Obey says CIA document incorrect

Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) is asking the CIA to correct what he says is a false statement about a 2006 classified briefing.

In a letter to CIA Director Leon Pannetta yesterday, Obey claimed an appropriations staffer who was not let into a classified briefing is nevertheless listed as attending the meeting in recently released CIA documents.

“In light of current controversy about CIA briefing practices, I was surprised to learn that the agency erroneously listed an appropriations staffer as being in a key briefing on September 19, 2006, when in fact he was not,” Obey wrote. “The list the agency released entitled “Member Briefings on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs)”, shows that House Appropriations Committee defense appropriations staffer Paul Juola was in that briefing on that date. In fact, Mr. Juola recollects that he walked members to the briefing room, met General Hayden and Mr. Walker, who were the briefers, and was told that he could not attend the briefing. We request that you immediately correct this record.”

Click here to see the document that says Joula attended the meeting. This is the same document that the CIA released to rebut Pelosi’s claim that she was not briefed that enhanced interrogation techniques were being used on detainees.

Any evidence that the document is misleading or incorrect gives cover to Pelosi’s assertion that the CIA has misled members of Congress about the interrogation program.

Obey’s objection doesn’t relate to the substance of the briefings, but in challenging the CIA over its characterization of the briefings, he’s certainly giving Pelosi at least some political cover for her claims.