U.S. launches criminal probe into CIA tapes

By Randall Mikkelsen 28 minutes ago

The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it had launched a criminal investigation into the CIA's destruction of videotapes showing the harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects.

"There is a basis for initiating a criminal investigation of this matter, and I have taken steps to begin that investigation," said Attorney General Michael Mukasey.

The Central Intelligence Agency last month disclosed that in 2005 it destroyed hundreds of hours of tapes from the interrogations of two al Qaeda suspects, prompting an outcry from Democrats, human rights activists and some legal experts...

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Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Judiciary Committee's chairman, said the investigation's launch "shows that many of us were right to be concerned with possible obstruction of justice and obstruction of Congress."

Congressional intelligence committees, which are seeking testimony from senior CIA officials believed involved in the destruction, signaled they would continue their investigations despite the federal probe.

The Justice Department had initially balked at the congressional investigations, saying they could undermine its own efforts, and lawmakers accused the Bush administration of trying to cover up the controversy...[Open in new window]