Someone lied about something at the CIA, that much is clear.
Members of the House Intelligence Committee are not happy about it, that is also clear.
But the actual offense and who committed it was apparently discussed behind closed doors and cannot be revealed publicly which has led to a cryptic dance in statements from members of Congress and the CIA.
It’s worth mentioning that the CIA actually makes a living telling lies overseas to secure secrets for U.S. national security purposes. But the spy agency prides itself on telling truth to power at home.
So let’s see if we can wind our way through what is known so far to see where the pieces fit in the puzzle of shadows.
Six Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee sent CIA Director Leon Panetta a letter dated June 26 that said “recently you testified that you have determined that top CIA officials have concealed significant actions from all members of Congress, and misled members for a number of years from 2001 to this week. This is similar to other deceptions of which we are aware from other recent periods.”
A very tantalizing statement. The letter then asks that Panetta publicly correct his statement of May 15 that it is not CIA’s policy or practice to mislead Congress.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, a Democrat, issued a statement very late Wednesday night (10:04 p.m. on the BlackBerry) that said he appreciated Panetta’s recent efforts to bring issues to the committee’s attention that “had not previously been conveyed.”
But hold on… Reyes goes on to say that while the CIA has told the truth in the “vast majority of matters,” there were “rare instances” in which “certain officers have not adhered to the high standards held, as a rule, by the CIA with respect to truthfulness in reporting.”
Doesn’t require a whole lot of interpretation: Someone lied
The CIA responded by saying Panetta stands by his May 15 statement that it is not the policy of the spy agency to mislead Congress.
CIA spokesman George Little said Panetta’s actions backed up his words since “it was the CIA itself that took the initiative to notify the oversight committees.” (Still no word on what the offense was, or who committed it).
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee were not going to be left out of this one and issued a statement even later at night. They charge that the Democrats are whacking the CIA to protect their leader, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who became embroiled in controversy over when she knew that waterboarding was being used on terrorism suspects.
The Republicans say the “blatantly political nature” of the letters from the Democrats is revealed by the fact that “one was slipped under a staffer’s office door late at night, the other was deliberately hidden from Republican members for two weeks and had to be obtained from the press.”
So that’s what we know. What we don’t know is who lied about what.
Any ideas please send them in.
Trackback
37 comments so far
Previous | 2 | 1 | Next
nicos,the BBC is a broadcasting organization that is financed by a licence that each person in UK pay.they have gone very much like the new york times where they sometimes report the news as they would like it to be,to suit their political agenda.unfotunately unlike the new york times who are their own masters the BBC are not and recently they have been pulled over the coals because of their leftist bias.this is very sad because in england certain institutions were above politics,for instance the judiciary are totally impartial perhaps because they are not nominated by politicians.so if you agree with the new york times,then this report from the BBC will be accepted by you whether it true or not.
- Posted by brian leeAs more news continue to trickle out about the CIA’s deception of the U.S. Congress, it was just reported by BBC that former U.S. Vice President had ordered the CIA not to tell Congress about about its torture programs, etc..
This information just confirmed the widespread view among experts that George Bush was actually a marionette of Cheney, who was the actual decision maker at the White House - on behalf of the president. All CIA activities must be approved by the President with Executive Orders, and those orders are on file to protect CIA personnel - if a legal matter about the legality of the CIA activities surface. But the revelation now that Mr. Cheney was giving direct orders
to the CIA, and those orders were followed by the CIA
without the official authorization of an Executive Order from from the President, is the smoking gun which proves
that Mr. Cheney was running the illegal CIA operations during the Bush tenure as president.
Could George Bush have signed an Executive Order directing the CIA to lie to the U.S. Congress? Of course
not. And that brings us to the “Two-Way Street” that the CIA does business: a) Do what is legal, or borderline legal with an Executive Order, and b) Do what is illegal under an “Oral Order” from the Vice President. The “Oral Order” is not traceable; it can be denied if it surfaces in the headlines, and above all provides “denialbility” for the president for illegal activities carried by the Administration under his command.
The democrats were a minority during the George Bush tenure, and they were just dismissed as constitutional partners by Bush and Cheney. But now they have majority in both houses, and with that comes the power to appoint a Special Prosecutor to dig out their deliberate exclusion by Bush and Cheney on matters of national policy. And I hope they will have the guts to do it. Nikos Retsos, retired professor
- Posted by Nikos RetsosLet’s see… much fuss about a program, not fully implemented, that didn’t actually do anything, whose existence was withheld from an oversight committee that all too often leaked information to the media. Why am I not upset?
- Posted by DouglasPerhaps the committee needs to change it’s name
- Posted by maureenthe the Almost Intelligent House Committee.
The first liar doesn’t have a chance
If someone the the CIA lied to Congress, then it is Congress’ responsibility to identify that individual(s) and take the appropriate actions whether it be internal to the CIA or criminal. Both parties in Congress are responsible for pushing this to the final conclusion. While it does not need to be made public it does need to be completed.
- Posted by SamIt amazes me how we just “go along” with the power brokers in Washington. From the top office in the country to an insignificant office manager. The arrogance and indifference they project is sufficating our country, economy and the ideals America was founded upon. We must at some point stand up and be heard. It is our responsibility to vote out these offenders. That is the only way we can be certain “WE WILL BE HEARD”!!
- Posted by Joel KHey! Don\’t believe every thing you read people! Do you think Hillary always tells the truth or Bill? Ha!
- Posted by ThaneIt is amusing to say the least to read the comments of people who think that information was manipulated only in the last administration.
- Posted by tankfixerAre they that young or uneducated ?
Or dishonest ?
Or are they just stupid ?
So they lied in 2001? What happened back in 2001? 9/11, right? So is it possible that the lies coming from the CIA revolve around the events on 9/11, and who was really responsible?
Is that why the public can’t know? Because everything that’s happened in the last 8 years (wars, etc.) will have been a total waste of taxpayer dollars?
I have a feeling that this is never going to be released because the public will call for the CIA to be disbanded.
- Posted by The past 8 years have all been a lieHAHAHA, Suprise Suprise.
- Posted by StephenThe past administration manipulated intelligence from all agencies for eight years. Many revelations to come. Cheney may want to move to Dubai sooner than planned.
- Posted by Dave BoviaSorry, but i believe the CIA more than i believe any politician in congress…especially the current line-up…
- Posted by JFSomeone in Washington lied?
- Posted by Craig CoalSome of you seem surprised and others can’t wait to point a finger at someone you do not agree with. The truth is the American people must like to be lied to because we keep electing and re-electing people that lie. Then once elected they demand misinformation from their hired or appointed officials as well.
What we need is less fighting among ourselves and more demand for honestly and prudent behavior from our elected officials in Washington. They lie because they think we expect or want them to lie.
I believe the web of deceit spun over the last 8 years is finally beginning to unravel amongst the upper echelons. Hopefully faith will be restored and our nation’s image will begin to heal.
- Posted by NatheyaWhen are we finally going to accept the fact that our nation was formed by God-fearing men who believed and lived by God’s Word, and as such, they strived to act and serve their country with a conscience that was submitted to God and His Word. America and our constitution is based on Biblical principles that has slowly been eroded and thrown out the window by leaders and politicians who refuse to be reminded by their CONSCIENCE that what they are doing is WRONG. We Americans have been too complacent about who we place in power and it is time to choose:..are you for God or against Him…there is no middle ground. The Bible says in REV. 3:15-16 “because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
- Posted by SueWhat? The CIA lied…? How could that have happened? Give me a break. I don’t expect anything else from them or congress. I say we fire the whole bunch of them and start over and that includes the White House and the senate. There is no accountability anywhere. We need to stop the blind trust in these people. Just because someone has enough money to get elected to office doesn’t mean they are qualified for that office. Because someone has charisma or they are a media darling of the puppeteers that are pulling the media strings does not mean they are qualified for office. Stop acting like a bunch of sheep and wake up. You can always tell when someone in the media or the government is lying – their lips are moving.
- Posted by Jesse PaitSeeing as how carelessly Pelosi “forgot” key intelligence briefing information, is it any surprise that the CIA would hold back on sharing some information with Congress?
- Posted by Gordon