Bush CIA head agreed to destruction of torture videotapes
Documents detail the rationalization for destroying the tapes—the supposed protection of the agents doing the torturing—and instruct that future torture sessions be recorded on a single tape which can be reviewed at the end of the day’s session and then reused the next day, erasing the prior recording “for the protection and safety of officers.” The emails reveal, however, that the real reason was concern that the recordings would someday become public and reveal the war crimes being perpetrated by CIA officials. AWIP: 'The heat from destroying is nothing compared to what it would be if the tapes ever got into public domain.' 2005 destruction of interrogation tapes caused concern at CIA, e-mails show.