By Cliff Montgomery – Feb. 9th, 2009
The Central Intelligence Agency’s destruction of videotapes which may have shown the torture of suspectedterrorists is the topic of “an ongoing criminal investigation” which should conclude in the next several days, atop prosecution official has declared.
“Investigators are now in the process of scheduling interviews with the remaining witnesses to be interviewedin this investigation,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia John Durham wrote in aDecember 2008 affidavit.
“Based on the investigative accomplishments to date, we anticipate that by mid-February 2009, and no laterthan February 28, 2009, we will have completed the interviews,” added Durham.
Durham’s statements were issued in the midst of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit filed by the JamesMadison Project, a government watchdog group, for the release of documents dealing with the Agency’svideotape destruction.
The government has requested a stay of FOIA proceedings until it has finished all witness interviews. At aJanuary 6th hearing, the court granted the requested stay until February 28th, 2009, according to JamesMadison Project Director Mark Zaid.
Major details of the ongoing criminal investigation were ‘blacked out’ from the Durham affidavit, such as thenumber of documents examined and the final number of witness interviews.
All the same, the affidavit still provides a decent record of federal activity on the FOIA suit, stating that “aconsiderable portion of the work to be done in connection with the investigation has already been completed.”
Durham further noted that “in many instances,” witnesses seeking legal representation and the clearance ofwitness attorneys have caused delays.
In other cases, federal officials involved in the apparent videotaped torture sessions have retired, and werequietly “read out” of their particular intelligence programs. Hence it has taken extra time to reinstate theircredentials, he added.
