In press conference this morning, Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the CIA of "misleading" Congress concerning the use of enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs), especially waterboarding. Pelosi was briefed on the techniques by the CIA in early September 2002, but says "the only mention of waterboarding…in the briefing was that it was not being employed." She emphasized "not" in her answer more than once. Only later, Pelosi says, did it come to light that the CIA was already using waterboarding on top al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah.
One reporter in attendance quickly followed up, asking Pelosi if she was accusing the CIA of lying. She initially answered "yes" and then added that the CIA was "misleading the Congress of the United States" at the time. Pelosi said that the CIA withheld "information about the timing and the use of this subject" - evidently referring to waterboarding.
She chastised reporters for falling for the Republicans' political machinations and deflecting attention from their misdeeds. To clear the air, Pelosi said, "I'd be very happy if they released the briefings."
And that is the only way this matter can be cleared up. A lot of documents should be declassified, including the briefing Pelosi cites. Either the CIA withheld information from Pelosi et al., or Pelosi is now lying. Either way, the briefing should be released.
While they are at it, all of the memos that deal with this topic should be released. Let's see the intelligence on what al Qaeda was up to and what intelligence, precisely, came out of the interrogations of senior al Qaeda terrorists.
Something tells me that we will hear a response from the CIA shortly.
