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CIA destroyed interrogation tapes |
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Written by Justin Hemlepp
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Sunday, 09 December 2007 |
According to the New York Times:
The Central Intelligence Agency in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Al Qaeda operatives in the agency’s custody, a step it took in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about the C.I.A’s secret detention program, according to current and former government officials.
The videotapes showed agency operatives in 2002 subjecting terror suspects — including Abu Zubaydah, the first detainee in C.I.A. custody — to severe interrogation techniques. They were destroyed in part because officers were concerned that tapes documenting controversial interrogation methods could expose agency officials to greater risk of legal jeopardy, several officials said.
So when Congress is investigating CIA detentions, the CIA destroys evidence of wrongdoing (or, alternatively, evidence that would clear the agency of wrongdoing) to avoid legal consequences for the agents involved in the taped interrogations. It’s like dropping the murder weapon in the river, its called destroying evidence and its usually illegal.
But we can’t go around subjecting our CIA officers to the rule of law, now can we? Anyway, if the tapes contained evidence that wrongdoing occurred, those tapes certainly would have been turned over to law enforcement, right? And, finally, the families of those interrogated may see the tapes and get sad; we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I mean, haven’t we done enough to their loved ones?
Updates: Hundreds of hours of tapes were destroyed ... Officials both in Congress and the White House knew these tapes may be destroyed, recommended against the destruction and then did nothing to actually prevent it ... Pres. Bush allegedly didn’t now about the destroyed tapes ... Congress and the Justice Department are considering inquiries into the matter ... Destruction of tapes could complicate prosecution of key terror suspects.
[NYTimes No. 1, AP, Reuters, NYTimes No. 2, Opinionator, ABCNews, NYTimes No. 3, NYTimes No. 4]
Justin Hemlepp, publisher and executive editor of TheSequitur.com, is a third-year law student. |
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