CIA Destroyed 92 Interrogation Tapes

CIA Destroyed 92 Interrogation Tapes

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WASHINGTON (AP) — New documents show the CIA destroyed nearly 100 tapes of terror interrogations, far more than has previously been acknowledged.

The revelation Monday comes as a criminal prosecutor is wrapping up his investigation in the matter.

The acknowledgment of dozens of destroyed tapes came in a letter filed by government lawyers in New York, where the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking more details of terror interrogation programs.

"The CIA can now identify the number of videotapes that were destroyed," said the letter by Acting U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin. "Ninety two videotapes were destroyed."

The tapes became a contentious issue in the trial of Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, after prosecutors initially claimed no such recordings existed, then acknowledged two videotapes and one audiotape had been made.

The letter, dated March 2 to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, says the CIA is now gathering more details for the lawsuit, including a list of the destroyed records, any secondary accounts that describe the destroyed contents, and the identities of those who may have viewed or possessed the recordings before they were destroyed.

But the lawyers also note that some of that information may be classified, such as the names of CIA personnel that viewed the tapes.

"The CIA intends to produce all of the information requested to the court and to produce as much information as possible on the public record to the plaintiffs," states the letter.

John Durham, a senior career prosecutor in Connecticut, was appointed to lead the criminal investigation out of Virginia.

He had asked that the requests for information in the civil lawsuit be put on hold until he had completed his criminal investigation. Durham asked that he be given until the end of February to wrap up his work, and has not asked for another extension.

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The main question to ask here is WHO ordered the destruction of these tapes which most definatly include waterboarding and other questionable interrogation techniques.

The destruction of these tapes will probably ensure that Cheney and Bush will not be held accountable for war crime charges.

The ACLU will be investigating this but, I wouldn't hold my breath that any additional infomation will be uncovered.

This information is released the same day as financial news is in the forefront. I believe more people will be focused on the economic crisis and this will be but a blip on the evening news...if it even makes it that far.

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(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 3/2/2009 by Whisper67]

There is an already existing thread on this topic here.

Please contribute any further questions and/or comments to the above linked thread.

Thank you.

Thread Closed.