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Holding the CIA Accountable

James Freedland,
勛圖眻畦
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March 4, 2009

In a letter filed as part of an 勛圖眻畦 lawsuit on Monday, the CIA acknowledged it destroyed 92 tapes recording harsh interrogations of detainees held in U.S. custody abroad. The sheer number of videotapes destroyed indicates that the CIA engaged in a concerted effort to hide evidence of illegal activity.

The CIAs systematic tape destruction also provides further confirmation that the agency violated a 2004 court order in our FOIA case to produce or identify all materials related to the interrogation of prisoners overseas. Under that order, the CIA should have acknowledged the existence of the tapes and either disclosed them or explained how they could be lawfully withheld. The CIA did neither of those things. And thats why the 勛圖眻畦 filed a motion over a year ago to hold the agency in contempt for violating the courts order. That motion is still pending.

For over five years, we have been trying to uncover information about the Bush administrations torture policies. Now that its been confirmed that so many tapes were destroyed, we know theres at least some information the public will never get to see. It is remarkable that CIA improperly withheld and then destroyed evidence of criminal activity evidence that was requested by the and that at least one federal judge had ordered the CIA to identify or produce.

Clearly, the CIA must be held accountable for its flagrant disregard for the rule of law.

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