The destruction of the CIA tapes documenting evidence obtained in interrogations of two high level terrorism suspects is a :

FELONY VIOLATION of the USA Patriot Act

Wake UP ! It's hidden in plain sight right in front of your nose.

This is the very first blog I have found after weeks of intensive searching and posting on this matter, the very first blog that one single other person has mentioned the possibility of using the USA Patriot Act to prosecute.

Tom Dedham, Mass

Are you sure it was only done 3 times? The Bush Adm. is known for its cloak and dagger secrecy. Case in point, several private groups like Judicial Watch sued to get a list of people visiting the VP to see who was involved in the Cheney Energy task force. Cheney claimed executive privilege to prevent to Secret Service logs from becoming public. Then later the National Archives (based on a presidential order) started requiring officials to report statistics on the number of documents it classifies and declassifies. Cheney then states he isn't part of the executive branch. Surely you can see that Cheney wants to have both ways and is overly secretive. This is just another case of more people working with administration to cover their tracks. Furthermore, this is the CIA, do you really think it was necessary to destroy the tapes, why not just make them classified or a matter of "Top National Security"?

NNNNOOOO lets destroy the evidence of so that we won't be criticized. After all we don't want people to think we took the low road and resorted to torture.

I do want the Gov't to protect me, however, I also want the gov't to take the high road in times of war. I think the argument that because they weren't part of a "standing army" they aren't covered under the Geneva Convention is a cop-out. We're splitting hairs when we don't label them POWs. Hey I got a great idea, lets just hold them in Gitmo for the rest of their lives and never give them a fair trial. I'm sure the muslim world would just love to have another reason to hate us even more.

As for the CIA agents being exposed to harm, come on Tom! Ever heard of distorting figures or faces on camera? The technology is out there to edit film to prevent the identification of the agents. Likewise, I suppose it was ok for the CIA to protect these guys but it equally ok for Armitage/Rove/Libby to disclose Plame's ID?

Tom, you may think waterboarding isn't torture and thats an opinion that I respectfully disagree with. However, John McCain who actually was tortured numerous times has said that it is torture and he doesn't support the practice. There are other GOP members of the House and Senate who also support a waterboarding ban, so don't make this a Us vs Them issue. God I hope CNN doesn't censor this post!

Kate, Aurora CO : December 17, 2007 11:17 am

Just one comment our military does not employ waterboarding or other methods deemed as torture and has regulations in place that outlaw such practises. Other governmental agencies such as the CIA are not governed by the same high standards and ethical behavior however as our military.

Simple questions and points here:

You have been misled that waterboarding is happening all the time, the FACT is that it was done THREE TIMES, THREE.

Two of the three times we gained information QUICKLY (after at first they would not talk), it is PROVEN that we captured KSM and STOPPED many acts that were being planned by using these methods. FACT.

Nancy Pelosi and other leading Democrats were all made aware of the methods used and said NOTHING as it was politically expedient to use them, now they complain and call it torture.

Hillary said that it should be used under the Presidents discretion and just recently (like Pelosi and others) changed their tune as it is now not popular.

Would you high and mighty people not want the Government to do EVERYTHING to protect all of us, just like you would your own children?

These tapes on the Internet would help the terrorists gain sympathy (they wouldn't think twice about cutting your head off for NO reason).

The CIA agents would also be exposed to harm and their family may be harmed as well.

Whose side are you on?

NO…not Congress.

Our interim Attorney General should appoint an independent counsel to investigate.

Congress is too full of demagogues for the right/left to get a fair airing of this issue. Or mabye we should impart the "patriot act"…and just arrest the culprits we think did it–say that it provided aid and support to the enemy..and lock them away indefinitely.

the system allows Congress to investigate…so, if there's a matter that needs looking into, that's their job…it's not an 'if-you-wanna'

As much as this regime in DC like to
spout off about "transparency" and
"free and democratic society " they
act more like the Saudi or Iranian
government where they interpret the
laws on a case by case basis based
on whom it's going ot applied.
And add to this a little bit of the
Khmer Rouge, they were masters of torture and used "waterboarding"
regularly in the torture and execution
process at Tuol Sleng Prison.

http://www.worldproutassembly.org/images/Waterboard.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/garella/84530494/in/set-1126190/

So taken all together, this regime
in DC is everything they claim to
be against and then some.

Evidently Joe does remember Janet Reno…

In response to KC:

Isn't one of the many reasons used by this administration to justify the war in Iraq, that we are spreading freedom? How are we spreading freedom if our military resorts to the same cruel and inhumane tactics employed by our "enemies"?
The democrats don't have to try very hard to embarrass this president, he does more than enough to accomplish that feat on his own. We all laugh about this president's abuse of the english language but other countries see it as our president being an uneducated backyard shoot 'em up cowboy who got through life on a name and a legacy. Al Gore isn't president but still your republican right wingers take every chance to insult him, for example when he was given the Nobel Peace Prize. Republicans don't lower themselves? Excuse me? Millions and millions of our tax dollars spent on investigating an extramarital affair? That wasn't wasteful? What exactly came out of that investigation? You say the democrats act like spoiled brats and in part I agree with you but I would rather a spoiled brat than an arrogant faith monger who invades soverign nations based on lies all the while profiting from the lost lives of innocent people.

investigate this. this really reeks of a cover up. the CIA is obviously out of control and covering their tracks.

And this effects me how?
No one I know is worried about this. we worry about taxes, health care prices, terrorism, ending the war in Iraq, government waste, etc.
Stick to the important topics, congress!

First off, Congress called for a independent prosecutor to be placed in charge of the investigation. This was done because it has political consquenses and is an investigation within the executive branch of government which both the DoJ and the CIA fall.

The AG has not appointed an independent investigator, it is with in Congresses perview to provide over sight of the CIA. Refusal to cooperate would be interference with Congress in preforming its Consitutional duties.

While I agree that much much more about this administration should be invesitogated, this is where we are today. As far as concerns about national security, there are provisions where matters that involve national secuirity can be provided behind closed doors. However, it should be noted that matters of national security involve security of the natioon not protecting administration flunkys.

The nations security has been weakened, by the eroding of American values that this nation was founded upon. Humint is not a factor here, one does not recruit spys through illegal actions by our personnal, one recruits spys for many reasons to include illegal activities on behalf of the recruit. So if anything the administrations use of illegal means has weakened our nations security by exposing our inteligence personnal involved in carrying out these illegal activites to blackmail and recruitment by foreign governments.

To preserve our national security, we must get to bottom of this mess and identify those responsible for the destruction of the tapes and the crimes that they were attempting to coverup.

These news releases are exactly why Congress should NOT conduct investigations. At least when the Dept of Justice investigates, the information is still protected. Congress runs right to the press every time. It is a sad day when Congress thinks they can declassify National Security information for political gain. Our country is going to the dogs.

And I quote from the gospel of "W":

"America does not torture."

That is, unless you have the tapes to prove it.

Can't we convict this man for LYING???

What an A-hole!

and this effects me how?

Investigate what? Most of you people have got your priorities friggen backwards. Most of what should be investigated goes by the wayside and you idiots want to stir up more unpopular criticism in the worlds eyes. Thanks much you bleedin heart liberals.

How pathetic our congress has become. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have brought tremendous shame to America, and disgust from the world. Democrats can't get beyond their petty hatred to perform even the most menial tasks. They have become totally ineffectual and meaningless.

I would like to think that as far as we have come as a nation in such a short time in comparison to other nations, we would have other means of extracting the imformation we need out of prisoners of war. The reality is we do not. This is the ugly side of war !! When we go to war ,we take the pros and cons with us. Our enemies at the present time would do and have done far worse. Congress knew or should know this when they sign on. there is no room for monday morning quarterbacks during war. It undermines our solders efforts, lessons there sacrfice, It gives our enemies a false sense of weakness on our side that emboldens them to keep fighting.If our troops are busy thinking how there commanders orders are to be interpreted at home, they can't do there job on the battle field. War sucks, War is hell on earth,, but war is somthing no one on this earth is ammune of at this time. Battles and events that happen during war times can not be scrutinized in real time as they occure by the congress, by the media, or by us. This does not fall under the RIGHT TO KNOW

Replying to KC….You cant figure out why waterboarding is such a big deal? So if Iran catches our soldiers and waterboards them are we supposed to think thats ok? Is our CIA so helpless they cant keep video tapes secure? if they cant keep 2 video tapes secure then god help all of us…they had a reason for destroying them and given this administrations record so far im guessing it was to cover something up.

i'm glad the democrats are in power in congress because if the republican's were still in control not only would congress not investigate we would never even have heard about it. the republicans have let this president do so much wrong that he isn't used to being told NO NO NO.

While there at it, Congress needs to look at another Bush faux pax, the omission of the hospital with the largest patient death toll post Hurricane Katrina? Why is this relevant now? Because the same private equity firm is getting ready to buy ManorCare.

If the Carlyle Group can fail 24 LifeCare patients in a time of disaster, what might they do with 550 mostly nursing homes? It's directly relevant to the proposed purchase but no oversight body has made a peep.

Get off your keister Congress!

give the Dems more of a majority and then see how much can be accomplished. It's all dependant on votes and as long as Bush has enough lap dogs in Congress obstruction is inevitable.

Um. yes this should definitely be investigated. It's sad that this is even a point of contention.

Want transparent and accountable government? Vote Ron Paul. Donate to Ron Paul tonight, and be part of history, the highest one day political donation total ever! We're already over 5 million!

Another example of the Bush arrogance.
You will see the Bush gang doing everything they can to stop any investigation. It will be interesting to see if Congress has the where-with-all to pursue the issue.

The CIA should have the right to keep certain investigations confidential that concern our Country's security.

These Senators and Congressmen are just trying to make political points by pushing for these investigations.

The nation's security has truly been weakened over the past 20 years by not having enough foreign infiltration throughout the world.

This whole administration needs to be investigaged.
I would not trust anyone of them for a second even watching them all the time.
That goes double for Bush and Cheney/

Joe is right, once again.

Yes, the tapes should definitely be investigated. I lost all confidence in the Democrats a short time after I elected them though, so I won't holg my breath.

the three stooges is more like it