CIA Destroyed Interrogation Tapes

WASHINGTON — The CIA destroyed nearly 100 videotapes of interrogations and other U.S. treatment of terror suspects, far more than previously acknowledged, the Obama administration said Monday as it began disclosing details of post-Sept. 11 Bush-era actions.

The interrogations were a highly contentious issue during the administration of President George W. Bush, with many Democrats and other critics saying that some methods used amounted to torture _ a contention Bush and other officials rejected. A criminal prosecutor is wrapping up his investigation in the matter.

Monday's acknowledgment, however, involved a civil lawsuit filed in New York by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking more details of the interrogation programs following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

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

It is not clear what exactly was on the recordings. The government's letter cites interrogation videos, but the lawsuit against the Defense Department also seeks records related to treatment of detainees, any deaths of detainees and the CIA's sending of suspects overseas, known as "extraordinary rendition."

At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters he hadn't spoken to the president about the report, but called the news about the videotapes "sad," and said Obama was committed to ending torture while also protecting American values.

ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said the CIA should be held in contempt of court for holding back the information for so long.

"The large number of videotapes destroyed confirms that the agency engaged in a systematic attempt to hide evidence of its illegal interrogations and to evade the court's order," Singh said.

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CIA spokesman George Little said the agency "has certainly cooperated with the Department of Justice investigation. If anyone thinks it's agency policy to impede the enforcement of American law, they simply don't know the facts."

The details of interrogations of terror suspects, and the existence of tapes documenting those sessions, have become the subject of long fights in a number of different court cases. In the trial of Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, prosecutors initially claimed no such recordings existed, then acknowledged after the trial was over that two videotapes and one audiotape had been made.

The Dassin 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 who 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.

The separate criminal investigation includes interrogations of al-Qaida lieutenant Abu Zubaydah and another top al-Qaida leader. Tapes of those interrogations were destroyed, in part, the Bush administration said, to protect the identities of the government questioners at a time the Justice Department was debating whether or not the tactics used during the interrogations were legal.

Former CIA director Michael Hayden acknowledged that waterboarding _ simulated drowning _ was used on three suspects, including two whose interrogations were recorded.

John Durham, a senior career prosecutor in Connecticut, is leading the criminal investigation, out of Virginia, and had asked that he be given until the end of February to wrap up his work before requests for information in the civil lawsuit were dealt with.

Durham's spokesman, Tom Carson, had no immediate comment.

___

Associated Press Writers Pamela Hess, Philip Elliott and Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.

Comments

[blindhog]

Good for the CIA! We all know there was evil on those tapes. No more knowledge would have come out and more damage would have been done.

Whoever, in the media who put out the tapes to the public should be looked at seriously for treason. Those tapes needed to be shown in private to all senators and representatives so that they could take appropriate action--but to expose the United States to ruin because the rot at the head filtered to those at the bottom, who were doing the job thay were given, is unconsionable in and of itself.

[ObjectiveRealist]

If it hadn't been for the press the offenses themselves would still be secret, giving aid and comfort to the traitors within the Bush administration and their private contractor partners in crime. Whoever ordered the destruction of the tapes is guilty of evidence-tampering, and "just following orders" is not a valid defense, either.

[loki]

and nothing will happen except maybe a reorganization that will conceal and protect them even more. Isnt American Justice great!! Just like American Style Capitalism. Everyone for themselves, and screw the rest of yah. Thats the Motto in the US. Or so it appears.

[lou evill]

I should be surprised by the actions of destroying videotapes. But quite honestly I am not do to the fact of the criminal minds who had run this country for 8 years.

[loki]

yeah well, when it comes to our gov, they seem to go by the old saying " it takes a thief to catch a thief" so you cant expect anything less from them

[lungfish]

fThe CIA and the NSA are rogue orgs and require very close oversight..... hope there is an accounting.

I am not surprised but Panetta has indicated that the Obama administration will continue with "extraordinary renditions". I am very disapointed with Obama that he and his administration
intend to continue with this reprehensible behavior.....

[loki]

and who isnt.

[FairTalk]

Tha CIA destroyed the evidence? Now why do I not believe that?

[4real]

The US really needs to clean up the corruption that is in our own government.

[loki]

Its not "IN" our Government, It "IS" our government. Its what everything seems to be based on these days. Favors, corruption, self interest , greed and profit. You couldnt write a novel like this and have anyone buy it its so over the top. But, thats our great Ameican gov, and it doesnt look like any real Change is on the way. I guess my vote was a throw away. Sure seems like it now.

[bonum]

Our Justice Department and the Nuremburg Trials.......

The trials were held by the International Military Tribunal to indict and try twenty-four former Nazi leaders for committing and conspiring to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity during World War II

I'm confused, didn't the Nuremburg Trials claim that the plea of "not guilty" because "I was only following orders" from a superior commander or Justice Department, wasn't that plea, rejected?

And aren't the forms of interrogation, and the destruction of CIA tapes, similar to: "just following orders"?

[MacQ]

This is old news. THey were not required by law to videotape interrogations (and should not have done so).
Looking down the barrel of a hostile administration and congress, both out for their blood, they did what anyone would do and got rid of tapes they weren't required to have in the first place.
What else will they use to distract us from what is happening on their watch, and what congress is busy passing?

[Canaris]

Except for the court order directing the CIA not to destroy any tapes of interrogations, and the initial CIA claim that there were no such tapes, you've got a point.

The fact is, they DID tape torture sessions, claimed they hadn't, then violated a court order by destroying the tapes they claimed they didn't have.

Nothing but a partisan witch hunt though, right?

[MIKEinNYC]

There can be no prosecutions because of policy disagreements with prior administrations. Why? Because when you yourself become a "prior administration", as inevitably you will in 4-8 years, you yourself do not want to be prosecuted.

Remember, the Dems hounded Nixon out of office and the Republicans paid them back with the bs Clinton impeachment.

What a terrible precedent this would set!

[MIKEinNYC]

So what exactly is the outrage about? Is it the release of the papers? Or is it the content of the papers?

The papers show that in October, 2001 the Justice Department rendered some recommendations and that the recommendations were adhered to.

Seven years later the same Justice Department changed its mind and issued a conflicting opinion. In the meantime, it seems to me, that those who received the first set of recommendations from the Justice Department were justified in adhering to those recommendations. After all, that’s what the Justice Department does. It renders opinions on subjects when asked to do so. It is not wrongdoing to follow the recommendations.

As far as releasing the papers go, that might come under the “how stupid can you be” department. It illustrates the folly of having the Justice Department issue conflicting reports as to sensitive issues having to do with national security. And “yes”, there is a national security and “yes” it is whatever the president says it is. When we elect a president we trust the president to make these decisions on behalf of the nation. If you don’t like it you vote for the other guy, provided , of course, that you’ve vetted the other guy and find that the other guy would do it differently.

Is it any wonder that our responses to certain situations are, how should we put it, schizophrenic?

[bonum]

I admit to my ignorance regarding much of the CIA's clandestine activities in the past, and from what I'm learning, currently, I'm frightened and this reminds me of two quotes:

"who is watching the watchers"

and

"I love my country, it's my government I fear"

I'm quite confused as to why various White House administrations in the past have used the CIA for immoral and fearful activities, perhaps George Orwell in his book "1984" is right when he wrote about how The Party and Big Brother were the same and the results were horrific.

Again, in my ignorance, what can be done when an agency such as the CIA destroys evidence or commits acts against Humanity both within the USA and internationally?

[kosolm]

It is becoming very clear to me that those of us that have the desire to see justice,expect accountability
investigations,and some sort of prosecution for the lawless and evil crimes that have happened,more
recently during the Bush years,are destined to deisappointed and frustrated.Emails destroyed,CIA tapes gone,the obvious and puzzling actions that Obamas DOJ are taking in blocking any court
cases against Bush,and the lack of any outrage bhy the majority of Americans tells the story.The
creeps in power are going to get away with it and the future of our country is looking grim.
I especially despise the obvious ignorant idiots that post their views,supporting these crimes.The
hard right,neo con,republican retards,Who don't seem to have anything to post but insults and stupidity

[curocat]

Under who's orders ????

[darthmaul]

Look at all the other areas the CIA has "helped." Like Iran, who still is miffed that we overthrew their government in the 50's. Hey get over it! President Kennedy was very grateful for the good intelligence that he got from the CIA that led to the bay of pigs "incident."And what about all of the Central American Leaders, that honed their "skills' at the "School of the Americas." A fine institution co-managed by the CIA and the Pentagon. For an example take a read of the great instruction manuals provided to "teach" our Southern Neighbors in the fine art of controlling the population.:

The manuals contain instructions in motivation by fear, bounties for enemy dead, false imprisonment, torture, execution, and kidnapping a target's family members. Joseph Kennedy said "These manuals taught tactics that come right out of a Soviet gulag and have no place in civilized society." The Pentagon admitted that these manuals were a "mistake"[13]

[guntotinganglion]

Rolling Stone magazine May 20, 1976 "THE HUGHES-NIXON-LANSKY CONNECTION: THE SECRET ALLIANCES OF THE CIA FROM WWII TO WATERGATE" BY H. KOHN

The CIA is a cancer on this country, and has been from the very beginning, when the other worst President in history (than W), Truman, created it. This agency has been responsible for uncounted death and destruction across the world for decades. It's as if the third (yadyaydayada) reich's intelligence apparatus simply morphed into the US intelligence apparatus and became one. And together, they were far more evil, and far more powerful than the sum of their parts...with the stated goal of anti-communism, but the inferred goal being full spectrum global dominance.

There is evidence to support this theory...look up Operation Paperclip...very scary stuff.

I'll be surprised if this makes it in because I used two words for the "losers" of WW2...Huffingtion's censors don't like those two words together. I tried to fool them...but we shall see.

[DivergentMary]

Good job eluding those pesky censors! I'm glad that your post made it ~~~ it's very important info to consider.

[wdw505]

global dominance sounds like a good plan hope it works

[guntotinganglion]

So, you're pro murder and mayhem I take...as long as it's in support of American multi-national goals? How very Constitutional of you. Massively expensive militarism in support of mindless capitalism...sweet. Greed and corruption are a wonderful thing...I can see you agree.

Totalitarianism, what a concept!

[guntotinganglion]

You appear to be a one-line artist, based on your previous postings. Not much to say other than braindead zingers.

[curocat]

Haven't you heard about the " Project "????

[rpswartz]

Great Post!!