Bush Administrations wrongdoings comming to light

Looks like the Obama administration has decided to be less secretive about the Bush administration's doings than the Bush administrations was about the Bush administration's doings…

The Justice Department released nine legal opinions showing that, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration determined that certain constitutional rights would not apply during the coming fight. Within two weeks, government lawyers were already discussing ways to wiretap U.S. conversations without warrants…

The Obama administration also acknowledged in court documents Monday that the CIA destroyed 92 videos of involving terror suspects, including interrogations — far more than had been known…

"The CIA can now identify the number of videotapes that were destroyed," said the letter submitted in that case by Acting U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin. "Ninety-two videotapes were destroyed."

It is not clear what exactly was on the recordings. The government's letter cites interrogation videos, but the lawsuit against the Defense Department also seeks records related to treatment of detainees, any deaths of detainees and the CIA's sending of suspects overseas, known as "extraordinary rendition."

ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said the CIA should be held in contempt of court for holding back the information for so long.

"The large number of videotapes destroyed confirms that the agency engaged in a systematic attempt to hide evidence of its illegal interrogations and to evade the court's order," Singh said.

CIA spokesman George Little said the agency "has certainly cooperated with the Department of Justice investigation. If anyone thinks it's agency policy to impede the enforcement of American law, they simply don't know the facts."

Former CIA director Michael Hayden acknowledged that waterboarding _ simulated drowning _ was used on three suspects, including the two whose interrogations were recorded.

The new administration pledged on Monday to begin turning over documents related to the videos to a federal judge and to make as much information public as possible.


At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters he hadn't spoken to the president about the report, but he called the news about the videotapes "sad" and said Obama was committed to ending torture while also protecting American values.



Refrences:
at tip: Dennis DiClaudio
http://blog.indecisionforever.com/2009/03/02/turns-out-george-bush-wasnt-great-guy-we-all-thought-he-was/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/02/obama-releases-secret-bus_n_171171.html