CIA to Turn Over Documents About Destroyed Interrogation Tapes
The CIA will turn over documents about the destruction of videotaped interrogations to the House Intelligence Committee, congressional and intelligence officials told the New York Times.
The CIA’s top lawyer, John Rizzo, will be made available to testify, but it’s unclear if the official who ordered the destruction of the tapes will appear before the committee. Jose Rodriguez ordered the tapes destroyed in 2005 when he was in charge of the agency’s clandestine division.
House Intelligence Committee chairman Sylvestre Reyes told the Washington Post he expects Rodriguez to testify, but the Times story says whether he appears may depend on immunity discussions.
The decision to cooperate marks a turnaround. Earlier the Justice Department had asked the committee to delay its inquiry until the DOJ probe is complete. Now Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse tells the Times that the DOJ has “no desire to block any congressional investigation,” despite its concerns that immunity grants by the committee will taint a future criminal prosecution.
The Times reported yesterday that four White House lawyers had discussed destruction of the videotapes, but their advice was unclear. Two CIA lawyers, however, opined that the tapes could be destroyed.
Today’s Washington Post story about the lawyers’ debate is similar, but it reports that CIA chief Michael Hayden told lawmakers in closed-door testimony that the four White House officials consistently counseled caution about destroying the tapes.
Quoting unnamed CIA officials, the Post story says the destroyed videotapes showed waterboarding and other “enhanced techniques” being used in the interrogation of two al-Qaida suspects.
