CIA destroyed Torture Tapes 1-29-2008

29, January 2008 CIA destroyed Torture Tapes
As further evidence of our nation’s decline in morality and the rule of law, we now learn that the C.I.A has destroyed critical evidence of its harsh treatment of detainees. The agency’s nonchalant response was to defend its unlawful activity by stating that to preserve such evidence would expose its employees to legal risks. Really, how inconvenient! The destruction of the tapes raises serious, important issues of what additional information the C.I.A. withheld from Congress, the courts, the September 11 Commission and the general public.  General Hayden, only ‘came clean’, after the New York Times’ exposed the insidious torture practices. 
Two top members of the House Intelligence Committee vigorously denied that had been informed of the planned destruction of the tapes, as Hayden claims. Clearly someone is not telling the truth. The then committee chair, Representative, Peter Hoeksra was’ incensed’ that he was not informed of the planned destruction of the tapes. Jane Haman, of California, had previously informed the C.I.A. that destruction of interrogation tapes was a “bad idea”. The response from our lawmakers has been extremely disappointing. Congressional hearing should be held to investigate the malfeasance of the C.I.A. Predictably, the newly appointed Attorney General, Michael Mukasey,  failed to live up his promise to distance himself from the dark shadow of the White House by failing to vigorously investigate the unlawful conduct of the C.I.A. and refusing to acknowledge that Water-Boarding constitutes torture.