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House Democrat alleges CIA mistake

Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:17 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: , ,

From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Mark Murray
Here's the latest in the back-and-forth between the House Democratic leadership and the Central Intelligence Agency: House Appropriations Chairman David Obey has fired off a letter to CIA Director Leon Panetta, pointing out that the CIA mistakenly listed that an Appropriations staffer sat in on a key CIA briefing in 2006.

Of course, the CIA listing House Speaker Pelosi sitting in on a similar 2002 briefing -- and suggesting that she learned of controversial interrogation techniques like waterboarding there -- is at the heart of the dispute over what Pelosi knew about the practices and when she knew it.

The full letter:

May 18, 2009
The Honorable Leon Panetta
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, DC 20505

Dear Director Panetta:
In light of current controversy about CIA briefing practices, I was surprised to learn that the agency erroneously listed an appropriations staffer as being in a key briefing on September 19, 2006, when in fact he was not. The list the agency released entitled "Member Briefings on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs)", shows that House Appropriations Committee defense appropriations staffer Paul Juola was in that briefing on that date. In fact, Mr. Juola recollects that he walked members to the briefing room, met General Hayden and Mr.Walker, who were the briefers, and was told that he could not attend the briefing. We request that you immediately correct this record.

Sincerely,
David R. Obey

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Comments

Let's see if we have this all straight ~

In the Bush administration we trusted ~ they may have lied, but they NEVER tortured.  

In the CIA we trust ~ they may torture, but they NEVER lie.  

And by the way, it isn't torture if it works, and it isn't a lie if the president says so.

Does that about sum it all up?  
Senator Bob Graham, the Florida Democrat, who was chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has a dispute as well over the CIA’s meeting notes.

Evidently Senator Graham DID NOT attend 3 of the 4 meetings as alleged by the CIA where torture technique conversations were held. Important error in facts.

Senator Whitehouse believes truth commissions are just around the corner. Dick Cheney needs to be under oath. His daughter is doing him no good with her appearances. She's skirting around the issues of whether or not torture was used in order to gain any info on Iraq connections to 9/11.
From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Mark Murray
Here's the latest in the back-and-forth between the House Democratic leadership and the Central Intelligence Agency: House Appropriations Chairman David Obey has fired off a letter to CIA Director Leon Panetta, pointing out that the CIA mistakenly listed that an Appropriations staffer sat in on a key CIA briefing in 2006.

No S**** sherlock! LOL, there are a great number of us that remember the lying, crooked, CIA that covered up the assiginations of JFK, RK and MLK. Hell, these assiginations were right behind one another. Who else "but" the CIA would be able to knock off the President of The United States?

DO I trust the CIA? HELL To The NAWL! (LOL) KEEP TALKING REPUBLICANS, KEEP BLAMING Pelosi, it seems that your talking points are coming back to haunt you. LOL
Anita, we know how to read.  You don't need to cut and paste the original article in each of your posts.  
My mother told me, the one slinging the nost dirt is generally the one trying hardest to keep it off themselves.  The RNC could not possibly be trying any harder to get everyone to look at Pelosi.  She did not torture or say it was OK.  That would have been the CIA & the RNC, to cover their a$$ for the war in Iraq.  These were, are and always be criminal actions.
This CIA "torture" issue is ridiculous. This issue was only raised for political reasons. It was never meant to really go anywhere. Now politicians from both side are facing the heat for playing political games. Anybody that is a realist would understand that this so call "torture" or harsh interrogation by our CIA happened under Bush, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan and so on. Regardless of how this turns out, the CIA will do the same under Obama. Some may not like the tactics, but every country needs one agency that is willing to do the dirty work. This issue is nothing more than a political blame game.
Democrats fighting with Democrats. We all knew it would happen. Sooner, rather then later.
Looks like the Democrats have gone to war with the CIA. You know, the government entity designed to keep our sorry butts safe while the clowns in Congress rant and rave about whether carbon dioxide (the gas we in the animal kingdom breath out) is a poison or not.
So let me get this straight, based on the comments I've read here on FR over the last week...If the CIA report listing those who attended briefings about EITs was correct (meaning that Pelosi has lied about what she knew), then we should forget this story and move on to more important matters. But, if the CIA report was incorrect (meaning Pelosi's explanation is plausible), then we should explore every angle and run down every lead, ad nauseum.
An MSierra wannabe?
Anita, we know how to read.  You don't need to cut and paste the original article in each of your posts.  

I am extending an invitation for you to taste my dark side! LOL Can't take can you? LOL
And pretty soon the liberals leaders of the country, Pelosi, Reid, and Obama, will stand alone because they'll mistrust every other government agency. What a paranoid bunch of freaks the Democratic leadership has become.
Even so, I don't see how the kind of torture used was ever Pelosi's fault, whether she knew about it or not. We were definitely lied to by the Bush/Cheney regime. The buck and the blame lay squarely on them.
Nice to see Nancy P. is digging in her high heels on this one. Looks like she's taking others like David Obey down with her too. Ahh, what a good day it's turning out to be. A good day indeed.
 Do the Democrats really think it's smart to take on the CIA?  What are they thinking?
Dead on Anna Molly!
Anna Molly:  Well said!  I also like Lawrence ODonnell for MTP.  
DO I trust the CIA? HELL To The NAWL! (LOL) KEEP TALKING REPUBLICANS, KEEP BLAMING Pelosi, it seems that your talking points are coming back to haunt you. LOL
Anita, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:35 AM)



Why do you constantly insist that it is republicans who kicked this off. If the winch lied, she lied. it is nothing new for Congressional leaders to lie. THEY ALL DO IT.......This blaming republicans for everything is getting old and really tired. The time is coming real soon when blame will shift and the sh** will hit the fan......If this had been a Republican that said the CIA is a lying fool, I can bet that this story would have blown up 50 times more than it is now.
Anita, we know how to read.  You don't need to cut and paste the original article in each of your posts.  
An MSierra wannabe?

I did extend an invitation to you but seems like it didn't post, however you most likely have a pretty good idea of where the invitation's destination was intended, since you missed it, please except my apology as I extend it again.

Seems as though you all can't read and have problems remembering facts so hear IT goes AGAIN. lol

From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Mark Murray
Here's the latest in the back-and-forth between the House Democratic leadership and the Central Intelligence Agency: House Appropriations Chairman David Obey has fired off a letter to CIA Director Leon Panetta, pointing out that the CIA mistakenly listed that an Appropriations staffer sat in on a key CIA briefing in 2006.

READ THIS AND RETAIN THIS! LOL
The Dem's protecting each other.  Go figure.  Everyone must remember that all politician's lie.  It's their job to do so.  You cannot trust anything they say.  I still believe the CIA over Pelosi.  
Hmmm, what else have they made mistakes about? Is there a credibility gap forming here?
Dear Annna Molly....

And George Tennant with the CIA at the time, Tortured and Lied....and got the Medal of Freedom for doing so by President Bush.  
Now this should clear her name for she was not in- charge and the Democrats at that time had no say for the reconciliation act was in place but to say we have not been attcked since 9-11 is far out their see most folk's know that those who were invovled that was their only mission but to bragg on it is not all it sounds to be for how did they attack us anyway did not no wasn't the CIA a agency back then tell it all if needed.
Now this should clear her name for she was not in- charge and the Democrats at that time had no say for the reconciliation act was in place but to say we have not been attcked since 9-11 is far out their see most folk's know that those who were invovled that was their only mission but to bragg on it is not all it sounds to be for how did they attack us anyway did not no wasn't the CIA a agency back then tell it all if needed.
Pelosi unleashes a huge lie and the democrats trip over each other to make excuses.  This is the party that was going to deliver us from corruption?  Keep a bunch of liars and tax cheats in there and see what happens the next election.  People are sick of this nonsense regardless of party affiliation.
Come on. Could someone explain 2 me how we tortured these guys?
Republican weapon of mass distraction and the compliant corporate media is falling for it .... again.

Let's find out who was responsible for the horrors that Pelosi may or may not have possibly known something about. Bush said, "we don't torture". He lied. Rumsfeld and Cheney were banging on the doors of the CIA demanding that they ignore treaties and the law and beat the snot out of the detainees until they 'admitted' that Saddam and Al Q'da were working together.

Haul the pro-torture party in and have them explain why the law doesn't matter.
Forget what the "the staffer recollects" at meeting #2. Nancy P attended the initial meeting herself. The other senator in the meeting heard the info and said it was EIT's (i.e. waterboarding).  Busted.  End of story.
Either nancy is lying or incompetent. Take your pick, (personally, I think she is too calculating to not haven gotten it. She just didn't think she'd caught on this one). = Liar Liar pants on fire  
ANITA---
Once again, WTF is an assiginations?
The point is, ITS OK FOR ANY REPUBLICAN TO LIE ON ANYONE, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BUT IT IS DOWNRIGHT IMMORAL and UN-AMERICAN FOR A DEMOCRAT TO LIE?
Lie to get us into a war of choice = American     Lie about ratting out a CIA agent = American
Lie about torture of SUSPECTED Terrorist = American
Lie about no warning for Hurricane Katrina = American
Lie about illegal wiretapping of CITIZENS = American
The Shreding of OUR CONSTITUTION = American


Getting us out of a war of choice = Un-American
Going after Bin Laded with guns blazing = Un-American
Punishing those who ratted out a CIA agent = Un-American
Closing the TORTURE CHAMBER in Cuba = Un-American
Punishing those who AUTHORIZED torture = Un-American
Upholding our Constitution = Un-American

And these foolish republicans wonder why their approval rating is not only in the toilet, but is being flushed down the drain into the septic tank as we speak.  GOOD RIDDENCE GOP.
INTHEMIDDLE with his right wing, sexist, and fact less rant. Change your name you right wingnut. INTHEMIDDLE should belong to someone that is not RNC parrot. Talk about the talk not matching the monicker. Your monicker should be RNCKOOLAIDRINKER. Nobody parrots the RNC talking points better than INTHEMIDDLEOFTHERNCPLAYBOOK.
DO I trust the CIA? HELL To The NAWL! (LOL) KEEP TALKING REPUBLICANS, KEEP BLAMING Pelosi, it seems that your talking points are coming back to haunt you. LOL
Anita, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:35 AM)



Why do you constantly insist that it is republicans who kicked this off. If the winch lied, she lied. it is nothing new for Congressional leaders to lie. THEY ALL DO IT.......This blaming republicans for everything is getting old and really tired. The time is coming real soon when blame will shift and the sh** will hit the fan......If this had been a Republican that said the CIA is a lying fool, I can bet that this story would have blown up 50 times more than it is now.
IntheMiddle, TX (Sent Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:58 AM)

Go drink more limpbag tea limpbag lover!!
So now 'waterboarding' isn't torture?  Several of these blogs have Republican apologists saying thia very thing.

What's even funnier is the liberals keep saying, "It's immaterial that Pelosi lied, we don't care if she lied or not, if she did something wrong, she should be punished.  The point is, the Cheney/Bush administration directed that torture be used to try and prove that there was a connection between Iraq and Al-Quieda when there wasn't."

The Republican reply?  "But Nancy pelosi lied!"

Try to turn our heads and distract us from the central point all you want, it ain't working.

THE CHENEY/BUSH ADMINISTRATION, LIED TO US, LIED TO CONGRESS, LIED TO THE UN AND TORTURED PRISONERS TO TRY AND PERPETUATE THE LIE!!!!!!!!

Try and spin that.
STOP! The Attacks On Speaker Pelosi

Last time they tried to attack Speaker Pelosi ( second in line to the President of the United States) it was about her alleged abuse of military transportation. This attack as expected turned out to be bogus. It turned out that the previous Speaker (Hastert - a Republican) made far more use of military transportation. It turned out that Speaker Pelosi was possibly overly prudent and too self-restrained in her use of military transportation.

Now Republicans are trying to attack her about allegedly having been told by the Bush administration about things she was not told about, like water boarding. Republicans are attacking her because she is being so effective at getting the peoples work done in congress, like healthcare. And Republicans want to stop her. Don't put up with that. Every time they attack Speaker Pelosi they are attacking you and the rest of the American people. If they go after her, go after them even harder.

They are trying to con Speaker Pelosi and the American people. And here is how it works. Approximately 6 years ago CIA had a briefing with Pelosi and congress, but DID NOT tell congress and Pelosi that the Bush administration was using torture ( water boarding ) on detainees. Then the Bush administration sent in Porter Goss to head the CIA and to destroy, and doctor records in part to make it look like Pelosi, and the Democrats in congress were onboard with the illegal torture of detainees by the Bush administration.

See, apparently at these intelligence briefings members of congress are not allowed to take notes. And if they do, they are not allowed to keep them. Apparently the CIA makes notes, but the members of congress are not allowed to see those notes either. And they can't tell anybody about what was said at the briefings. But the CIA can come back six years later and claim they told members of congress something six years ago that they did not tell them at that time. And they can use falsified notes to substantiate their claim. Planting disinformation was the type of thing the CIA became very good at during the time Porter Goss was a young CIA agent. Just gotta love it. :-)

If you will remember, their was a mass exodus of senior CIA officials after Porter Goss took over. And the complaint at the time was that longtime, highly experienced agents were being replaced by other people based mostly on their political loyalties to the Bush administration and their extreme right-wing ideologies. Which is just exactly what you need if you want people who will be willing to break the law under orders. Sound familiar? I don't think you can trust any CIA records after Goss took over.

I have nothing but the utmost respect, and admiration for the dedicated and patriotic members of OUR! Central Intelligence Agency. When the Bush administration betrayed one of OUR! agents (Mrs. Wilson) it made me boiling MAD! I think our new Director Pennetta has got some internal investigation and agency house cleaning to do. If you backtrack on the individuals that have been making the false attacks on Speaker Pelosi, and trace who they have had contact and conversations with, you should be able to connect the dots and catch your conspirators.

The key that the CIA records are falsified is Sen. Bob Graham and his journal, and now congressman David Obey and his aide, Sen J. Rockefeller and some common sense. :-) By the way, I think Mr. Pennetta is an excellent choice to head the CIA and fix it.

They are trying to kill healthcare reform.  And continue our healthcare crisis. Don't put up with that.

PASS THE WORD.

To The Congress Of The United States:

If it is true that you are not allowed to have or make any permanent records of your intelligence briefings for later clarifications, and protection, that is ridiculous. That leaves all of you vulnerable to just this type of scam that is being perpetrated on Speaker Pelosi. So here is what you can do about it to protect your-selves in the future.

Members should be able to make notes and other recordings of these briefings. Then these briefings and recordings can be reduced to a computer file that can then be encrypted and digitally signed with a detached digital signature using key encryption. Then each of you can encrypt, and sign each others copy of the record that can only be unlocked with the other parties key. And both parties copies can be verified with each others copy of the files detached digital signature.

Very easy. Very secure. No more exposure to falsified records down the road. :-)

You see, it almost doesn't really matter what CIA allegedly did or didn't tell Speaker Pelosi, and congress. Because the briefing format is so deficient of any checks, balances, or verification that all we know is that all external briefing accounts support Speaker Pelosi's version of events. Pelosi and congress should have been given every benefit of the doubt. And that should have been it.

There are many other booby traps out there set for you congress. Be careful.

God Bless You

jacksmith — WORKING CLASS


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