US government lawyers flatly denied Friday that videotapes destroyed by the CIA contained any scenes of the torture of Guantanamo Bay terror suspects, in a keenly watched court hearing here.
"It is inconceivable that the destroyed tapes could have been about abuse, mistreatment or torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay," lawyer Jody Hunt, representing the White House, told the court....
...Hunt said the tapes were made in 2002 and that neither of the two men shown in them "was at Guantanamo Bay during the taping of these videos."
But a lawyer for "war on terror" suspect Moahmaod Abdah, who was not shown in the destroyed tapes, has called for the court to order an investigation into the destruction of the videos.
"Where there is smoke there is fire," lawyer David Remes said....
...The tapes reportedly show the suspects undergoing waterboarding, in which prisoners are subjected to a process of simulated drowning that is widely considered torture.
Since the CIA destroyed the tapes, they can claim any ol' thing they want ... who's gonna tell the devil he's lying? How about telling the devil he's playing word games?
Matt Apuzzo from the Associated Press has this story:
... U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy is considering whether to delve into the matter and, if so, how deeply. The Bush administration is urging him to back off while it investigates.
"Why should the court not permit the Department of Justice to do just that?" Kennedy asked at a court hearing....
...Government lawyer Joseph Hunt said the joint Justice Department-CIA investigation into the destruction of the videos will also seek evidence of whether the government violated any court orders. Hunt promised the judge that, when the investigation is complete, lawyers will tell the court if its rules were violated.
"It would be unwise and imprudent" for the judge to investigate further, Hunt said.The judge had ordered the government not to destroy any evidence of mistreatment or abuse at the Navy base in Cuba. Because the two suspects — Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri — were being held overseas in secret CIA prisons, however, they are likely not covered by the order....
..."The Justice Department may have sanctioned the destruction of these videotapes," attorney David Remes said. "Now they are asking the court to stay out, on the ground it is investigating the destruction of these videotapes."...
