CIA destroys tapes of harsh questioning

[Robert Sheridan]

Does anyone else find themselves underwhelmed at this revelation?

Was there any duty to make the tapes in the first place and preserve  
them?

How much law is the CIA, meaning its officers and agents, supposed to  
follow?

Isn't this our James Bond agency, licensed to kill, to overthrow  
governments, to foment revolutions, and otherwise do our dirty work to  
keep the system going?

If we don't want them to do this, can't we so direct them?

Apparently we want them to overthrow the Mossadeghs of the world, by  
fair means or foul.

We just don't want the blood on our hands.

The CIA's (lame) excuse is that if the tapes leaked, the harsh- 
interrogators would be subject to reprisal, which they certainly  
would.  I understand that some of the people we're fighting in Iraq  
are fairly sophisticated in using Internet technology not only to  
spread their terror but to read our traffic.  Our people are very  
careful about concealing their identities to avoid reprisal.

Regardless of how lame the excuse appears to be, there may thus be a  
kernel of legitimate concern, although I suspect that the real reason  
for the destruction was to avoid criminal prosecution in a game where  
the rules are in flux.  What may have seemed wonderful yesterday may  
be a crime today, depending on the result of the last election.  When  
the Dems suddenly achieve Congressional subpoena power, case officers  
under a GOP administration have good reason to quiver.

The CIA destroy evidence?  They're in the business of creating it.   
Why should we be surprised when they destroy it?

I see that there's a call for new A-G Michael Mukasey to launch an  
investigation into this, i.e., of us.

Have we ever prosecuted one of our spies for:

-obstructing justice by creating false evidence?
-obstructing justice by destroying tapes that didn't have to be made  
in the first place?

This doesn't seem like a slam-dunk to me.

Other views?

rs
sfls


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