Hayden testifies Addington, Gonzales, Bellinger [NSC] knew of CIA tapes

[kpete]

White House Lawyers Told Of Videotapes
CIA Chief Says They Urged Caution in Destroying Tapes

By Michael Abramowitz and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 20, 2007; Page A03

CIA Director Michael V. Hayden told lawmakers privately last week that three White House lawyers were briefed in 2004 about the existence of videotapes showing the interrogation of two al-Qaeda figures, and they urged the agency to be "cautious" about destroying the tapes, according to sources familiar with his classified testimony.

The three White House officials present at the briefing were David S. Addington, then Vice President Cheney's chief counsel; Alberto R. Gonzales, then White House counsel; and John B. Bellinger III, then the top lawyer at the National Security Council, according to Hayden's closed-door testimony before the Senate intelligence committee.

CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said the lawyers were told in 2004 about tapes showing detainee interrogations (By Melina Mara -- The Washington Post)

When told that some high-ranking CIA officials were demanding that the tapes be destroyed, the White House lawyers "consistently counseled caution," said one U.S. official familiar with Hayden's testimony. Another source said that Harriet E. Miers followed up with a similar recommendation in 2005, making her the fourth White House lawyer "urging caution" on the action.

The ambiguity in the phrasing of Hayden's account left unresolved key questions about the White House's role. While his account suggests an ambivalent White House view toward the tapes, other intelligence officials recalled White House officials being more emphatic at the first meeting that the videos should not be destroyed.


more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121900699.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[tekisui]

1. Time for a Special Prosecutor.

The WH is pressuring the DoJ to stonewall. The DoJ is dirty in it, with the WH. This needs to become a criminal investigation by an independent prosecutor with real power.

INDICT!

[Blackhatjack]

2. Oh Yeah! I am sure Addington and Gonzales counselled 'Don't Destroy the Tapes!' Wanna buy a bridge?

Addington and Gonzales probably said just the opposite.

Addington may be the biggest threat to our democracy we have today. I can't see him being driven by right and wrong when his history is subvert any law that gets in his way to accomplishing the NeoCon Agenda.

[bdamomma]

3. more subpoenas that will be ignored by these filthy men.

[mod mom]

4. Then why did the NYT have to correct their sub title after "too much cappucino" Perino complained?

[tekisui]

5. NYT didn't have specifics, so the WH thought they could kill the story

of their involvement?

As soon as the "torture tape" story broke, I had a feeling it would reach the top. Who will be the first casualty?