CIA Admits to Destroying 92 Videotapes of Terror Interrogations

Since the trial of suspected 9/11 mastermind Zacarias Moussaoui, it has been known that the CIA made tapes, both audio and video of the interrogations it conducted of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During that court proceeding the CIA originally denied the existence of such tapes, then later admitted it had made and destroyed two videotapes of Moussaoui interrogations and one audio tape. That revelation prompted a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, demanding more information from the Bush administration about the interrogation proceedings that occurred at Gitmo.

Now the CIA is apparently working hard to gather as much information as possible about any tapes that were made during the interrogations, as well as any tapes that may have been destroyed. Information such as who made the tapes and who had access to them before they were destroyed is being compiled, although admittedly many of the names will likely be deemed classified information.

And while this investigation certainly seems worthy of its current attention, it must not be a top priority for the CIA. The interrogations that are being reviewed have already occurred - some several years ago. The work at hand is trying to gather greater intelligence on the workings of al-Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan - not to mention the numerous other intelligence concerns that exist around the world. The scrutiny of Gitmo proceedings is warranted, but it must be relegated to a back burner issue for members of the intelligence community.