Rockefeller, Harman: We Kinda Sorta Knew About CIA's Torture Tapes

[deminks]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004847.php

What did Congress know about the CIA's 2002 torture tapes and their 2005 destruction of same? Senate intelligence committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV):

While we were provided with very limited information about the existence of the tapes, we were not consulted on their usage nor the decision to destroy the tapes. And, we did not learn until much later, November 2006 -- 2 months after the full committee was briefed on the program -- that the tapes had in fact been destroyed in 2005.

Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), then-ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, isn't clear about what or when she knew of either the tapes or their destruction. But she says she warned CIA against getting rid of the evidence.


(snip)

It seems as if the "four" congressional leaders Harman refers to as knowing about the tapes were the chairs and ranking members of the intelligence committees: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL), and Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA). Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) took Goss' spot as chairman of the House intelligence committee that year when Goss became CIA director. Hoekstra told the AP that he didn't know a thing about either the tapes or their destruction. I'm calling Harman to ask her for her letter to the CIA about the tapes, and will bring it to you if and when I have it.

[marmar]

1. Jane Harman is completely useless....Rockefeller doesn't appear to be much better. ....

With Dems like these......

[shraby]

2. I remember a flap about the CIA tapes at

gitmo. It was let out of the bag that they had been taping their interregations, and a congressman wanted them turned over to him..this was a long time ago. Then the story dropped out of sight. I don't believe he ever received them. Anyone have files on their pewter that goes back to before the 2004 election?

[spanone]

3. the democratic congress has been complicit in the destruction of our way of governance

[peacetalksforall]

4. You speak the truth - they are traitors standing and supportinc ompatiroit R. traitors.