Torture Tapes Destroyed to Cover Gonzales Perjury?

[kpete]

Torture Tapes Destroyed to Cover Gonzales Perjury
by drational
Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 05:30:03 AM PST

Today's NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/washington/19intel.html?hp reveals the top Bush Administration lawyers informed of the existence of the CIA Interrogation tapes that likely contained documentation of waterboarding and others techniques that would be considered torture. We have previously learned about the fact White House Counsel Harriet Miers was informed of the tapes existence. Now we learn that the other officials included Dick Cheney's Counsel, David Addington, as well as White House Counsel and later Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The stated Administration justification for destroying the tapes was to protect the identities of the CIA agents who conducted the interrogations. More skeptical folks have suggested that they were destroyed to eliminate bad publicity in the wake of the Abu Ghraib Scandal.

But I submit that there is a more tangible motive: To eliminate evidence of Alberto Gonzales' perjury.
................
Summary

The heady early days of Alberto Gonzales' reign as attorney general were entered with testimony from Alberto Gonzales that the US did not engage in torture. Yet we now learn that Gonzales knew about CIA Torture tapes long before Gonzales became Attorney General. And we learn that the tapes were destroyed shortly after a Federal Judge asked whether they existed. I suggest that the CIA Torture tapes were destroyed to protect Alberto Gonzales (and his Superiors in the Bush Administration) from his first perjury scandal. I will remind the readers that Gonzales can still be impeached, as can Dick Cheney, who almost certainly ordered the CIA to torture prisoners, and for the evidence of this torture to be destroyed in November 2005.

much more here:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/19/8304/5350/907/423192

[KharmaTrain]

1. Gonzo Just Did What He Was Told...

...as any good Consigliere would do. His job wasn't to "advise" or as the "top lawyer in the country", it was to serve his bosses and not to question. If it meant lying, destroying evidence, stonewalling and politicizing, Gonzo did his job well. But we knew that. What we're starting to learn now is he was also "muscle"...from Ashcroft on down, Gonzo wasn't afraid to put the screws to anyone who didn't do the bosses' bidding.

Every day, the case of war crimes builds stronger. While the tapes may not exist, witnesses still do and the destruction of these tapes may, in the end, be the catalyst not only for prosecution through our own flawed justice system, but also to spur on courts abroad and then an international tribunal. Gonzo has now assured himself a seat in the dock next to Rummy, Cheney, Wolfowitz and the other war criminals.

[formercia]

9. Gonzo couldn't wipe his ass without approval.

Where does that lead us?

[KharmaTrain]

11. Keep Squeezing Up

The ultimate ruin of this regime is its insularity...it's inclusiveness. While there were many worker ants, there were few making the real decisions. We see the Monica Goodlings who did what they were told, but I suspect when faced with some real grey bar hotel time, we may hear different stories. It takes time but the story will unfold from the bottom up...thus why contempt citations must be voted out of both houses (what's the deal with that??) and, if needed (and I believe it will be) to use inherent contempt to compell this regime with some teeth.

Ultimately it's the judicial system that will determine Gonzo's fate. The criminality is so widespread it's only a matter of time that his name will appear on an indictment...and truth be known...I can wait until after 1-20-09 so he can't be pardoned even before he goes to trial.

Cheers...

[formercia]

13. Tick, Tick, Tick.......

The Karma clock ticks on.......

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Smirk, smirk, smirk." - Gonzo

"We republicon homelanders have our ways. Smirk, smirk, smirk. Too bad about you truth-demanding American citizens. You can just go pound sand. Smirk."

- Gonzo

[Toots]

3. It all depends on how you define it

The Bush* Cabal changed the definition of torture so they could say without Lying that they did not engage in it. Their new definition written by Gonzo and Addington said it is not torture unless there is death or organ failure..So pulling out one's fingernails with pliers would not be torture by their definition. That way they beat the perjury wrap. They did that with more than just torture...

[UTUSN]

4. K&R #3 n/t

[blogslut]

5. I'll buy it

as part of an effort to kill many birds with one stone

[Richard Steele]

6. Why not? I'm sure they've destroyed LOTS of stuff to cover Gonzo's perjury. Recommended

[spanone]

7. maybe somefuckingday these criminals will all pay for their crimes----maybe

[burythehatchet]

8. We all pay for our crimes, but only the Karmic clock decides when

[flyarm]

10. and today there is a fire where many documents are stored..classified docs and of course

many docs have been witheld from the National archives!

i know put on my tin foil hat..but isn't it always a coincidence with these fuckers that all evidence disappears?..id tapes destroyed, emails erased..now a fucking fire where records and docs are kept next to cheney's ceremonial offices..

hell these bastards have killed over a million people..whats the big deal destroying documents or an old historical building..we know they didn't give a rats ass about Mesapotomia..and the historical relics destroyed there..so we know ..nothing matters but covering their own asses!

fly

[L. Coyote]

12. Take innocent people prisoners, videotape torturing prisoners, destroy evidence sought by prisoners,

get caught, lie ("We do not torture."), lie, lie, lie some more, get caught lying, lie some more.

Last step is always "Figure out who to blame??"

Anyone who does not see that this leads right to Bush is a total fool, or worse still, works for one.
Every participant down the chain of command is also criminally liable.

[formercia]

14. It all boils down to this statement:

"I'm the decider."

George W. Bush

[Kablooie]

15. I doesn't matter. They get away with everything and no one can stop them.

One thing about Cheney/Bush. They are absolute masters of pulling off the perfect crime, over and over and over again.

They've gotten away with so much that I have no faith that they will ever face any consequences for their actions.
They are too damned good.

[formercia]

16. Confident that whoever is the next President

will bury any remaining evidence of their crimes.

[KansDem]

17. Perhaps "...and no one will stop them" would be a better phrase.

The safeguards and mechanism are there to stop them, it's just no one is willing to do it.

[formercia]

18. Someone tied a brick to the safety lever.

I guess Homer is on vacation.