White House Mum On Destroyed CIA Tapes

Congress Presses For Answers On Destruction Of Terror Interrogation Videotapes

(CBS/AP)  As Congress seeks answers about why the CIA destroyed tapes of terror suspects under interrogation, White House lawyers have advised President Bush's spokeswoman not to answer specific questions about the matter.

The U.S. Justice Department and the Central Intelligence Agency's internal watchdog are conducting a joint inquiry into the spy agency's destruction of videotaped interrogations of two suspected terrorists, to determine whether a full investigation is warranted. With that review ongoing, the White House counsel's office has instructed Mr. Bush's press secretary, Dana Perino, not to get into details with reporters.

"I think that that's appropriate, and I'll adhere to it," Perino said Monday.

Perino would not comment on reports that former White House counsel Harriet Miers knew of the tapes years ago and advised against their destruction, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

Perino also said she stands by her assertion that Mr. Bush had no recollection of the tapes matter and was first informed of it last Thursday by CIA Director Michael Hayden. She repeated that Mr. Bush has "complete confidence" in Hayden

The White House typically stops commenting, beyond broad talking points, once an inquiry into a controversial matter is under way. When a reporter asked about another White House "wall of silence," Perino told the media in her briefing: "I can see where that cynicism that usually drifts from this room could come up in this regard. What I can tell you is I try my best to get you as much information as I can."

Congressional leaders are pressing to find out who knew what about the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotape and whether justice was obstructed in the process. Politicians in both parties and in the presidential campaign said inquiries must get to the bottom of the matter and questioned who if anyone in the White House knew what was happening. But there appears to be little support for appointment of a special prosecutor.

Democrats and some Republicans expressed skepticism about CIA claims that tapes of the questioning of two terrorism suspects were destroyed only to protect the identity of the interrogators.

"The actions, I think, were absolutely wrong," Republican presidential candidate John McCain, a victim of torture while a war prisoner in Vietnam, said Sunday. "There will be skepticism and cynicism all over the world about how we treat prisoners and whether we practice torture or not."

Republican presidential rival Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, questioned whether the CIA destroyed the tape for security purposes as claimed "or to cover somebody's rear end."

Sen. Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for a special investigator. "I just think it's clearer and crisper and everyone will know what the truth is," he said.

That view was not shared by fellow Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, or a number of other prominent Democrats.

"I don't think there's a need for a special counsel, and I don't think there's a need for a special commission," Rockefeller said on CBS' Face the Nation. "It is the job of the intelligence committees to do that."

Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican often critical of the administration on national security and Iraq, said he finds it hard to believe the White House did not know. "Maybe they're so incompetent" they didn't, he told CBS. "I don't know how deep this goes. Could there be obstruction of justice? Yes. How far does this go up in the White House, who knew it? I don't know."

The spy agency destroyed the tapes in November 2005, at a time when human rights groups and lawyers for detainees were clamoring for information about the agency's secret detention and interrogation program, and Congress and U.S. courts were debating where "enhanced interrogation" crossed the line into torture.

Rockefeller, citing the confidentiality of certain intelligence briefings, said he could not comment on the existence of any other interrogation tapes. He said CIA Director Hayden would appear before his committee Tuesday.

Biden cited Attorney General Michael Mukasey's refusal during confirmation hearings to describe waterboarding as torture as a reason to appoint an independent counsel.

"He's the same guy who couldn't decide whether or not waterboarding was torture and he's going to be doing this investigation," said Biden. The "easiest, straightest thing to do is to take it out of the political realm, appoint a special prosecutor and let them decide, and call - call it where it is. Is there a criminal violation? If there is, proceed. If not, don't."

Waterboarding is an interrogation technique in which a detainee is made to feel as though he is drowning.

Hayden told CIA employees Thursday that the recordings were destroyed out of fear the tapes would leak and reveal the identities of interrogators.

But a well-informed source told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin that the recordings were destroyed to avoid criminal prosecution of CIA officials.

[inventagod]

I am getting used to the fact that the United States has slipped into a fascist state.
The news orginizations parrot the party line, the Justice Department is corrupt and the Pentagon has it''s hands in the deep pockets of the defense industry.
Congress also has their wallets filled continuously by those same businesses, and the CIA is truly in charge of them all.
It won''t matter who gets the presidential nod, they all work for the same bo$$e$.

[b-easy63]

I don''t think there''s a need for a special counsel, and I don''t think there''s a need for a special commission," Rockefeller said on CBS'' Face the Nation. "It is the job of the intelligence committees to do that."

Just that commen"t alone tells me that a special prosecutor IS needed. When a committee wants to police or handle investigations itself, it usually means they are complicit in some way and want to be the ones to handle the case so that not too much is known or gets out.

Probably the CIA director is partially telling the truth: The tapes showed torture (the part he is not admitting to) and he told the committee he was destroying them and they said--hurry up, dude before the public finds out. Just like the warrantless wiretapping--in it up to their necks.

[mcvet]

My god! What have we sunken too? Our President is taking the 5th with us.

[vet_sk]

How can Bush continue to claim he does not know. It is his responsibility to know. And if his lawyers have been directed by him not to tell him for plausible deniability reasons, then he is also fully complicit.

Bush, you can''t be the "Decider" and then not also know.

I call for a special prosecutor.

[marcodele]

I''m sure Bush will find out who destroyed the tapes and make sure those people are held accountable.

Unless it''s Cheney, Rove, or Scooter Libby. Or Alberto Gonzales. Or Michael Brown. Or Harriet Meiers.

[nyckate]

Oh please - it must have been Bush''s criminal lawyers who told him to shut the heck up!

Bush said he has no "recollection" of discussion on the tapes or the destruction of the tapes -- in real world that means that there is either witnesses to discussions or memos to/from Bush about the tapes, which is wny they can''t deny he knew about them.

[mudrose-2009]

Oh please - it must have been Bush''''s criminal lawyers who told him to shut the heck up!

Bush said he has no "recollection" of discussion on the tapes or the destruction of the tapes -- in real world that means that there is either witnesses to discussions or memos to/from Bush about the tapes, which is wny they can''''t deny he knew about them.

Oh, boy, the Bush Derangement Syndrome nut cases are going to have a ball with this one. If there is a formal investigation, it would be wise for everyone to hold still until this gets sorted out. But of course, IT''S BUSH''S FAULT.

[Krazcarl]

Ahhh could this be the perverbel smoking gun???

[marcodele]

I''ve never seen a neocon admit that anything was Bush''s fault, even when it was Bush''s fault.
They usually just quickly start talking about a stained blue dress whenever anyone gets close to holding Bush accountable for his actions.

[antoniof123]

It just keeps getting better doesn''t it?

[rushlimpdrug]

So where''s Gonzo when they need him? ? ?

Someone go get the chimp.

GONZO! ! ! ! Where are you GONZO ! ! !

Come back GONZO ! ! ! !

[formrusmcsgt]

As I posted earlier, only the most gullible would accept the cockamamey excuse that destruction of the tapes was for identity protection motives.

Video is blurred by TV stations and producers regularly to protect identities. Anyone who believes that the CIA does not posess this capability is a fool beyond description.

Clearly, the destruction of the tapes was an overt attempt to obstruct justice and should be punished as such.

[vet_sk]

There they are already. The people on the forum who are protecting Bush.

To the Bush Supporters: My mind could have supported Bush on some things now and then and then I would have just considered a poor president. But instead Bush did not nothing with the intelligence given to him on Aug 15, 2001, he then created the Office of the Fatherland Security, he mucked up the NIE of 2002 and then invaded Iraq under fully false pretenses, he created secret prisons all across Europe, and then allowed torture (even though senior CIA interrogators said it was not necessary: A milk shake on a hot day is much more effective), and then wanted to bomb Iran for nuclear tech. which they didn''t have.

And then you say we have some type of Bush derangement syndrome. How can you support the policies of the Bush Administration? And if you can''t support those, are you saying Bush does not know?

[vet_sk]

What''s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let Bush take a ride on the water board; let him show the world that it is not torture. ...Roll that baby right out on the House floor and bring Bush in. He due there anyway in 41 days to explain the sorry state of OUR nation.

[gunownerdan]

"The truth is the greatest enemy of the state."
- Joseph Goebbels, Hitler''s propaganda minister

[mudrose-2009]

What''''s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let Bush take a ride on the water board; let him show the world that it is not torture. ...Roll that baby right out on the House floor and bring Bush in. He due there anyway in 41 days to explain the sorry state of OUR nation.
Posted by VET_SK

I WOULDN''T BE SUPRISED IF HE DID. ACTUALLY MOST CIA AGENTS DO GET WATERBOARDED. ACTUALLY THIS IS BEING BROUGHT UP BECAUSE CONGRESS WANTS TO RULE WATERBOARDING OUT AND THEREFORE THEY NEED A CAUSE CELEBRE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. POLITICS AS USUAL. BUT IT''S BUSH''S FAULT.

[rushlimpdrug]

I WOULDN''''T BE SUPRISED IF HE DID. . .
Posted by mudrose

your stupid.

[sbb2211]

The CIA that Clinton built. Not surprising.

[sbb2211]

marcodele

"I''''ve never seen a neocon admit that anything was Bush''''s fault, even when it was Bush''''s fault.
They usually just quickly start talking about a stained blue dress whenever anyone gets close to holding Bush accountable for his actions."

I''ve never seen a Democrat/Liberal take responsibility. They ALWAYS blame President Bush and the Republicans.

[rushlimpdrug]

The CIA that Clinton built. Not surprising.
Posted by SBB2211

Clinton built the CIA ? ?

Guess there isn''t a repub that can take charge or responsibility of ANYTHING.
I am surprised they can wipe they''re own azz.

[gracchus1]

All of you are aware that Nancy Pelosi knew of the waterboarding in 2002 and encouraged it, right?

[marcodele]

Well SBB, I''d say for the past seven years, yes, blame Bush and the republicans.

Plus you''ll be paying the costs for the next 20 years.

[evadk-2009]

Shameful. Clearly, the investigation should be independent of the administration.

[formrusmcsgt]

All of you are aware that Nancy Pelosi knew of the waterboarding in 2002 and encouraged it, right?

Posted by gracchus1 at 01:10 PM : Dec 10, 2007

source?

[marcodele]

Nancy Pelosi did not know of waterboarding or encourage it. That was "teabagging" and it was a completely separate issue.

[infidel_us]

This was a VERY dumb thing to do. Those involved should be fired (at the very least.)

[sevenveils]

The CIA operates within the directives of the President. He is the commander in chief. The executive branch determines the CIA''s operational rules and is heavily involved in its operational objectives.

Keeping tapes of torture almost sounds pornographic. OOOOh lets see that part again!

[marcodele]

There is not one single article in the past seven years in the media or in the Congressional Record where Nancy Pelosi came out in support of waterboarding.

So the post about Pelosi supporting it is pure neocon blather, fair and balanced of course.

Their source is every neocon''s source: Rush told Bill who told Sean who told Ann who said....

[meboard]

White House lawyers have advised President Bush''s spokeswoman not to answer specific questions about the matter.


***...there goes her book deal!

[nirak2-2009]

Seems either Bush is not doing his job or he is a *** LIAR.
I SAY BOTH! lol

[rbburnerjr]

If Bush did speak would he tell the truth?

[amazedd]

NO BILLS - NOT HERE

[j-whitman]

gracchus1,,,, What have you been smoking ??? --- Pelosi knew less about what was happening with the torture progam than we did.

Bush broke the law -- US Law states 8 members of Congress from each side both House & Senate (Intellegence Committee''s) have to be informed --
--- Bush fought that by saying they didn''t have appropriate security clearances -
--- It was reduced from the Gang of 8, to the Gang of 4 & not even they were told it was about it... By then the waterbording was done

[searingtruth]

"And so, just as Hitler and Stalin before them, Bush and his henchmen recruited brutal sociopaths to torture and murder, accounting only to their personal will. Lending them, wholeheartedly and enthusiastically, all necessary moral and legal blessing.

I have always been curious, and wondered, who the American people thought were torturing and murdering in our name."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[stevex47]

"Hayden told CIA employees Thursday that the recordings were destroyed out of fear the tapes would leak and reveal the identities of interrogators."

NOW this admin. is interested in keeping CIA identities secret?

Somebody impeach these lying criminals PLEASE.

[mudrose-2009]

Seems either Bush is not doing his job or he is a *** LIAR.
I SAY BOTH! lol
Posted by nirak2

Yeah, just like Congress. They all suck.

[j-whitman]

mudnose,,,, I think if you take a closer look or even catch your selfs in your own spin, you would see why they suck

[myidoncbs]

McCain, living in the neocon fantasy Bushworld, thinks the destruction of the tapes means "There will be skepticism and cynicism all over the world about how we treat prisoners and whether we practice torture or not."

The TRUTH is, THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS THAT THE US TORTURES PEOPLE! There''s no room for doubt anymore. Here in the US, a small subset of Bush''s minions still continue to delude themselves into thinking otherwise. McCain is trying to pretend that it''s only a matter of managing a "misperception" on the part of others. It''s far too late for that.

[j-whitman]

MyIDonCBS,,, Funny thing is these Bush Lovers accuse the world of having Bush Derangement Syndrome --- & they can''t figure out why

[oscarez]

Bush and Cheney are guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors" and should be impeached.

[red164]

Monday, December 10 2007 - 9/11 Commission

Which lie should we believe? CIA admits it destroyed evidence it said didn''t exist.


by Nicholas Levis

CORRECTED & UPDATED
December 10, 2007


CIA claims it destroyed videotapes of interrogations central to the official story of September 11th. Writing in TIME magazine, former CIA agent and occasional "conspiracy theory" debunker, Robert Baer concedes that 9/11 skeptics seem all the more credible in the aftermath. Full-time debunker Gerald Posner also sees a cover-up.

. . . The 9/11 Commission asked to see Mohamed and other prisoners, and was denied. The CIA instead provided English-language transcripts of interrogations supposedly held at the Guantanamo prison, and told the Commission no videotapes of such interrogations existed. The Commission made no fuss about this denial of access, although its report portrays Mohamed in particular as the most important planner of the September 11th plot.

http://911truth.org/

[iamlegend13]

Bush has his way again. He dismantles our democracy after a fraudulent election, orchestrates a new pearl harbour, guts the constitution, eviscerates our national reputation with torture, destroys the evidence of what happened in Ohio during the fraudulent elections, and destroys the evidence-direct evidence- of the torture sessions and violation of the Geneva Convention protocols. I wonder, are there freaks in his admin that masturbate to those types of S&M depictions? He is deathly afraid of going to prison as a war criminal, just like all the other despots who have preceded him as junta fascists, and so he sends his brothers as minions to obfuscate, destroy, dissemble, and craft a rosey after-image of his relentlessly totalitarian zealotry as president.
There is no end to what Bush''s puppets can accomplish so long as they are in desks within out intelligence community, waiting for the next order from the puppeteer in chief, cheney.

[j-whitman]

Oscarez,,,, They should be put in irons & dragged off

[iamlegend13]

Bush has his way again. He dismantles our democracy after a fraudulent election, orchestrates a new pearl harbour, guts the constitution, eviscerates our national reputation with torture, destroys the evidence of what happened in Ohio during the fraudulent elections, and destroys the evidence-direct evidence- of the torture sessions and violation of the Geneva Convention protocols. I wonder, are there freaks in his admin that masturbate to those types of S&M depictions? He is deathly afraid of going to prison as a war criminal, just like all the other despots who have preceded him as junta fascists, and so he sends his brothers as minions to obfuscate, destroy, dissemble, and craft a rosey after-image of his relentlessly totalitarian zealotry as president.
There is no end to what Bush''s puppets can accomplish so long as they are in desks within out intelligence community, waiting for the next order from the puppeteer in chief, cheney.

[meboard]

Let''s see here... Cheney uses Libby to leak a CIA agent''s identity to the press to get back at her husband. The CIA says they destroyed tapes to %u201Cprotect the identity of it''s interrogators%u201D. Yep, good old Republican%u2019t hypocrisy in action. The only question I have left is%u2026what would jesus do?

[red164]

Tapes and the Saudi-Pakistani 9/11 Connection
Posted December 7, 2007 | 03:25 PM (EST)



Read More: 9/11, Abu Zubaydah, Cia, CIA Interrogations, CIA Tapes Destroyed, CIA Torture, Missing CIA Torture Tapes, Pakistan, Pakistan 9/11, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia 9/11, Why America Slept: The Failure To Prevent 9/11, Breaking Politics News



On December 5, the CIA''s director, General Michael V. Hayden, issued a statement disclosing that in 2005 at least two videotapes of interrogations with al Qaeda prisoners were destroyed. The tapes, which the CIA did not provide to either the 9/11 Commission, nor to a federal court in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, were destroyed, claimed Hayden, to protect the safety of undercover operatives.



The tapes, which the CIA did not provide to either the 9/11 Commission, nor to a federal court in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, were destroyed, claimed Hayden, to protect the safety of undercover operatives.


The tapes, which the CIA did not provide to either the 9/11 Commission, nor to a federal court in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, were destroyed, claimed Hayden, to protect the safety of undercover operatives.


WINK, WINK, WINK; WINK; HONK; HONK; HONK, HONK

[iamlegend13]

Bush has his way again. He dismantles our democracy after a fraudulent election, orchestrates a new pearl harbour, guts the constitution, eviscerates our national reputation with torture, destroys the evidence of what happened in Ohio during the fraudulent elections, and destroys the evidence-direct evidence- of the torture sessions and violation of the Geneva Convention protocols. I wonder, are there freaks in his admin that masturbate to those types of S&M depictions? He is deathly afraid of going to prison as a war criminal, just like all the other despots who have preceded him as junta fascists, and so he sends his brothers as minions to obfuscate, destroy, dissemble, and craft a rosey after-image of his relentlessly totalitarian zealotry as president.
There is no end to what Bush''s puppets can accomplish so long as they are in desks within out intelligence community, waiting for the next order from the puppeteer in chief, cheney.

[iamlegend13]

Bush has his way again. He dismantles our democracy after a fraudulent election, orchestrates a new pearl harbour, guts the constitution, eviscerates our national reputation with torture, destroys the evidence of what happened in Ohio during the fraudulent elections, and destroys the evidence-direct evidence- of the torture sessions and violation of the Geneva Convention protocols. I wonder, are there freaks in his admin that masturbate to those types of S&M depictions? He is deathly afraid of going to prison as a war criminal, just like all the other despots who have preceded him as junta fascists, and so he sends his brothers as minions to obfuscate, destroy, dissemble, and craft a rosey after-image of his relentlessly totalitarian zealotry as president.
There is no end to what Bush''s puppets can accomplish so long as they are in desks within out intelligence community, waiting for the next order from the puppeteer in chief, cheney.

[iamlegend13]

Bush has his way again. He dismantles our democracy after a fraudulent election, orchestrates a new pearl harbour, guts the constitution, eviscerates our national reputation with torture, destroys the evidence of what happened in Ohio during the fraudulent elections, and destroys the evidence-direct evidence- of the torture sessions and violation of the Geneva Convention protocols. I wonder, are there freaks in his admin that masturbate to those types of S&M depictions? He is deathly afraid of going to prison as a war criminal, just like all the other despots who have preceded him as junta fascists, and so he sends his brothers as minions to obfuscate, destroy, dissemble, and craft a rosey after-image of his relentlessly totalitarian zealotry as president.
There is no end to what Bush''s puppets can accomplish so long as they are in desks within out intelligence community, waiting for the next order from the puppeteer in chief, cheney.

[searingtruth]

"When everything is secret, everything is legal."
SearingTruth

"It is time to stop appeasing the dictatorship of George W. Bush and his henchmen."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com