CIA Director Leon Panetta responded to accusations yesterday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that, “They lie all the time.”
The Politico reported:
CIA Director Leon Panetta just sent a stern message to his employees defending the agency against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s criticisms.
His message: We didn’t mislead Congress; stay focused on your job.
Panetta’s note was sent to reporters via the CIA press office. Here’s the key graph:
“Let me be clear: It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values. As the Agency indicated previously in response to Congressional inquiries, our contemporaneous records from September 2002 indicate that CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing “the enhanced techniques that had been employed.” Ultimately, it is up to Congress to evaluate all the evidence and reach its own conclusions about what happened.”
Power Line has more on the CIA’s response to Pelosi.