CIA Director Panetta: Records Show CIA Officers Briefed Lawmakers Truthfully

WASHINGTON — CIA Director Leon Panetta says agency records show CIA officers briefed lawmakers truthfully in 2002 on methods of interrogating terrorism suspects, but it is up to Congress to reach its own conclusions about what happened.

Panetta's message to agency employees came one day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi said bluntly the CIA had misled her and other lawmakers about the use of waterboarding and other harsh techniques seven years ago.

Panetta wrote that the political debates about interrogation "reached a new decibel level" with the charges.

He urged agency employees to "ignore the noise and stay focused on your mission."

Comments

[mergina]

06:18 AM on 05/19/2009

CIA records show? THAT IS PRETTY FUNNY. The Agency of Lies. Haaaaaaaaa­aaa!

[research]

11:59 AM on 05/18/2009

!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!! Distractio­n GATE !!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!
**********­**********­**********­**********­**********­*******
!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!! Bush !!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!
^^^^^^^^^^­^^^^^^^^^C­heney ^^^^^^^^^^­^^^^^^^^^^­^^
++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­+++++++
==========­= WAR CRIMINALS=­==========­==

[American50]

01:15 AM on 05/18/2009

Pelosi....­.... Please step down!!!!!!­!!! "She" is a complete and utter "LIAR"

[rabiddog6708]

12:11 PM on 05/17/2009

From madkane.co­m: The “We Did Nothing Wrong, & Nancy Should Have Stopped Us” Song
Republican­s are truly gifted at changing the subject, and the media falls for it every time. Take CIA torture, for instance. Is the media focusing on who in the Bush administra­tion broke the law and ordered torture? Of course not! Instead, the topic’s morphed into whether Nancy Pelosi is lying when she says the CIA misled Congress about torture.

Following Republican logic is never an easy task. But from what I can gather, here’s the Republican position: Bush’s CIA did nothing wrong, & Pelosi could have and should have stopped them.

In honor of the Republican­s tortured position on torture, I’ve written them a theme song to the tune of Stephen Foster’s Camptown Races:

The CIA did nothing wrong.
Doo-da, Doo-da.
Pelosi knew and went along.
Oh, de doo-da day.

Torture is always right.
Torture can make our day.
And Nancy’s nothing but a lying nag.
She could have got in the way.

Interrogat­ion must be tough.
Doo-da, Doo-da.
Pelosi knew we got too rough.
Oh, de doo-da day.

Never did break no laws.
Torture? Who, us? No way!
Pelosi’s nothing but a lying hag.
Nancy would lead you astray.

The CIA protects us all.
Doo-da, Doo-da.
It’s time Pelosi took the fall.
Oh, de doo-da day.

Torture was never done.
Torture is lots of fun.
And Nancy’s nothing but a lying nag.
Nancy Pelosi should pay.

[Gib]

07:07 PM on 05/17/2009

Clever!

[research]

10:18 PM on 05/16/2009

Distractio­n!

Cheney and Bush have admitted war crimes.

[American50]

12:22 AM on 05/17/2009

Distractio­n!
Pelosi Lied

[macchugsid]

09:42 AM on 05/17/2009

And we know she lied how? We are supposed to take the word of an agency with a history of prevaricat­ion? As if Leon Panetta knows what actually happened in those briefings when he was not even in charge? Based on notes from those meetings that were written by people who's ass was on the line if things were not done right? What exactly could Rep. Pelosi do about it at the time even if she had objections­?

This is nothing more than bait and switch and if you can not see that then you have bought in to it hook, line and sinker. Put down the kool-aid and back away slowly. Now, take a deep breath and have an independen­t thought for a change. You might find it refreshing­.

[notwaff]

09:11 PM on 05/16/2009

The CIA provided extensive briefings on how thousands of Americans were killed by terrorists and how to stop thousands more from being killed - and Pelosi is saying it was not important enough for her to stay on top of it all!

==========
At this point, considerin­g how poorly Pelosi has handled herself, the best defense Pelosi can concoct will be that she's suffering from dementia and can't remember what actually happened.
==========

[d00derman]

07:10 PM on 05/16/2009

So it's 2002, and I have to choose between the George Tenet's "Slam Dunk" CIA or Nancy Pelosi? Hmm I wonder what I will choose?

[magic3400]

05:18 PM on 05/16/2009

Leon Panetta says "it's not our policy to misled Congress" , well duh.

That doesn't mean that the CIA didn't mislead Congress only that there is no "policy" to do so.

If CNN, MSNBC and others actually read the words, there is nothing there that says the Speaker is not telling the truth. Leon Panetta was not at the briefing, he can attest to "NOTHING", he can read the briefing notes, but come on, we're talking about the CIA.

Anybody that believes that the notes were not altered, I got a very cheap bridge to sell ya!

[Gib]

07:09 PM on 05/17/2009

It couldn't be "policy", because that would mean it had to be written down. These are the kinds of decisions made at intimate meetings where nobody is taking any notes.

[Boots1]

04:55 PM on 05/16/2009

That Leon is a card isn't he? He said it's up to Congress to reach its own conclusion­s about what happened. I guess that means it's just a matter of interpreta­tion?
Then he urged agency employees to "ignore the noise and stay focused on your mission." What's he running here a baseball or football team?

Atta boy Leon, everyone's doin' a-heck-of-­a-job! What say we throw them another big party like we did in 1975. Remember the Church Committee?

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

04:47 PM on 05/16/2009

They also have records that say that Al Queda tried to purchase yellowcake uranium from Niger, what is the CIA's point?

[dwillisno1]

04:22 PM on 05/16/2009

So according to tr0llorama­, we know what actually took place in the briefing room, because the notes say so. Even the minutes of a meeting have to be agreed to by the persons who attended. No one but the CIA was allowed to take notes, and all the participan­ts never given an opportunit­y to agree that they accurately reflected what happened. Would not likely be admitted as evidence in a trial, or at best subject to he said she said. But we have admissions that the torture happened, and pictures. No wonder the tr0lls are playing deflecto with the Pelosi deal.

[finishcurve]

04:22 PM on 05/16/2009

60 of the 2000 photos Obama doesn't want released:

http://www­.smh.com.a­u/ftimages­/2006/02/1­5/11398907­68716.html

[abouttime]

03:59 PM on 05/16/2009

What?
"CIA Director Leon Panetta says agency records show... "
Wow, that sure clears things up!
CIA records?
Gag me with a spoon...

[whitef]

04:08 PM on 05/16/2009

Wait are you bashing NP now, She just said "my respect for those in the intelligen­ce community who work to keep our country safe," Pelosi said in a statement.

You can't come in here and go against NP now can you?
You need to take that back cause she just changed her mind now, you should follow her example.

[Gib]

07:10 PM on 05/17/2009

You speak like a follower. Not everybody is a follower.

[whitef]

03:53 PM on 05/16/2009

I say we also go after Clinton for using torture also. Under his watch we tortured many people by using waterboard­ing also. He should go down with every president that was in power while we waterboard­ed our own troops for SERE training. We have made a decision that it's not correct to waterboard terrorism suspects but it's ok to do it to our own troops.

[finishcurve]

05:57 PM on 05/16/2009

Get a clue about the protocol.

[abouttime]

03:52 PM on 05/16/2009

The main stream media helped quite a bit in this cover-up. People who went to internatio­nal press or "alternati­ve" media in the US already knew the TRUTH. (I say :alternati­ve", but it is becoming the main soucre for millions of Americans who see the connection between the MSM and the CIA, as one in the same) Just because the willfully ignorant MSM censors say something is classified means only that the legal myths can be set aside until when? When the jury of people decide. We have already decided that Bush, Chenney, et al, ARE GUILTY.
Whether justice and a return of our Constituti­onal (and Human right) protection­s are honored is still in the balance.
War crime tribunals are certain. The people know the truth.