“The CIA videotaped the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, the first major al-Qaida leader captured, but later destroyed the tapes, current and former intelligence officials tell NBC News. In a statement to agency employees released Thursday [December 6, 2007], CIA Director Mike Hayden revealed that the agency destroyed all copies of the video in 2005. …’The press has learned that back in 2002, during the initial stage of our terrorist detention program, CIA videotaped interrogations, and destroyed the tapes in 2005,’ wrote Hayden… ‘I understand that the Agency did so only after it was determined they were no longer of intelligence value and not relevant to any internal, legislative, or judicial inquiries–including the trial of [alleged terrorist] Zacarias Moussaoui. The decision to destroy the tapes was made within CIA itself. The leaders of our oversight committees in Congress were informed of the videos years ago and of the Agency’s intention to dispose of the material. Our oversight committees also have been told that the videos were, in fact, destroyed.’ “
– Robert Windrem, “CIA Destroyed al-Qaida Interrogation Video,” NBC News, Dec. 6, 2007