@SharylAttkisson On the contrary, I'm getting the popcorn. 🙂
— Phineas Fahrquar (@irishspy) April 3, 2014
Sharyl Attkisson, reporter extraordinaire formerly of CBS News, has been in dogged pursuit of the truth about the Benghazi attack for a long time, and she hasn’t let up.
Yesterday, former Deputy CIA Director Mike Morell testified before the House Intelligence Committee about the Benghazi talking points and other related issues.
From the Washingon Times:
The CIA’s former deputy director disclosed Wednesday that Obama administration officials were alerted the day before they went on national television that a key tenet of their original Benghazi storyline might be inaccurate. But he did not explain why the administration continued to cling to its narrative even after U.S. intelligence debunked reports that the deadly attack was born out of a protest over an anti-Islam video.
In often testy exchanges with Republicans who accused him of a cover-up, Michael Morell flatly denied that he “inappropriately altered and influenced” the infamous Benghazi talking points to downplay the role of terrorism in the attacks.
On Twitter, Attkisson offered a detailed analysis of her take on Morell’s testimony:
Here’s the evolving history of the Benghazi talking points as documented by previous reporting paired with today’s testimony.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
It’s unclear why federal officials seemed so confused and provided so much contradictory info about how the talking points evolved.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
On Fri. Nov. 16, 2012 CIA Dir. Petraeus told members of Congress the CIA didn't remove “terrorism” and “al Qaeda.”
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
But today, Morell testified under oath that it was the CIA that removed “al Qaeda” and that he, personally, made other edits.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell didn’t offer this info when asked by Congress in earlier private and public appearances.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
After Petraeus’ Nov. 2012 statement that the CIA didn’t revise the talking points,
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
CIA officials told reporters that the edits were made at a "senior level in the interagency process” …
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
…so as not to tip off al Qaeda as to what the U.S. knew, and to protect sources and methods.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Soon thereafter, another reason was given.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
A source from the Office of the Dir. for National Intel. told CBS News' Margaret Brennan that ODNI made the edits…
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
…as part of the interagency process because the links to al Qaeda were deemed too "tenuous" to make public.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Then, later in Nov. 2012, Morell provided yet another account. In a meeting w/ Rep. Senators McCain (R-AZ), Graham (R-SC) and Ayotte (R-NH),
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell stated that he believed it was the FBI that removed the references "to prevent compromising an ongoing criminal investigation."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
But it was just a matter of hours before there was yet another revision.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
A C.I.A. official contacted Graham & said Morell "misspoke" and that it was, in fact, the CIA, not the FBI, that deleted al Qaeda references
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Today, Morell said, “I got it wrong and said the F.B.I. when in fact the C.I.A. was the one who took it out of the talking points…
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
…I got it mixed up."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell says he corrected the record within two to three hours of his Nov. 2012 mistake.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Today, Morell stated that the C.I.A. believed then, and that he still believes, “some of the attackers” were “affiliated with al Qaeda.”
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
That information, too, was edited out of the talking points but Morell said he was not personally responsible for that CIA word change.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
When asked who did, Morell answered, “The group of officers from our office of Congressional affairs and our office of public affairs.”
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
But previously, government public affairs officials had vehemently denied that any federal public affairs officials made edits.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell acknowledged personally removing the word “Islamic” from the phrase “Islamic extremists” in the talking points two reasons:
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
so as not to further inflame passions in the Islamic world and because “what other kind of extremists are there in Libya?”
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell also acknowledged removing the talking points disclosure that CIA had provided “warnings” to the State Dept. prior to the attacks.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell’s boss, Petraeus, wanted the mention included but Morell deleted them.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell went against his own agency on this point in defense of Secy of State Hillary Clinton’s State Department.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Morell said he felt the CIA was thumping its chest and unfairly heaping blame on the State Dept.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
No word on why CIA Director Petraeus was subservient to his number two, Morell, on editing the talking points.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Petraeus was under FBI investigation for his alleged extramarital affair at the time but Morell says he was unaware of that.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Hmm…
Morell has now been hired by a PR firm operated primarily by former Hillary Clinton and Obama administration officials.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Read more:
And I'll spare you more on Twitter–but you can read more at http://t.co/NOHye7FYSo
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
Attkisson’s book promises to be a great read from a fantastic reporter:
Now back to our regular programming while I focus on the book (available for preorder even before it's written): http://t.co/4gbV4N6aFt
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014
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