US credibility damaged by CIA tape affair: lawmakers

[ProSense]

US credibility damaged by CIA tape affair: lawmakers

by Dan De Luce Sun Dec 9, 5:39 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US lawmakers on Sunday blasted the CIA for destroying interrogation tapes of terror suspects, saying it would damage America's standing and feed suspicions about possible torture.

A day after the Justice Department said it had opened a preliminary inquiry into the affair along with the CIA's internal watchdog, presidential hopefuls and lawmakers from both parties condemned the disposal of the videotapes.

"What this does in a larger sense is it harms the credibility and the moral standing of America in the world again," said Senator John McCain, a Republican contender for the White House who was abused as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

<...>

"Burning tapes, destroying evidence ... I don't know how deep this goes. Could there be obstruction of justice? Yes," Republican Senator Chuck Hagel said on CBS.

"How far does this go up in the White House, who knew it? I don't know," Hagel said.

more

McCain is a joke! What credibility?

"Those tapes must have depicted pretty gruesome evidence of serious criminal conduct." (part 2)

[ixion]

1. could there be war crimes and crimes against humanity?

yes.

[EFerrari]

2. No kidding. What credibility?

Bush has made this country hated around the world. He couldn't have done better if he sent bin Laden an engraved invitation.

[Mnemosyne]

8. Psst, Beth!

I heard * has the face of Osama Bin Missing tattooed on his, uh, 'pretzel".

Makes Laura feel exotic and * doesn't have to worry about 'finding' Bin Laden! :evilgrin:

[EFerrari]

10. LOL!

:hi:

[Mnemosyne]

11. .

:hi:

[shadowknows69]

3. Sorry we don't have any more to piss away

Next pile of false outrage please.

[L. Coyote]

4. "serious felony that carries a possible 20 year sentence"

Comment by Jennifer Daskal, Sr. Counterterrorism Counsel, Human Rights Watch
google news commentComment by Jennifer Daskal - Dec 7, 2007
http://news.google.com/news?btcid=6b8ea64eb960b3c9

The CIA was well aware that its interrogations crossed a line considered by many to be torture. Now some in the CIA may also be guilty of obstruction of justice as well - a serious felony that carries a possible 20 year sentence. There needs to be a serious criminal investigation, and those who have committed crimes should be prosecuted and convicted.

================

This analysis is far more reality grounded than the WA Post hit piece. For example, "The destruction of the tapes raises questions about whether agency officials withheld information from Congress, the courts and the Sept. 11 commission about aspects of the program." That points to crimes, obstruction, and the usual lying.

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Democrats Call for Inquiry in Destruction of Tapes by C.I.A.
By MARK MAZZETTI - Dec 7, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/washington/07cnd-intel.html?em&ex=1197176400&en=45ed2b1aaa42e72f&ei=5087%0A


WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 — Angry Democratic lawmakers called for investigations today into the Central Intelligence Agency’s destruction in 2005 of at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Qaeda operatives in the agency’s custody.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts accused the C.I.A. of “a cover-up,” while Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois said it was possible that people at the agency had engaged in obstruction of justice. Both called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate. “We haven’t seen anything like this since the 18½ -minute gap on the tapes of Richard Nixon,” Mr. Kennedy said in a speech on the Senate floor, as reaction to the disclosure about the videotapes seemed to intensify minute by minute.

Mr. Durbin, the Democratic whip, said he had written Mr. Mukasey to ask for an inquiry into “whether C.I.A. officials who destroyed these videotapes and withheld information about their existence from official proceedings violated the law.” The speeches by Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Durbin followed an angry statement by Representative Jane Harman of California, head of the Homeland Security subcommittee on intelligence and terrorism risk assessment. Ms. Harman, who was the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee in early 2003, said she cautioned C.I.A. officials then not to destroy any videotapes pertaining to interrogation practices.

.........

=========================
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, It is a Crime to Lie to Congress, and the Torture Cover Up Conundrum.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2435841

"How to get out of this mess, now that we have been caught lying to Congress, a crime," someone in the Political Wingnut Office no doubt thought. Well, you already know the rest of the story. Or, do you? Maybe we all need to step back and do a little analysis. Some on ourselves for being fools, but mostly to see past the smoke and mirrors of daily deception and official lies, the daily bread that blinds like ergot on rye.

On further reflection, it seems a Political Wingnut went on the offensive before the cover up of torture becomes the crime de jour. Or is it crime of the hour now. It sure seemed like it last week. Brace yourself for this week, I'm guessing, because the real implications will soon surface. The Intelligence Community is bound by law to report to key members of Congress. So, guess who has the goods on the liars who did not report honestly to Congress? The ones being targeted by the recent propaganda assault, esp. the Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

NUMBER ONE: It is a crime to lie to Congress. Therein lies the inception of the real story.

NUMBER TWO: The Intelligence Community (read Bush Administration) is required by law to inform Congress of its war crimes, like torture!

There is your conundrum in raw formulation. Screwed if you tell on yourself, screwed if you did not. So now, we are seeing the after effects.

.... more .....

[Wizard777]

15. Lying to Congress is only a crime if it could effect the outcome of a World Series. n/t

[robinlynne]

5. wait a minute. the CIA stood up last week against the war, bigtime. they confroted Bush

and called his bluff. And now there is a big investigation of the CIA...Shouldn't we be all upset about Bush and Cheney, who tried to make a war out of lies, again. From here, it looks like the CIA is playing scapegoat. Bush was intent onkilling hundreds of thousands of people with a war. vs 2 guys may have been harmed. Which is more important?

[shraby]

6. Truth is, both are most important.

There needs to be investigations of both at the same time. Getting congress to do it is another story.

[robinlynne]

14. I'm just saying I think neocon interests are behind this CIA story. if they can damage

intelligence credibility they can continue their warpath. They blamed the Iraq war on the CIA, and we know the CIA did not willingfully make up that intelligence. They deflect the blame from where it really belongs.

[pscot]

7. U.S Lawmakers cited must not get out much

I have European in-laws, and believe me, the U.S has no credibility left.

[Mnemosyne]

9. One Dung Beetle has more credibility and sense of decency than the entire

RNC and 'friends' combined.

[Fovea]

12. It can't be.

How much lower than zero does the scale go?

[bobthedrummer]

13. Meanwhile Adm. Mullen (CJCS) has accepted the invitation of a chief of the IDF

to visit Israel and "discuss" Iran-and that will be followed by the Decider's first trip to the ME--and then Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Adm. Mullen's boss, BFEE's SecDef Gates, who also pooped on the NIE on Iran in concert with folks like John Bolton---plus Sen. Whitehouse made it plain that the Decider feels he is the arbiter of what our Constitution means based on the corrupted Just US Dept "experts" have secretly advised...

Nobody can make this up-there is no credibility just danger for all, and these criminals are determined to follow their own evil agenda as long as they remain occupying the offices they were installed in by a stealthy extreme RW coup.

Isn't that more credible than any of the propaganda and mind control crap from these enemies of our nation and our Constitution?

But we are told that the remedies are off the table until more Democrats are elected-a rejection of the message we sent last year and of the promises made by the new Dem leadership we elected (despite all barriers) which has assisted in destroying (literally and figuratively) just about everything in The United States of America that was credible.

[bobthedrummer]

16. ...

[malaise]

17. The US is even more damaged by the NIE report

More lies about nukes.

[Disturbed]

18. In two weeks this will be forgotten.

- "a serious felony that carries a possible 20 year sentence."

No way! No one will be prosecuted.