Justice of Obstruction

Justice Dept. Seeks Delay on C.I.A. Inquiry

By DAVID JOHNSTON and MARK MAZZETTI
Published: December 15, 2007

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department asked the House Intelligence Committee on Friday to postpone its investigation into the destruction of videotapes by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2005, saying the Congressional inquiry presented “significant risks” to its own preliminary investigation into the matter.

The department is taking an even harder line with other Congressional committees looking into the matter, and is refusing to provide information about any role it might have played in the destruction of the videotapes. The recordings covered hundreds of hours of interrogations of two operatives of Al Qaeda.

The Justice Department and the C.I.A.’s inspector general have begun a preliminary inquiry into the destruction of the tapes, and Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said the department would not comply with Congressional requests for information now because of “our interest in avoiding any perception that our law enforcement decisions are subject to political influence.”

cont'd here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/15/washington/15intel.html


Postpone Congressional inquiry for the "law enforcement decisions" of the Justice Department, SIX YEARS AND THREE MONTHS after 9/11? Do not forget that this is not just about the crime of torture, it's about the crime of 9/11.

http://ningens-blog.blogspot.com/2007/12/thomas-kean-on-destruction-of.html

More on Mukasey:

Mukasey to Leahy, Specter: No

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004916.php

Law prof on Mukasey's letter on torture

http://ningens-blog.blogspot.com/2007/11/mukaseys-letter-not-good-enough.html

Silverstein in Mukasey's court:

http://ningens-blog.blogspot.com/2007/09/silverstein-in-mukaseys-court.html

Mukasey and Giuliani:

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0744,barrett,78212,6.html