Bob Graham: "three out of four of these alleged briefings never took place"

[bananas]

Graham: CIA was 'loose with the facts' about interrogation briefings

By Nathan Crabbe
Sun staff writer

Published: Friday, May 15, 2009 at 4:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, May 15, 2009 at 4:42 p.m.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham said Friday that his detailed diaries show Democrats were told less about the interrogation of terrorists than the CIA claims.

Graham said the CIA claimed he was briefed four times about extreme interrogation techniques as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

He said he called the head of archives at the University of Florida, where his notebooks are stored, to check if he had listed the briefings.

"We established that three out of four of these alleged briefings never took place," he said.

<snip>

[Supersedeas]

1. has the CIA confirmed that this was a mistake -- some reporters say CIA has yet to confirm it

[bananas]

3. It wasn't a "mistake", the CIA lied on purpose.

The CIA vs. Sen. Bob Graham: how to keep score at home

14 May 2009 07:49 pm

It's easy! If the CIA says one thing and former Sen. Graham says another, then the CIA is lying. Or, "in error," if you prefer.

<snip>

Part of the payoff of reaching age 72 and having spent 38 years in public office, as Graham has, is that people have had a chance to judge your reputation. Graham has a general reputation for honesty. In my eyes he has a specific reputation for very good judgment: he was one of a handful of Senators actually to read the full classified intelligence report about the "threats" posed by Saddam Hussein. On the basis of reading it, despite a career as a conservative/centrist Democrat, he voted against the war and fervently urged his colleagues to do the same. "Blood is going to be on your hands," he warned those who voted yes.

More relevant in this case, Graham also has a specific reputation for keeping detailed daily records of people he met and things they said. He's sometimes been mocked for this compulsive practice, but he's never been doubted about the completeness or accuracy of what he compiles. (In the fine print of those records would be an indication that I had interviewed him about Iraq war policy while he was in the Senate and recently spent time with him when he was on this side of the world.)

So if he says he never got the briefing, he didn't. And if the CIA or anyone acting on its behalf challenges him, they are stupid and incompetent as well as being untrustworthy. This doesn't prove that the accounts of briefing Pelosi are also inaccurate. But it shifts the burden of proof.

[bananas]

5. CIA Admits That Info About Torture Briefings For Dems May Not Be Accurate

CIA Admits That Info About Torture Briefings For Dems May Not Be Accurate

As I noted below, newly released documents appear to show that according to the CIA, officials briefed Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats back in 2002 about the use of torture techniques on terror suspects.

But a letter that accompanied these documents, written by the head of the CIA, appears to clearly concede that the information in the docs about who was briefed and when may not be accurate or reliable.

Republicans are pointing to the documents — which were produced by the CIA and the Director of National Intelligence, and sent to select members of Congress — to charge that Pelosi and other Dems have been lying about what they knew about waterboarding and when.

But the docs were accompanied by a letter from CIA chief Leon Panetta that appears to suggest the CIA can’t promise that the info is right. The letter was sent along with the documents to GOP Rep Pete Hoekstra, a leading critic of Dems on torture, and Dem Rep Silvestre Reyes, the chairman of the intelligence committee.

I’ve obtained the letter, and a PDF is right here. This is the key part (click to enlarge):

<snip>

[Recursion]

17. There's more than one CIA

Or rather, as an organization it's divided into several nearly autonomous mutually-loathing factions, basically, Poppy's Boys and The Rest.

[spanone]

7. npr said that the cia confirmed that graham was CORRECT

http://www.friedpost.com/us/bob-graham-said-cia-gave-him-false-information-about-interrogation-briefings-796.html

[bananas]

8. You heard that on npr?

Do you remember what time/station/show it was?

[spanone]

9. it was about 5:30 cst....all things considered?

[spanone]

10. link

"They said, 'We will check and call back,'" Graham recalled. "When they finally did a few days later, they indicated that I was correct. Their information was in error. There was no briefing on the first three of four dates."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104196363

[bananas]

11. found it

All Things Considered, May 15, 2009:

"They said, 'We will check and call back,'" Graham recalled. "When they finally did a few days later, they indicated that I was correct. Their information was in error. There was no briefing on the first three of four dates."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104196363

[spanone]

12. great minds!!!!!

[bananas]

14. It was in Huffingon Post yesterday

I just read this in another thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5653913&mesg_id=5658119

"the CIA agreed that my notes were accurate; that three of those four dates there had been no briefing. There was only one day that I had been briefed"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/14/graham-cia-gave-me-false_n_203683.html

[TwilightZone]

2. But, but...Dick Cheney and the CIA have more credibility than Bob Graham!

Let's see - detailed diaries written by a Democrat considered credible by just about everyone vs. somebody at the CIA who wasn't even there.

Man, that's a tough one.

[gratuitous]

4. Well, I'm sure we'll see wall-to-wall coverage on this, right?

Now that the truth has strapped on its Nikes, we see that the lies have already traveled several times around the world. Meanwhile, the corporate shills at the popular media outlets have already fixed on their pleasing narrative that absolves them of all responsibility, makes the Republicans look not so very bad, and puts the hat on Democrats who were the minority party in 2002.

A fine week's work, everyone! Off we go to happy hour, and never mind that that tiresome former senator might have to say. Drink up, boys!

[lib2DaBone]

6. Bob Graham at one time was a great Governor in Florida....

He worked hard and stood up for the people. I had a good deal of respect for him.

He was well known for his "Executive Work Days". He would work side-by-side one day a month.. helping retail workers, Contruction workers, Hospital workers, Police, Fire. I even had one of his signiture red ties with the Florida logo repeated all over the tie. Florida was booming.. tourism was booming... good times for one and all. (This was early 80's?. it's been a long time.. my memory is fuzzy and 8 years of Bush has been a nightmare that won't end... like PTS. Post traumatic stress)

Then, I watched Gov Bob change the minute he went to the Senate. He sold out to the Fascists , just like Colin Powell and any number of other great men. Something about the Senate is like poison for Democracy..? What goes on there? I know it is not done in the name of Democracy or Fairness for the American people.

SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME. What else can you say? Is it money..power.. threats...false promises... who knows why these people go bad once they make it to Capital Hill.

Look at Obama. I think he was sincere when he said... "change we can believe in" during the campaign. Once he made it to the WH...? We all know the headlines.... business as usual.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Bob Graham would know.

He has a journal and he's the original Twitter, tweeting in his book every mundane thing that he ever did on a daily basis. I trust his word.

[livefreest]

15. well I hope more DUers will start taking some reflection time before attacking Nancy Pelosi based on

CIA leaked memos

[Enrique]

16. so we just take everything the CIA says and divide it by four n/t

[Scurrilous]

18. K & R

:thumbsup: