House committee hears of CIA torture tapes

January 16, 2008

Testimony began Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee on why the infamous CIA "torture tapes" tapes were destroyed.

"It was an agency decision -- you can take it to the bank," claimed CIA Director Michael Hayden

WASHINGTON -- The chief attorney for the CIA began secret testimony Wednesday before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee on why tapes of interrogations were destroyed.

As part of a Justice Department investigation, the CIA's acting general counsel, John Rizzo was to explain to the closed hearing the chain of events leading up to the videotapes' destruction in 2005 in Thailand, The Washington Post reported.

The tapes were made in 2002 showing the interrogations of two al-Qaida suspects who allege they were tortured by the technique known as waterboarding, during which prisoners are made to feel as though they are drowning.

Various exchanges were recorded between 2002 and 2005 by the CIA's Bangkok station chief about the legality of destroying the tapes and the Post said various opinions were given that destroying them wasn't illegal.

Congressional investigators have found no evidence anyone in the Bush administration openly advocated the tapes' destruction, sources told the Post.

In an interview last Friday, CIA Director Michael Hayden also said the White House played no role in the destruction.

"It was an agency decision -- you can take it to the bank," Hayden said.