Ex-CIA Director David Petraeus told lawmakers during a private hearing the truth about the Sept. 11th attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.
I think the Obama Administration forgot to look for the truth behind the attacks before publicly talking about what had happened. It turns out that it was a terrorist strike according to Petraeus!
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David Petraeus
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Petraeus addressed the House Intelligence Committee in his first Capitol Hill testimony since his resignation just last week. This was due to the alleged affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell.
"Lawmakers said Petraeus testified that the CIA's talking points written in response to the assault on the diplomat post in Benghazi that killed four Americans referred to it as a terrorist attack. But Petraeus told the lawmakers it was removed by other federal agencies who made changes to the CIA's draft."
Petraeus is reported to have said that he is clueless about who removed the reference to terrorism.
So all this time the government had us thinking that this was all just a brutal response to an anti-muslim video but even Petraeus is still baffled at why this was given as the story instead!
Rep. Adam Schiff said Petraeus rebuked Republican accusations during Obama's re-election campaign that the White House completely misled the public about the situation in Libya. It wouldn't be wrong however to understand the Republican's point of view.
"There was an interagency process to draft it, not a political process," Schiff said after the hearing.
"They came up with the best assessment without compromising classified information or source or methods. So changes were made to protect classified information.
"The general was adamant there was no politicization of the process, no White House interference or political agenda," Schiff said. "He completely debunked that idea."
Schiff said Petraeus said Rice's comments in the television interviews "reflected the best intelligence at the time that could be released publicly."
It is reported that Petraeus had briefed the House Committee on Sept. 14 but he wasn't so sure that it could've been a terrorist attack. "He thought all along that he made it clear there was terrorist involvement," said Rep. Peter King.
Petraeus appologized to the the House Committee about the circumstances of his departure but did not specifically talk about the scandal.
"Petraeus sneaked into the Capitol away from photographers and television cameras to provide his testimony before the House committee, which met in a secure room several floors below the main area of the Capitol Visitors Center where tourists gather when they are visiting Congress."
Petraeus, was one of the most respected U.S. military leaders until the scandal occured.
"Lawmakers spent hours Thursday interviewing top intelligence and national security officials, trying to determine what intelligence agencies knew before, during and after the attack. They viewed security video from the consulate and surveillance footage by an unarmed CIA Predator drone that showed events in real time."
The FBI had been looking into the matter of what exactly drove the attacks in Libya but had waited until after the elections too let the House Committee.
In the course of investigating the Petraeus affair, the FBI uncovered suggestive emails between Afghanistan war chief Gen. John Allen and Florida socialite Jill Kelley, both of them married. President Barack Obama has put a promotion nomination for Allen on hold.
The CIA on Thursday opened an exploratory investigation into Petraeus' conduct. The inquiry "doesn't presuppose any particular outcome," said CIA spokesman Preston Golson. At the same time, Army officials say that, at this point, there is no appetite for recalling Petraeus to active duty to pursue any adultery charges against him.
What's incredible now is that Petraeus in his first interview with the media since his resignation said that he had never given any classified information to Broadwell...
...The FBI found a heavy load of classified documents on Broadwell's computer in her home according to a law enforcement official.
That official only revealed this as long as he remained anonymous because he was not allowed to speak publicly about this.
So, what are your thoughts? Leave your comments below!
