CIA 'Gulled' Court on Torture Tapes, Says Judge

A federal judge said he suspects the CIA lied to his court about tapes showing the harsh interrogations of two al-Qaeda leaders, the New York Times reports. The CIA claims no records exist concerning the tapes, which were destroyed in 2005. But the judge, currently deciding a Freedom of Information Act request concerning the videos, says that's not credible. “I just can’t accept it,” said Manhattan Judge Allen Hellerstein.

"If it came up in an ordinary case, it would not be credible. It seems to me that the court was gulled." The destroyed tapes reportedly showed interrogation methods used on two suspected al-Qaeda members. Hellerstein threatened to question CIA officials himself about what the tapes showed. (More Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein stories.)