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CIA: Like We Said Before, Briefing Document Could Be Wrong
The CIA has given another indication that the briefing document with which Republicans are trying to attack Nancy Pelosi is unreliable.
Yesterday, Rep. David Obey sent a letter to CIA director Leon Panetta pointing out yet another apparent error in the document. The Washington Independent's Spencer Ackerman asked CIA for a response to Obey's claim, and got the following statement:
While CIA's information has Mr. Juola attending briefings on September 19, 2006 and October 11, 2007, there are different recollections of these events, which Mr. Obey's letter describes. As the agency has pointed out more than once, its list -- compiled in response to congressional requests -- reflects the records it has. These are notes, memos, and recollections, not transcripts and recordings.
In other words, don't hold us to any of this.
And that comes on top of a cover letter that Panetta attached to the document when it was released, noting that it might not be accurate, as well as Panetta's later assertion that Congress would have to figure out the truth of the matter. Not to mention, the fact that, as we noted earlier today, four Democratic lawmakers are now on record disputing concrete facts in the document.
Josh
Zachary
The CIA or Cryptically Inferred Assurances
Director: Leon "don't hold us to that" Panetta
Motto: "You should independently verify all of this."
Secret Handshake: Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.
Is it just me or is it pretty freaking ridiculous that the agency responsible for gathering intelligence to prevent military and terrorist attacks on our country cannot reliably verify what they are doing internally? It's not like we are expecting precise details of closed door political briefings in Venezuela or Iran. Not only were there CIA agents present, they were giving the briefing! And they can't tell us what happened?
I see one of two possibilities:
a) The CIA is entirely inept or
b) There was a criminal obstruction of congressional oversight and an active cover up is ongoing.
Either way, the appropriate course is the same. Clean house. Investigate and evaluate. Those complicit in crimes should be prosecuted. Those who are incompetent or willfully underperforming should be replaced.
Obama and congressional democrats need to get over their overwhelming fears of criminal prosecutions. I'm too pissed off to make any coherent comments beyond that.
May 19, 2009 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Leon YMMV Panetta?
May 19, 2009 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Leon "I see nothing" Panetta?
May 19, 2009 11:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm surprised to see that in all of this people have not been pointing out that the same Republicans who are becoming hyper-defensive of the CIA in the face of Nancy Pelosi are the same who rely politically on the CIA having presented bad info to congress during the runup to the Iraq war.
May 19, 2009 4:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
If my contributions are of assistance to this TPM Article and the 1st blog comment reply, please allow me to re-mention two areas of possiblilities that may hopefully coincide and as this Administration seemingly continues to coincide with the past 10+ years seemingly maleficence and/or High Crimes and Misdeamoners.
1) A REGULAR STATUS and UPDATE PROGRESS REPORT from the Representative US Congressional Chairman, John Conyers, 'Presidential Powers and Its Limitations''Impeachment Hearings' 8/2008 Hearings. Especially as they are noted in Testimony as the most recollected in the Past 50+ years and as also 'We the People' (Taxpayers) continue to pay the Retirement(s) and Benefit(s).
2) The immediate 'Up or Down' floor vote on a proper and forthright S1358, HR985 and/or HR1507 'Federal Employee Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Restoration Act' and not the continued hoodwinking and subtrefuge of this expected, necessary, mandated and required supportive Legislation and as is also expected, necessary, required and mandated within our US Constitution, Bill of Rights is clearly and unmistakeably a proper and forthright supportive gesture and endeavor towards 'Transparency' with with the endeavors towards proper and forthright 'Oversight and Accountability' and with hopefully many 'proper and forthright' accomplished and successful resolves thereof.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
May 19, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
So,where are all the repugs? Surely some of them were briefed,yet will not claim that they were told about EIT during this period! Why? Because if they knew then they are admitting guilt!
May 19, 2009 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Leon Panetta's implications are based on a "contemporaneous" CIA description of the meeting. How does he know it is contemporaneous? Does he know that the date it was written is the same as the date on the document?
May 19, 2009 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
How does the CIA know that? More to the point, if the CIA knew that, how could they say...
... without saying that its records comprise multiple, conflicting recollections?
May 19, 2009 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Plausible Deniability
CIA does possibly illegal stuff, then according to the way Congress allows them to work, the CIA 'briefs' the leadership:
(1) no notes are allowed by the member of Congress.
(2) no transcript, recording or video of the briefing is allowed.
(3) like the old kids game 'telephone', days, months or years later everyone at the meeting has different recollections of what was said.
(4) if any record is kept of what was said it is kept by the CIA which can fudge it to cover their aft quarters, "We informed the
Congressional leadership"...
Members of Congress wind up being willing patsies for approving whatever the CIA may or may not have informed them. Both can claim plausible deniability as there is no reliable record of what was said.
Doesn't this sound like the way Mafia Dons would run certain facets of their organization?
May 19, 2009 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely. Which would put the "the CIA doesn't lie" ReThuglicans in the role of Mafia hanger-on. They can't get made, but they can take and give favors.
May 19, 2009 9:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is why the Church Committee shut them down 30 years ago - they lie. They are a covert agency, lying is second nature to them, lying is in their job description. And by the way, where were all these CIA loving Republicans when Valerie Plame was outed at the request of the Dark Overlord?
May 19, 2009 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, but it's not their POLICY to mislead Congress. It just sort of happens when they talk. They can't help it. That's why they are spooks, after all. They all have an innate ability to dissemble without even trying. Maybe without even intending to.
They NEVER, repeat NEVER want anyone to know what they're doing. Even other people in the CIA.
Didn't anyone else see Three Days of the Condor?
May 19, 2009 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
This story is not about the docs. What they reveal is being kept secret by the Obama administraton. It is about creds, who has them and who does not. The HS is a little loose and too quick for a person in her position. Her biggest mistake is yet to come. It is comming believe me..
May 20, 2009 12:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fix - That was also the first thought that occurred to me. The Repubs dumped all over the CIA when they were looking for a scapegoat in the WMD fiasco. Now all of a sudden it's a sacrilege to even suggest that the CIA would ever mislead anyone.
Someone should pull out some juicy GOP quotes from a few years ago when they were trying to tie the WMD lies to the CIA in order to save Bush and Cheney's asses.
May 20, 2009 8:31 AM | Reply | Permalink