Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

White House Tape Recycling Possibly Erased Emails

Posted by Soulskill on from the gee-thats-a-shame dept.

Pojut points us to a Washington Post story which details the White House's admission that it routinely recycled backup tapes from 2001 to 2003, possibly destroying e-mail records from that time period. While the tapes are being analyzed to determine if any of the data can be recovered, the White House also indicated that some e-mail through 2005 may not have been preserved. We discussed the beginnings of this investigation a few months ago. From the Post: "During the period in question, the Bush presidency faced some of its biggest controversies, including the Iraq war, the leak of former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson's name and the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotapes. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said he has no reason to believe any e-mails were deliberately destroyed."

7 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Wait by ShakaUVM · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wait, I keep forgetting: Is recycling a good thing?

    1. Re:Wait by gowen · · Score: 5, Funny

      Interesting that the Bush Administration's interest in protecting the environment begins and ends at the point where it enables them to destroy evidence, though. I'm sure the CIA didn't really mean to shred those documents either, but they needed some organic mulch for their sustainable vegetable patch.

      --
      Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
    2. Re:Wait by Arancaytar · · Score: 4, Funny

      they needed some organic mulch for their sustainable vegetable patch.


      It's better that they use documents than secret prison detainees for that, I suppose.
  2. The 18 1/2 month gap? by opencity · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's longer but that would have been so cool.
    Or if the gap lasted until January 22, 2005.

    --
    Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
  3. Also revealed at the same press briefing... by Eternal+Vigilance · · Score: 5, Funny

    "White House spokesman Tony Fratto also said to keep sucking, he has no reason to believe the Bush Administration intends to cum in America's mouth."

  4. Luckily there's a backup by supachupa · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a good thing Bush approved the illegal interception of domestic internet traffic. Now they can just ask the NSA for a copy.

  5. You will like Grey's Law by beetle496 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Never attribute to malice what can be explained by simple stupidity...
    Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.
    --
    I paid the going retail price for a Windows screen reader and got a free Unix computer!