(Bush) White House, CIA Lawyers Angry at Tape Destruction

[sabra]

Source: ABC News/AP

White House counsel Harriet Miers was "livid" and CIA counsel John Rizzo was "clearly upset" that the spy agency destroyed interrogation videos showing waterboarding in 2005, newly released CIA documents show.

The documents show that, not long after destroying the videos, CIA officials worried they'd done something improper. The internal CIA e-mails foreshadow a controversy that has lingered at the agency for years and remains the subject of a Justice Department investigation.

The videos showed CIA interrogators using waterboarding, a simulated drowning technique, on terrorism suspect Abu Zubaydah. The videos showed that interrogators did not follow the waterboarding procedures authorized by President George W. Bush's administration, the documents show.

The e-mails, released by the Justice Department under a Freedom of Information Act request by the American Civil Liberties Union, showed that Bush's top lawyer, Miers, and her CIA counterpart, Rizzo, were both angry the tapes were destroyed.

"Rizzo is clearly upset because he was on the hook to notify Harriet Miers of the status of the tapes because it was she who had asked to be advised before any action was taken," reads a November 2005 e-mail from an unidentified CIA officer to the agency's No. 3 official, Kyle "Dusty" Foggo. "Apparently, Rizzo called Harriet this afternoon and she was livid."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=10389914

[Gman]

1. Why was Miers even surprised?

WTF did she she expect considering the people she knew she was dealing with?

[earcandle]

2. We are not concerned with the emotions of criminals and those who aided and abetted. We want the

actual news that something will be done about this
irresponsible behavior, like prosecuting the laws that are in
place to punish this negligence.  It is just too easy to say
there is an emotional response and that is enough.  That does
not work in a country where the rule of law is firm and the
people realize consequences for their behavior.  

[rfranklin]

3. You pegged it.

This certainly seems to be intended to dissipate any actual prosecution.

[EFerrari]

8. This is the diffuser for the story yesterday that Goss laughed about it. n/t

[Iowa]

17. Well said. I agree.

[xchrom]

4. Ok everyone -- we are being recorded so sound angry.

That's how I think it went.

Edit -- spelling on a touch screen always dicey.

[I Have A Dream]

5. Absolutely! They knew how to cover their asses. nt

[fascisthunter]

6. Yeah, right... this is how it went down...

"Shit, they destroyed my favorite smut collection!"

[pinboy3niner]

7. Investigators should have checked these folks' . . .

HOME computers.

[EFerrari]

9. The Justice Department was in on it. The FBI knew about it

-- they told CIA they didn't want any part of it. There was no one left to investigate.

[pinboy3niner]

11. Natch

Justice was a political arm of the Bush WH.

[hatrack]

10. And that's why they all resigned in protest . . .

Oh, wait a minute.

[florida08]

12. when do the trials begin?

Certainly subpoenas have been issued?

[katandmoon]

14. Maybe in an alternate universe. Not by this one's criminal protecting DOJ.

[ThomThom]

13. She can act livid all she wants

There is still a crime.

[JDPriestly]

15. So did they resign? If the client was lying to a court, the lawyer is supposed

to fire the client. A lawyer is never permitted to lie to the court.

[Uncle Joe]

16. Did ABC News interview Glen Beck and did he cry over this incident?

:cry:

This is an important question, how we can govern our selves in a just manner without the corporate media doing it's investigative job and letting us know the emotional state of the nation?

[rocktivity]

18. But they didn't fire anybody, did they?

In fact, didn't somebody get a medal?

:eyes:
rocktivity

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. You just don't get it!

They were really, really mad! Furious! Splenetic! Convulsed!

+1

[earcandle]

19. A Lemon Song "We're so cute when we are angry"

Isn't my husband brilliant!

His former band made this song in 1996.

X-tal does A Lemon Song.

A Lemon Song

He thought the bit about the salamander was dated (about Newt Gingrich) but no, he is still showing up!


Thank you all for your hard work.

I hope our music helps.