Destroyed Torture Tapes Inquiry: Once Again, It's All About the Cover Up, Not the Crime

[maddezmom]

Destroyed Torture Tapes Inquiry: Once Again, It's All About the Cover Up, Not the Crime
When members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence gather Wednesday afternoon to take the special unmarked elevator to the secure "crypt" to hear a closed briefing on the destruction of CIA videotapes, they won’t be hearing from their star witness. Jose Rodriguez Jr., the former CIA director of operations, who has been identified as having ordered the destruction of two videotapes recording the waterboarding of two terrorism suspects, "remains under subpoeana," says a committee staffer. But the committee has agreed to defer his appearance. “His lawyer has indicated he is not going to answer questions,” without immunity, the staffer continued. "The committee reserves the right to call him" at a later date.

"We’re pleased that the committee is considering our request for immunity," says Robert S. Bennett, Rodriguez’ attorney. "It’s only fair in light of the fact that he has not been given access to the documents he needs to defend himself with."

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that among those documents which might explain Rodriguez' order to destroy the tapes are a late 2005 classified cable from the retiring Bangkok station chief asking if he could destroy the videotapes recorded and stored in Thailand. Perhaps more influential on his decision, the Post reports, in the same time period as the retiring station chief's request, "the CIA had a new director and an acting general counsel , neither of whom sought to block the destruction of the tapes, according to agency officials."

more:http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/01/6878_congress_cia_de.html

[liberal N proud]

1. It should be about both the crime and the cover up

Double criminal actions and they both should be dealt with appropriately.