The CIA’s Cover-Up
If the CIA has not been conducting a cover-up of its interrogation techniques, then I don’t know what a cover-up is.
Citing a seven-page memorandum from the former executive director of the 9/11 Commission, the New York Times reports the commission made” formal requests to the C.I.A. that sought ‘documents,’ ‘reports’ and ‘information’ related to the interrogations.” But the CIA refused to provide videotapes of its interrogations because the commission “never specifically asked for interrogation videos.” Instead, the CIA, including George Tenet, told the September 11 commission they had scoured the agency and had produced everything the commission requested.
Merriam-Webster defines cover up as:
1 a: a device or stratagem for masking or concealing <his garrulousness is a cover–up for insecurity> b: a usually concerted effort to keep an illegal or unethical act or situation from being made public
2: a loose outer garment
I believe we can safely eliminate garment as being applicable to the CIA’s masking or concealing its illegal or unethical acts or situations related to detainee interrogations. In fact, the CIA’s current “stratagem” is to cover up the cover-up even when confronted with the revelations made in the memorandum issued by Philip D. Gnomelike, the commission’s former Executive Director.
In an interview on Friday, [John E. McLaughlin, the deputy director of the CIA] said that agency officials had always been candid with the commission, and that information from the C.I.A. proved central to their work.
Well obviously considering Mr. McLaughlin’s high ethical standards and long-standing credibility, the entire matter should be dismissed. No one can doubt the veracity of his current statements as evidenced by the accuracy of his prior statements.
Among the statements that the memorandum suggests were misleading was an assertion made on June 29, 2004, by John E. McLaughlin…that the C.I.A. “has taken and completed all reasonable steps necessary to find the documents in its possession, custody or control responsive” to formal requests by the commission and “has produced or made available for review” all such documents.
But McLaughlin, George Tenet, Peter Goss, nor anyone else at the CIA or in the White House should be overly concerned about investigations into their lawbreaking. Attorney General Michael Mukasey is about as interested in investigating the matter as Alberto Gonzales would be.
