitewash results any day now.

[Supersedeas]

14. national security secrets defense coming right up

[DavidDvorkin]

16. Yep

[tabasco]

4. I'm sure the criminals Bush put in charge of the Justice Dept. will get right on it.

:boring:

Wake me up when the indictments are filed.

[rodeodance]

5. U.S. Democrats' fury grows over destroyed CIA tapes

Source: reuters



U.S. Democrats' fury grows over destroyed CIA tapes
07 Dec 2007 18:22:27 GMT
Source: Reuters
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(Updates with White House comments)

By Randall Mikkelsen

WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats reacted furiously on Friday to the CIA's disclosure that it had made and destroyed videotapes of terrorism interrogations, as leading lawmakers called for a Justice Department inquiry.

The White House said President George W. Bush did not recollect being told about the CIA tapes or their destruction before Thursday, when he was briefed by the CIA director.

Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin of Illinois wrote Attorney General Michael Mukasey to request an investigation into whether the CIA violated obstruction-of-justice laws by destroying the tapes.

The tapes recorded interrogations using techniques that many critics have described as torture.

"The CIA apparently withheld information about the existence of these videotapes from official proceedings, including the 9/11 Commission and a federal court," Durbin said in the letter. "It is the Justice Department's role to determine whether the law was violated."

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07322234.htm

[tabasco]

6. Fury, huh?

I'm sure a strongly-worded memo will follow!

[Jackpine Radical]

8. A memo worded with delicate moderation, I would trust.

After all they have their dignity to preserve.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. I'd love to see some Democratic fury!

I'd love to see it on the 6:00 news.

[parasim]

9. Well, they better grow some fur...

to protect that thin skin.

[pleah]

10. Distruction of evidence,

is against the law. Do they go by a different set of laws?

[Solly Mack]

11. Yeah? Were they gonna use the tapes to impeach the Bush/Cheney administration

for torture? Expose the CIA for torturing people?

[951-Riverside]

12. This is my angry face, grrrrrr!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. :pity:

[berni_mccoy]

13. They are furious because they aren't going to get a chance to legalize torture.

That is afterall, what they do. Bush does something illegal. Congress passes a law legalizing his behavior.