CIA Official Wants Tape Testimony Immunity

Jose Rodriguez's Attorneys Say His Congressional Appearance Rests On Condition Of Immunity

(AP)  Attorneys for Jose Rodriguez told Congress the former CIA official won't testify about the destruction of CIA videotapes without a promise of immunity, two people close to the tapes inquiry said Wednesday.

Rodriguez, the former head of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, ordered that the tapes, which show harsh CIA interrogation of two al Qaeda suspects, be destroyed in 2005. Rodriguez is scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Jan. 16.

Defense attorney Robert Bennett told lawmakers, however, that he would not let Rodriguez testify because of the criminal investigation into the case. Without a promise of immunity, anything Rodriguez said at the hearing could be used against him in court.

The discussions were described to The Associated Press by two people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were to be private.

The CIA has acknowledged that it destroyed the videos, and the Bush administration has urged Congress and the courts to stay out of the tapes inquiry while the Justice Department investigates.

U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy agreed Wednesday not to hold hearings. He said the Justice Department had promised a thorough investigation, and he saw "no reason to disregard the Department of Justice's assurances."

Congress, however, has refused to back off and had planned to make Rodriguez one of the first witnesses in its investigation. It was unclear whether Bennett issued a formal request for immunity or merely told the committee that Rodriguez wouldn't testify without it.

Reached by telephone Wednesday night, Bennett said he would have no public comment on the matter. A spokesman for the committee also declined to comment.

Lawmakers are typically reluctant to grant immunity requests because doing so could torpedo a criminal investigation. Anything Rodriguez spoke about would be off-limits to the Justice Department, as would any secondary evidence built on his testimony.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey recently appointed a prosecutor to conduct a criminal investigation into destruction of the tapes. John Durham, a career public corruption and organized crime prosecutor, has a reputation for being independent.

Durham is investigating whether destroying the tapes amounted to obstruction of justice or violated any court orders.

Kennedy and others had ordered the Bush administration not to destroy any evidence of mistreatment or abuse of terrorism suspects being held at the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But the two suspects interrogated on video - Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri - were not held at Guantanamo. They were interrogated in secret CIA prisons overseas.

Kennedy, a former prosecutor who was appointed to the bench by President Clinton, said Wednesday that the tapes do not appear to have been covered by his court order. He ruled that attorneys for Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo Bay hadn't "presented anything to cause this court to question whether the Department of Justice will follow the facts wherever they may lead."

Attorney David Remes had said a judicial inquiry might involve testimony from senior lawyers at the White House and Justice Department. Government attorneys, appearing in court Dec. 21, said such hearings would disrupt and possibly derail the ongoing Justice Department inquiry.

Lawyers for other terrorism suspects have filed similar requests before other judges. While Kennedy's decision doesn't require those judges to follow suit, it will help bolster the Justice Department's argument that they should not wade into the investigation.

[inventagod]

Just as Bu$hCo buries the CIA torture tapes, yet another video shows up to haunt them...

The Bu$h Administration has long been known to present these faux news broadcasts, known as Video News Releases.
Not only is the American public aware of them, they are being investigated by Congress.
20 federal agencies have produced and distributed such items, including FEMA and now the Navy.
The real shame is there are many more gullible Americans, and a large world population who buy this propaganda without thought. This makes a world war possible at any moment, based on lies from Bu$hCo...

How long will Congress let the lies continue?

[glaswolf]

Infidel_Us at 12:43 PM: "...is our entire freakin'''' country being run by h.......????" No my friend, it is being run by Indians, like the police around you. Don''t be confused by the lack of feathers and racial slurs related to language, those were more marketing myths by the politically correct. Check for the cowboy boots when they''re ambling thru the timelines of your future. You do trust Indians with your life, don''t you ... like, what''s wrong with Generals Sanchez and Odierno?

[kansas1946]

Well, if you want immunity, it is because you broke the law and know it.

[Krazcarl]

SHOT HIM NOW SAVE THE TAXPAYER THE BURDEN

[shutupnvote]

Grant him immunity under the condition he gives names, so he can''''t say. "I did it. It was all me. The Bush/Cheney Administration had nothing to do with it."


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Posted by lochlan at 01:26 PM : Jan 10, 2008


yeah really worked with that Monica Goodling fraud, I dont know, Yes I committed a crime, I dont recall....

[lochlan-2009]

Grant him immunity under the condition he gives names, so he can''t say. "I did it. It was all me. The Bush/Cheney Administration had nothing to do with it."

[lochlan-2009]

"and the Bush administration has urged Congress and the courts to stay out of the tapes inquiry while the Justice Department investigates." This guy and his administration, since they took office, have not ceased to amaze me with their blatant corruption and manipulation of our country and its legal system.

We still don''t have a presidential candidate whose sole purpose would be to stop corruption in government. Why is that?

[rushlimpdrug]

Torture his happy hispanic azz,
that will get the truth out of him
without the need for immunity.

What a coward, typical illegal, once they get caught
they demand their rights.
He''ll soon start waving a Mexican flag.

[infidel_us]

we, the UNITED STATES DOES NOT torture. Posted by MCVet at 10:44 AM : Jan 10, 2008

I don''t know about that. Reading your posts is like torture to me!

[infidel_us]

Gonzales, Rodriguez......is our entire freakin'' country being run by hispanics????

[finewoven]

what I''''m trying to say is, grant the guy immunity. And lets hear his story.
Posted by dougandslug at 11:33 PM : Jan 09, 2008

Kind of ironic, isn''t it. Maybe if we had offered the al Qaeda defendants immunity they would have talked without the perceived need to tourture.

Actually, to hear the real story I''m waiting for the book. It should be a best seller.

[briannorwood]

"...we do NOT have a secret police who will kidnap and take people to be tortured." -- McVet

EXCUSE ME? It''s called the CIA and the program of illegal renditions of people around the world to secret "torture" prisons in Poland and elswhere is well known fact.

Stop drinking the Koolaid, my friend.

[forthepeopl1]

help americans with the truth about our congress and misery hillary..please
look this up and weep, lets go america read this and start crying....and you all want to put these nuts back in office...

CLINTON ALLOWS BUSH TO PARDON HIMSELF
Buried deep inside Military Commisions Act, which was FULLY SUPPORTED by Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, is a provision which pre-pardons President Bush and all the members of his administration for any crimes which they may have committed all the way back to September 11, 1997.. Why that far back? That kind of makes you wonder. Huh? I can''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t help but recall what Nixon said during an interview following the Watergate scandal when he said, "If the President does it, by definition, it''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s not illegal." History never repeats itself, folks. It only rhymes. At least Nixon had enough class to wait for another President to pardon him for his crimes against our country. Bush apparently doesn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t want to take that chance. He has to consider the risk that A AMERICAN will become our next President.

DAVID A BELANGER,U.S.ARMY VET,[e-mail],978-618-3105

[hungry1968]

What an absolute disaster this government has turned into.

Words fail to describe it completely.

[prinzowhales]

So, the man who destroyed evidence of a crime will not testify unless he first receives immunity for his crime? I wonder if this ''Rodriguez'' is any relation to the infamous Felix Rodriguez, the long time Bush41 operative in the CIA involved in everything from the JFK assassination to drug smuggling...

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/MENA/mena.html

Felix Rodriguez was a Cuban national whose father was part and parcel of the corrupt Batista regime, the Minister of Public Works. Isn''t it NOT surprising that he would be an associate of the Bush Crime Family? Note, the CIA is never more revealed as an asset of the Oligarchy than in its selection of high level functionaries...

[mcvet]

There is NO justification for what has happened in this nation since a few Religious Fanatics flew planes into the WTC... NONE at all. I know we can elect a leader who can live within our laws and not exploit the attack the way Bush/Cheney has. I know we can elect a Leader who will REPRESENT the American People and NOT attack nations that have done nothing to us. We can, WE MUST, do better... We MUST also, insist that NO ONE is above the Law. Our Laws are plain, our POLICY is plain and our STANDARDS are plain. We do NOT stoop to the level of Terrorist, we, the UNITED STATES DOES NOT torture. We do NOT hold citizens in violation of our Constitution and we do NOT have a secret police who will kidnap and take people to be tortured. If we loose those standards then the people of the world will not be able to tell us from those who we fight. When that happens we have LOST period!!

[wdrussell1]

Are you all amazed with posters like sandycat2.
According to sc2, the republicans can commit any and all crimes without any punishment, because of 9/11
9/11 Rudy must be your hero.

[mcvet]

This is sickening beyond belief that a CIA agent has to ask for immunity in order to testify before those butt holes in Congress because the agent is afraid he could be charged. Thes agents are trying to keep Americans safe by interegating these enemy monster so we can get information about their plots to kill Americans. And now Americans want to turn on these heros and what put them in jail. These terrorists are murderers of Americans. Sheik Muhamed masterminded 9/11. Too bad Americans have forgotten all those who died in 9/11.


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Posted by sandycat2 at 11:43 PM : Jan 09, 2008
+ report abuse

So we''re just going to throw the laws of this nation and what so many have fought and died for right out the window because??? I fought a very hard line enemy and my father fought Japan. We never did these things and stood up for the American Way. Stooping to the level of the Klan or Southern Nazi''s is NOT the Answer... it creates MORE Terrorist than it distroys. Anyone who fought the Fascist in our OWN Taliban knows this. We''re either going to stand up for the American Standards established by our fathers and their fathers before them or we aren''t. I know we can elect a leader who can protect this nation within the laws and within our standards. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[skyk-2009]

If the tapes hadn''''t been destroyed then everyone would be able to see just what their torture uncovered but they were, and now all we have to rely on is the word of Bush and company to give us their version of the truth.



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Posted by fiteit1 at 12:20 AM : Jan 10, 2008
+ report abuse

Since they have yet to tell us the truth about any of this that''s not going to happen... Bush tell us the Truth that is.

[kevzgrl]

quetzal666, you have that right. The "justice" system works completely differently for those who have money and power. Any one of us who break the law are subject to jail, fines and other penalties - the "leaders" of this country and their flunkies can walk away secure in the knowledge that they are safe from prosecution when they do something dirty. I think we need to get back to what our Founding Fathers intended when it comes to justice - EQUAL treatment for EVERYONE, regardless of their status or title.