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 Home > News & Policies > December 2007

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 19, 2007

Statement by the Press Secretary

     Fact sheet In Focus: Homeland Security
     Fact sheet Setting the Record Straight

The New York Times today implies that the White House has been misleading in publicly acknowledging or discussing details related to the CIA's decision to destroy interrogation tapes.

The sub-headline of the story inaccurately says that the "White House Role Was Wider Than It Said", and the story states that "...the involvement of White House officials in the discussions before the destruction of the tapes...was more extensive than Bush administration officials have acknowledged."

Under direction from the White House General Counsel while the Department of Justice and the CIA Inspector General conduct a preliminary inquiry, we have not publicly commented on facts relating to this issue, except to note President Bush's immediate reaction upon being briefed on the matter. Furthermore, we have not described - neither to highlight, nor to minimize -- the role or deliberations of White House officials in this matter.

The New York Times' inference that there is an effort to mislead in this matter is pernicious and troubling, and we are formally requesting that NYT correct the sub-headline of this story.

It will not be surprising that this matter will be reported with a reliance on un-named sources and individuals lacking a full availability of the facts -- and, as the New York Times story itself acknowledges, some of these sources will have wildly conflicting accounts of the facts. We will instead focus our efforts on supporting the preliminary inquiry underway, where facts can be gathered without bias or influence and later disseminated in an appropriate fashion.

We will continue to decline to comment on this issue, and in response to misleading press reports.

White House “No Comments”

President Bush

December 11, 2007: "[M]y first recollection of whether the tapes existed or whether they were destroyed was when Michael Hayden briefed me."  ABC's Martha Raddatz: "You knew nothing about those tapes?" THE PRESIDENT: "Well, that's true. You know, my, my first recollection of whether the tapes existed or whether they were destroyed was when Michael Hayden briefed me."  (ABC's "World News," 12/11/07)

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino

December 18, 2007: "I'm going to refer you to the Justice Department, who is working on the preliminary inquiry with the CIA." Q "Dana, is the White House taking any steps to make sure the CIA does not destroy any tapes – any more tapes while these – judges look at things, Congress looks at things, the CIA – is the White House taking any steps to make sure there's no more destruction?"  MS. PERINO: "I'm going to refer you to the Justice Department, who is working on the preliminary inquiry with the CIA."  (White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Press Briefing, The White House, 12/18/07)

December 12, 2007: "Part of the gathering of the facts is gathering who knew what when, and who then told who what. And I think that I have to allow that process to work itself out."  Q "[I]s the White House in general hopeful that the CIA will be more forthcoming in the future, more aggressive in meeting its obligations to inform Congress in matters like this?"  MS. PERINO: "This is like the fourth day in a row I've gone through this. I'm not going to comment on that. Part of the gathering of the facts is gathering who knew what when, and who then told who what. And I think that I have to allow that process to work itself out. The President thinks that General Hayden is committed to making sure that it is a thorough review, and that people get the answers that they are requesting."  (White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Press Briefing, The White House, 12/12/07)

December 11, 2007: "As I said earlier, and as I said yesterday, I cannot comment on it."  "We are cooperating with the Justice Department and the CIA in order to help them in their efforts to gather facts on this. We've been asked not to comment on it by our Counsel's Office, and so I'm not going to."  (White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Press Briefing, The White House, 12/11/07)

December 10, 2007: "I'm not able to comment on anything … except for what I said on Friday – which is now, and since then, the Justice Department and the CIA have started a preliminary inquiry." Q "Can you comment on whether Harriet Miers did, in fact, know about the CIA tapes and whether she told the CIA not to destroy them?"  MS. PERINO: "No. No. It's going to unfortunately be one of those briefings -- I'm not able to comment on anything regarding that, except for what I said on Friday -- which is now, and since then, the Justice Department and the CIA have started a preliminary inquiry. We are supportive of that. We are in the fact-gathering stage, and we are providing them information. So beyond that I am not able to comment or characterize."  (White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Press Briefing, The White House, 12/10/07)

December 7, 2007: The President "has no recollection of being made aware of the tapes or their destruction before yesterday. … I will have to defer on the others."  Q "Thanks. On these CIA videotapes, did either the President or Vice President or Condoleezza Rice, when she was National Security Advisor, or Steve Hadley, see them before they were destroyed?"  MS. PERINO: "I spoke to the President, and so I will have to defer on the others. But I spoke to the President this morning about this. He has no recollection of being made aware of the tapes or their destruction before yesterday. He was briefed by General Hayden yesterday morning."  (White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Press Briefing, The White House, 12/7/07)

White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto

December 11, 2007: "While the CIA and [Justice Department]worked jointly to gather facts, we're going to support their efforts … and part of that support means that we're not commenting further on this."  "Asked for comment on the role of Miers or other administration officials in discussions about how to dispose of the  tapes, Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, told NEWSWEEK, 'While the CIA and [Justice Department]worked jointly to gather facts, we're going to support their efforts … and part of that support means that we're not commenting further on this.'"  (Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball, "Paper Trail," Newsweek.com, 12/11/07)

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