(written 2007 0412; extended 2007 0413)
I’ll admit that this post is basically ripped off from Glenn Greenwald, whom you should read for details. I just wanted to collect all the points in a clean, stripped version. The subject? The amazing and disturbing “incompetence” demonstrated by the Bush administration in producing records that might put it in a bad light. How many times must we accept the excuse “The dog ate my homework” before everyone recognizes that this is actually criminal malfeasance. I know that you should “never ascribe to malice what is adequately explained by stupidity” — but come on — this is passing from unbelievable to ridiculous:
| Date | Missing document | |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 0412 | Emails regarding plans to fire US Attorneys, allegedly sent via RNC accounts | 2007 0324 | 18 days of emails (this time from the Justice Department and White House) regarding plans to fire US Attorneys |
| 2007 0228 | Videotape of the final interrogation of detained US citizen Jose Padilla, which could shed light on whether he had been tortured. | |
| 2004 0624 | Memos regarding the White House policies on torture | |
| 2004 0524 | Over 2,000 pages of a classified report, missing from the copy submitted to Congressional oversight committees, regarding possible abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib | |
| 2004 0905 | Legally-required documents to explain gaps in President Bush’s service — or, more usually, lack thereof — in the Air National Guard | |
| 2006 0301 | Transcript of a videoconference call that directly contradicted the White House story on how engaged the President was during the Katrina debacle. The administration told Congress that no such transcript existed — then oops! it was found and leaked. | |
| 2007 0403 | FBI records indicating agency participation in the interrogation of anti-war protesters in 2002. The FBI denied that the secret intelligence unit was present, except — oops! — DC police logs show that it was. | |
| 2006 0202 | Emails relating to the case against I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, for illegally disclosing the identity of a covert CIA operative | |
| 2003 1218 | Videotape records of abuse by federal guards of foreign citizens detained after the 9/11 attacks. |
How do they expect anyone to believe their story?
PS: If you have links to any similar events, I’d appreciate hearing them and I’ll add them to the list. And before the wingbats take over the comment space, yes, I’ve heard of Sandy Berger and yes, that was reprehensible. What’s your point?