CIA Destroyed Tapes Despite Court Order
Lots of questions may be providing lots of answers but they may not be the ones most people want to hear. It may be popular to root for your favorite players and hope they win just like in a game in sports. But this is not sports and as long as the story broke it would be right to have all involved come clean no matter their political affiliation.
But in one report from the AP, a possible scenario for the investigations in part may be a problem for anyone seeking to prosecute those involved. Orders claimed to have been given by US judges in advance of the time the tapes are said to have been destroyed specifically referred to Gitmo and the detainees there. But the detainees in question were not at Gitmo. They were being held ‘half a world away’ according to the report.
It may seem a little silly to some readers but the devils in the details and probably smaller details have created insurmountable obstacles in other cases before. More small details would be associated with others who knew something about the interrogation techniques or tapes or attended meetings discussing the situation. Speaker Pelosi and Congresswoman Jane Harman were in focus as a story broke in WaPo that they knew something. Pelosi published a press release on her Congressional website and Jane Harman offered her version on the News Hour on PBS last night.
The current CIA chief was not present during the events that led to these stories but spoke in front of the cameras saying he was happy to help and would let the facts take it where they may. Others closer to the events related to these tapes may not have the same reaction when called to tell what they know or don’t know.
Those making the arguments for detainees may focus on the idea that any destruction of any tapes is destroying evidence while the other side of the argument may reach for the detail mentioned above or an answer dealing with what constitutes evidence and what is allowed to be destroyed based on the intel communities mission or objectives.
It might be a little premature but Code Pink was out in force soon after the story broke in WaPo with signs reading ‘Pelosi Knew in 2002′. Like all such stories and investigations it might be better to wait until more information is available before deciding who is guilty. It is possible there will be enough uncovered by the investigation to either decide what no one may like but little will result or there could even be plenty of scapegoats on both political sides so satisfy everyone’s opinion.