Dan Froomkin: The Stonewall Continues

[babylonsister]

The Stonewall Continues

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Wednesday, December 12, 2007; 1:30 PM


The White House continues to dodge important questions about its involvement in the destruction of videotapes documenting the CIA's torture of terror suspects.

The evidence is mounting that the White House role in the decision to destroy the tapes may have been significant. But no details are forthcoming from White House aides. Rather than come clean with the public, they are once again hiding behind a familiar but transparent dodge, saying that ongoing investigations preclude them from speaking.

Baloney. They just don't want to answer questions.

The only substantive thing White House Press Secretary Dana Perino offered up about the matter on Friday was a carefully parsed denial of any direct involvement by President Bush himself. "He has no recollection of being made aware of the tapes or their destruction before yesterday," Perino said.

That's what's known in Washington as an assertion of plausible deniability -- particularly given Bush's history of leaving such matters to his vice president. And he's not even saying he wasn't involved, he's just saying he doesn't remember.

Yesterday, Bush used almost the same phrasing during an interview with ABC News's Martha Raddatz: "My first recollection of whether the tapes existed or whether they were destroyed was when Michael Hayden briefed me," he said, adding: "There's a preliminary inquiry going on, and I think you'll find that a lot more data, facts, will be coming out... That's good. It will be interesting to know what the true facts are."

There is, however, plenty of data the White House could and should share with the public right now, starting with the disclosure of who in the White House knew about the tapes, what they knew, and when they knew it.

In the face of this blatant stonewall, I have to ask again: Where is the outrage?

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/12/12/BL2007121201438.html?nav=hcmodule

[malaise]

1. Yep that not remembering was all the proof I needed

Time to impeach Bush and Cheney.

[BeHereNow]

2. Where is the outrage indeed? And WHERE the fuck is the CONgress?

Emphasis in CON because they have conned us all.
Impeach NOW.
BHN

[seafan]

3. Here's a nice tidbit:

"Senior officials of the CIA's National Clandestine Service finally decided on their own authority in late 2005 to destroy the tapes -- which were kept at a secret location overseas -- after failing to elicit clear instructions from the White House or other senior officials on what to do with them, according to one of the former intelligence officials with direct knowledge of the events in question. An extensive paper -- or e-mail -- trail exists documenting the contacts between Clandestine Service officials and top agency managers and between the CIA and the White House regarding what to do about the tapes, according to two former intelligence officials. . . .

.....

Froomkin: The Stonewall Continues



Would these e-mails be part of the 10 million *missing e-mails* that Bush also knows nothing about?

[WillyT]

4. K & R !!!

:kick: