QADRI
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2007
- Messages
- 913
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
WASHINGTON: The CIA admitted Friday it destroyed videotapes of the interrogation of Al-Qaeda operatives in 2005, defending the controversial move as necessary to protect CIA staff.
In a statement to CIA staff, its Chief General Micael Hayden confirmed press reports that the agency videotaped interrogations in 2002 and destroyed the tapes three years later but said the detainees were not subject to torture or abuse.
"The decision to destroy the tapes was made within CIA itself," said Hayden's statement.
"Beyond their lack of intelligence value -- as the interrogation sessions had already been exhaustively detailed in written channels -- and the absence of any legal or internal reason to keep them, the tapes posed a serious security risk," Hayden said.
In a statement to CIA staff, its Chief General Micael Hayden confirmed press reports that the agency videotaped interrogations in 2002 and destroyed the tapes three years later but said the detainees were not subject to torture or abuse.
"The decision to destroy the tapes was made within CIA itself," said Hayden's statement.
"Beyond their lack of intelligence value -- as the interrogation sessions had already been exhaustively detailed in written channels -- and the absence of any legal or internal reason to keep them, the tapes posed a serious security risk," Hayden said.
