VOA常速英语2007年-CIA and Justice Dept. to Investigate Destructio

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
08 December 2007

The U.S. Justice Department and the Central Inteligence Agency (CIA) announced Saturday that they would open an investigation¹ into the spy agency's destruction of videotapes that showed the interrogation of terrorism suspects. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

The announcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry² follows strong demands from Democrats³ on Capitol Hill for an investigation, with some lawmakers accusing the CIA of a cover-up.

CIA Director Michael Hayden, who earlier acknowledged that his agency had destroyed the tapes in 2005, welcomed the announcement of the investigation and said the CIA would fully⁴ cooperate.

The decision to investigate comes just days after Hayden said the CIA had made and destroyed videotapes documenting interrogations of terrorism suspects that used techniques critics have denounced as torture.

A CIA official in charge of covert⁵ operations allegedly ordered the destruction of the tapes without informing the agency's lawyers.

Congressional Democrats have demanded the Justice Department investigate whether the CIA's destruction of the tapes amounts to obstruction⁶ of justice, in an effort to cover up evidence of possible abuse and torture of detainees. Law professor Jonathan Turley states, "these are very serious allegations, that raise as many as six identifiable crimes ranging from contempt of Congress, to contempt of Justice, to perjury⁷, to false statements."

CIA director Hayden says the tapes were made in 2002 as part of a secret detention⁸ and interrogation program that began with the arrest of a suspected al-Qaida lieutenant⁹. The taping was discontinued later that year. In a letter to CIA employees, Hayden said the tapes were destroyed as a precaution to protect the identities of the interrogators.

The Bush administration has faced harsh criticism at home and abroad over its treatment of terror suspects. Friday, a White House spokeswoman said President Bush had no recollection of being told about the tapes or their destruction until Thursday when the matter became public.

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

6 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

7 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。