U.S. Releases 38 Pages of FBI Notes on CIA Tape Destruction, Opening 1,900-Page Trove
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 21
U.S. Releases 38 Pages of FBI Notes on CIA Tape Destruction, Opening 1,900-Page Trove
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 21
Summary
Thirty-eight pages of newly declassified FBI interview notes show a former CIA station chief said he destroyed 2005 torture videotapes to avoid leaving "a mess" and to clean up "multiple loose ends."
The release came through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking records from prosecutor John Durham's criminal investigation into the post-9/11 detention and interrogation program.
Those notes are the first tranche from roughly 1,900 pages expected in coming months, potentially exposing new details from files that administrations of both parties long fought to keep secret.
The tape destruction surfaced publicly in 2007, triggering Senate and Justice Department investigations that widened from the destroyed videos to the CIA torture program itself.
Could the newly declassified FBI files finally unravel the decades-long mystery surrounding the vanished footage of black site interrogations?
If a station chief destroyed evidence to tie up loose ends, who higher up the chain of command authorized this massive cover-up?
FBI’s 1,900-Page Archive Sheds Light on CIA Torture Tape Cover-Up and U.S. Accountability Failures
Overview
The October 20, 2026 release of FBI interview notes marked a turning point in the long-hidden story of the CIA’s post-9/11 interrogation program. The chain of events began with the 2002 capture of Abu Zubaydah, leading to a split between the FBI and CIA over interrogation methods. After the FBI withdrew, the CIA used harsh techniques and recorded nearly 100 videotapes. Fears grew after the Abu Ghraib scandal, and in 2005, CIA leaders ordered the tapes destroyed. When this was revealed in 2007, it sparked public outrage and a criminal investigation, but no charges were filed. The new documents now offer fresh evidence for accountability and oversight.