http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3143446&mesg_id=3143446Tapes Destroyed Over CIA's Objections (according to Hoekstra after meeting with Rizzo)
Posted by maddezmom on Wed Jan-16-08 09:01 PM
Source: AP
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 16, 2008
Filed at 9:29 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The CIA official who gave the command to destroy interrogation videotapes apparently acted against the direction of his superiors, the top Republican House Intelligence Committee member said Wednesday.
''It appears he hadn't gotten authority from anyone,'' said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., speaking to reporters after the first day of closed testimony in the committee's investigation. ''It appears he got direction to make sure the tapes were not destroyed.''
Hoekstra said that raises the troubling prospect that there's a thread of unaccountability in the spy culture.
''I believe there are parts of the intelligence community that don't believe they are accountable to Congress and may not be accountable to their own superiors in the intelligence community, and that's why it's a problem,'' he said.
Hoekstra spoke after the CIA's acting general counsel, John Rizzo, testified behind closed doors for nearly four hours as the first witness in what committee officials have said will be a long investigation.
Read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-CIA-Videotapes.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account of C.I.A. Tapes Is Challenged
By MARK MAZZETTI and SCOTT SHANE
Published: January 17, 2008
WASHINGTON — The former Central Intelligence Agency official who authorized the destruction in 2005 of videotapes documenting harsh interrogation of detainees from Al Qaeda gave the order despite apparently being directed to preserve the tapes, the senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday.
Representative Peter Hoekstra, Republican of Michigan, said Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., head of the C.I.A.’s clandestine service at the time, had not “gotten authority from anyone” to destroy the tapes.
“Matter of fact, it appears that he got direction to make sure the tapes were not destroyed,” he said.
Mr. Hoekstra spoke after hearing testimony from John A. Rizzo, the C.I.A.’s top lawyer, who addressed the committee on Wednesday during a closed session lasting nearly four hours.
more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/washington/17intel.html?ref=world Did they rec the okay from the WH?
Bush Lawyers Discussed Fate Of C.I.A.Tapes
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E3DB113FF93AA25751C1A9619C8B63&scp=3&sq=harriet+miers+CIA