President Bush Won’t Give Any Opinion on Torture Tape Destruction

President Bush was asked about the destruction of the CIA torture tapes at this morning’s press conference. He said that he’d “reserve judment” on the matter. At this point, is it his judgment that matters? The investigations, after all, are about potentially criminal activity within his own Administration.

President Bush said today he will reserve judgment about his administration’s destruction of CIA interrogation tapes until several inquiries are finished.

The destruction in 2005 of the tapes, showing harsh interrogation treatment of two terrorism suspects, is being investigated by the Justice Department, the CIA itself and by several congressional panels.

Bush stuck to the White House line that he personally did not know about either the existence of the tapes or their destruction until he was briefed earlier this month by CIA Director Michael Hayden.

“Sounds pretty clear to me when I say I have — the first recollection is when Mike Hayden briefed me. That’s pretty clear,” Bush said.

He also said that he believed the ongoing investigations by his administration, “coupled with oversight provided by the Congress, will end up enabling us all to find out what has happened.””Until these inquiries are complete, I will be rendering no opinion from the podium,” Bush said.