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White House vows to cooperate with investigation of CIA videotapes |
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08:28, January 04, 2008 |
The U.S. government affirmed on Thursday its full cooperation with an investigation on the destruction of interrogation videotapes by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
"We will be cooperating with them on this investigation," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters one day after the Justice Department announced to launch the criminal investigation.
Attorney General Michael Mukasey also appointed a federal prosecutor, John Durham, to oversee the investigation and lead agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in determining whether the CIA broke any laws in destroying the tapes.
CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledged last month that the agency has made videotapes of interrogating two terrorist suspects in 2002 and destroyed them three years later.
The destruction of the tapes was condemned by Congress and human rights groups as an attempt to cover up interrogation practices such as "water boarding" that were widely seen as torture.
Perino said that President George W. Bush "has full confidence in Michael Mukasey and in General Hayden and he knows they are working to make sure this is fully investigated in as clear and transparent manner as possible."
Bush insisted previously that he had not been aware of the interrogation videotapes until he was briefed by Hayden last month. The White House has been advised by counsels to mum on the matter before investigation is concluded.
Source: Xinhua
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