sorry, i thought you said destroy the tapes

Looks like an administration scapegoat has surfaced in the case of the C.I.A. torture tape destruction. According to Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, the man who destroyed the tapes, C.I.A. employee Jose Rodriguez, was a rogue employee who acted against the wishes of Congress, his superiors, and the will of the people. No doubt, Rodriguez believes he did it for the good of the country, especially since he's now likely to argue that although, yes, he knew it wasn't a good idea, he didn't know that destroying the tapes was illegal. Hopefully, Rodriquez and other administration officials will someday get a chance to try and convince a jury if such arguments are plausible.

source: Associated Press

see also:
m.o.i.: zero tolerance for conspiracy and torture
m.o.i.: bringing some light to a dark hour
m.o.i.: insane clown posse

zero tolerance for conspiracy and torture

In a NY Times editorial dated January 2nd, 2008, Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton, who served as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the 9/11 commission, call the actions of the C.I.A. Director as well as those of White House counsels with regards to the commission's request for all evidence related to their lawful legal investigation - OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, just as Warrior Ant Press suggested in several December, 2007 posts (see links below). The 9-11 Commission, technically known as the National Commission on Terrorist Acts Upon the United States, was an independent, bipartisan commission created by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in September 2002. Then C.I.A. Director George Tenet, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as well as C.I.A. and White House counsels, including such luminaries as Harriet Myers and Alberto Gonzales, ignored repeated requests for evidence from the commission and also lied about knowledge of such evidence. These were felony crimes.

Where 2 or more parties come together in the name of obstruction, it is also known as conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. Also a felony crime. It's time for folks on the hill to step up to the convictions of the vast majority of U.S. citizens and take action against these evil-doers and say zero tolerance for torture and zero tolerance for obstruction of justice. Say it loud. Under U.S. Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 73, §ec. 1505, penalties for obstruction of justice alone could include a $250,000 fine and up to 8 years in prison.

see also:
m.o.i.: bringing some light to a dark hour
m.o.i.:: insane clown posse

elsewhere:
9-11 commission calls it obstruction
what is 9-11 commission?

bringing some light to our darkest hours

On Friday, just in time for Christmas and the Winter Solstice, the culpability of the Bush Administration torture crowd will be questioned by a federal judge. The government must appear before Federal District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr to answer questions about why the government withheld evidence in a criminal trial and then destroyed said evidence, even when warned against doing either by the court. Let's hope Judge Kennedy sees the government's actions for what they were, and sets the stage for indictments of a slew of White House counsels who were part and parcel to such blatant disregard for the rule of law, which they pretend to cherish, yet so patently ignore.

This includes former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who served as White House counsel until early 2005; Gonzales'successor, Harriet Miers, who was briefly nominated to the Supreme Court before her name was withdrawn for being El Presidento's urequited love slave; John B. Bellinger III, who until January 2005 was the senior lawyer at the National Security Council,and David Addington, who is Vice President Dick "the Dick" Cheney's chief of staff and formerly his cousel. Lawyers all, and when they go against the wishes of the court willfully and knowingly, it amounts to Obstruction of justice and Conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice.

The Bush Administration objects to being forced to appear before Judge Kennedy, just as they object to each and every request to shed light on their dungeons and dragons roleplaying with the world, our future, and the constitution. A little sunlight will be the undoing of these devils. Thanks goodness the days are going to start getting longer as of today.
see also:
m.o.i.:: insane clown posse

elsewhere:
officials to submit to questioning

ap cia videotapes analysis

insane clown posse

When will members of the Bush administration be held accountable for their criminal acts?

Today the New York Times published an article revealing that the C.I.A. destroyed tapes of agents using what they referred to as, extreme interrogation techniques, but many would likely view as torture. The interrogations took place in 2002, and the C.I.A. destroyed the tapes in 2005. On at least 2 occasions prior to their destruction, attorneys for the C.I.A. told federal prosecutors who requested any documents that might show evidence of such "interrogation" techniques that the C.I.A. had none. High ranking C.I.A. officials also told members of the 9/11 commission and members of the House Intelligence Committee that no such documents existed.

Now it appears that they did have such information in the form of videotapes and audiotapes and rather than turn over the requested evidence, it was destroyed. The evidence was also witheld from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 9/11 attacks. We are not coming to the defense of Mr. Zacarias, but when the government can destroy evidence in trials, can withhold evidence in trials at its discretion, and can deny defendants access to legal counsel, then we have serious problems in this country.

This goes against our entire system of law. Lying to federal prosecutors! Withholding of evidence when specifically requested from Congressional oversight committees. There has to be a modicum of trust between the people and the government or the government will cease to function. The people will, and should, demand this. This was Nixon's downfall. Lying to American public and destroying evidence. Americans won't stand for this bullshit much longer.

There should be immediate calls for a special counsel to investigate the destruction of criminal evidence, and if anyone, anyone is found to be involved in such actions they should be charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. It's time to put more people with ties to this morally bankrupt administration of liars, cheats, and thugs behind bars. This includes Porter Goss, who was head of the C.I.A. at the time and who had to have known this was being done. He would have had to ok such an action. It's time for the Bush Administration to retreat to a dungeon of its own making.

elsewhere:
dungeons and dragons