Atty. Gen. Michael B. Mukasey has appointed a well-known prosecutor to investigate possible criminal activity in the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes. John H. Durham, an assistant U.S. attorney from Connecticut with a strong reputation for getting to the bottom of official misconduct, has been assigned the investigation.

Commentary: In appointing the special prosecutor, the Justice Department was opening a full investigation into the CIA's destruction of videotapes of terrorism suspects' interrogations. The move by Mukasey signals a strong intent to get to the bottom of a legal matter that has politicians on both sides of the aisle questioning the actions of the CIA. The new attorney general surprised many when he bypassed the U.S. attorney's office in Virginia, the agency that normally handles CIA investigations, to appoint the prosecutor from Connecticut.