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Posted Thursday, July 09, 2009 12:09 PM

Did the CIA Deliberately Lie to Congress?

Holly Bailey
Now this is a big story, if true: Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee accused the CIA of lying to Congress about classified actions, citing as their evidence recent testimony by the agency’s chief, Leon Panetta. Intel chairman Silvestre Reyes, in a letter sent to House Dem and GOP leadership, said the committee “has been misled, has not been provided full and complete notifications and (at least one case) has been affirmatively lied to.” (Here’s the letter, courtesy the Washington Post.) A separate letter signed by seven other Democrats on the Intel committee says Panetta recently told the panel in closed-door testimony on June 24th that the CIA had “misled members” and “concealed significant actions” from Congress for the last eight years. What actions are they specifically talking about? Democrats won’t say—but according to the Wall Street Journal, the CIA does confirm Panetta “took the initiative” to notify Congress about “lapses.” This comes on the heels of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s run-in with the CIA, where she said the agency intentionally misled her in a 2002 briefing on controversial interrogation techniques used against terrorism detainees. So is this vindication for Pelosi—or simply politics as usual? Your Gaggler asked White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs here in Italy if the White House or the president was aware of Panetta’s testimony, and if so, what the CIA director was referring to. Gibbs, who said he was only aware of the flap through news reports, didn’t have an immediate comment. But it’s notable that the letters, which were written late last month, become public just a day before the House prepares to take up a bill cracking down on executive powers. The White House has said Obama will veto the bill if it includes language proposed by the Democrats that would require the president to notify Intel committees in Congress about covert CIA activities in their “entirety.”
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Member Comments

Posted By: one10soldier (July 13, 2009 at 12:13 AM)

I think we should all consider the many advantages of paying our members of congress on both sides to just sit there and do nothing for their entire terms.

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Posted By: MJ000777 (July 10, 2009 at 1:34 PM)

Pelosi is a Fraud! She is only interested in Political power for Liberal Democrats and not what is best for America.

Hey Petrano, I think you left your tinfoiled hat in the Gaggle.

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Posted By: RWFails (July 10, 2009 at 10:49 AM)

So the right wingers are spinning this in a way that requires Pelosi, in order to save her hide, to flex her muscle to have the head of the CIA back pedal on allegations of Congressional classified briefings that may or may not have occurred.

First of all, it matter not one wit whether Peolsi was briefed. BushCo authorized torture, not Peolsi.

Secondly, IF she was actually briefed, we will never know what she was told. Pelosi would not know what questions to ask of the briefing agent. She would only know the details she allowed to hear.

Thirdly, the "secret" program that was clearly Not discussed is the central issue here. This deep cover CIA program reeks of Cheney's assisination squad, referred to by Sy Hersh earlier this year. I have no facts to back this belief. Panetta apparently pulled the plug on this "rouge" program immediately after learning of its existence.

Lastly, Prez Obama needs to make this confrontation go away ASAP. No president can be successful without the CIA on his side.

I love a good LeCarre spy story as much as the next guy, but this dust-up needs to die a quiet death behind closed doors.

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