No charges in destruction of CIA videotapes, Justice Department says

Take note kids, this is how you sweep war crimes under the rug.

No one will face criminal charges for the destruction of CIA videotapes depicting harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects during the Bush administration, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Best Bullshit:

CIA officials have long said that the motive was innocent: After the emergence of widely reviled images of detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, CIA veterans feared that the disclosure of the videotapes could compromise their security.

Durham's team of prosecutors and FBI agents have been exploring whether the tapes were instead destroyed in anticipation of a congressional or federal investigation, which could constitute a crime. But sources have said authorities found it difficult to pinpoint the motivation for destroying the tapes.

Oh wait, there's more bullshit:

Jose Rodriguez Jr. - head of the directorate of operations at the CIA from 2004 to 2007 - sent a cable authorizing the destruction of the tapes and has been a key focus of the inquiry. Rodriguez will not be charged, sources familiar with the investigation said.

Robert S. Bennett, an attorney for Rodriguez, said he is "pleased that the Justice Department has decided not to go forward against Mr. Rodriguez. This is the right decision because of the facts and the law.''

"Jose Rodriguez is an American hero, a true patriot who only wanted to protect his people and his country," Bennett added.

By covering up torture? I must have a different dictionary than Mr. Bennett, it defines "hero" slightly differently...