December 6, 2007 5:44 PM
Posted By News Questions
& comments 1
CIA Destroyed Interrogation Videotapes
The CIA admitted destroying at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of terror suspects in part because of concerns that the tapes "could
expose agency officials to greater risk of legal jeopardy," the
New York Times reported. The videotapes showed terror suspects being subjected to "severe interrogation techniques." Photographs of interrogations were also destroyed.
The tapes, recorded in 2002 and destroyed in 2005, were not provided to the September 11 Commission despite a formal request to the CIA for "transcripts and any other documentary evidence" taken from interrogations. The Commission completed its work in 2004.
The story also reports that CIA attorneys told "federal prosecutors in 2003 and 2005, who relayed the information to a federal court in the Moussaoui case, that the C.I.A. did not possess recordings of interrogations sought by the judge in the case." Moussaoui had sought the tapes as exculpatory evidence.
The New York Times web page carries the story C.I.A. Destroyed 2 Tapes Showing Interrogations By MARK MAZZETTI - and beneath the story, a link to the letter from US Attorney,Chuck Rosenberg to Chief Judge Williams and Judge Brinkema explaining the tapes existence.
On page 2 of the PDF, paragraphs two and three, the sollicitor clearly says "On September 13, 2007, an attorney for the CIA notified us of a discovery of a video tape of the interogation of [redacted]. On September 19, 2007, we viewed that video tape and a transctipt [redacted] of the interview."
The next paragraph starts "After learning of the existance of the first video tape, we requested the CIA to perform an exhaustive review to determine whether it was in posession of any other such recording for any of the enemy combatant witnesses at issue in this case. CIA's review, which now appears to be complete, uncovered the existance of a second video tape, as well as a short audio tape, both of which pertain to interrogations [redacted]. On October 18, we viewed the second video tape and listened to the audio tape, while reviewing transcripts."
It appears to me the US Attorney has told the Judges he watched the video tapes in September and October of 2007, that Michael Hayden says were destroyed ("all copies") in 2005.
Is this as transparent a lie as it seems?
The New York Times web page carries the story C.I.A. Destroyed 2 Tapes Showing Interrogations By MARK MAZZETTI - and beneath the story, a link to the letter from US Attorney,Chuck Rosenberg to Chief Judge Williams and Judge Brinkema explaining the tapes existence.
On page 2 of the PDF, paragraphs two and three, the sollicitor clearly says "On September 13, 2007, an attorney for the CIA notified us of a discovery of a video tape of the interogation of [redacted]. On September 19, 2007, we viewed that video tape and a transctipt [redacted] of the interview."
The next paragraph starts "After learning of the existance of the first video tape, we requested the CIA to perform an exhaustive review to determine whether it was in posession of any other such recording for any of the enemy combatant witnesses at issue in this case. CIA's review, which now appears to be complete, uncovered the existance of a second video tape, as well as a short audio tape, both of which pertain to interrogations [redacted]. On October 18, we viewed the second video tape and listened to the audio tape, while reviewing transcripts."
It appears to me the US Attorney has told the Judges he watched the video tapes in September and October of 2007, that Michael Hayden says were destroyed ("all copies") in 2005.
Is this as transparent a lie as it seems?