CBS’s Sharyl Attkisson tries to untangle changing Benghazi talking points
http://twitter.com/#!/SharylAttkisson/status/273616485094666240
As Twitchy reported earlier, Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte left their meeting with U.N. ambassador and presumptive Secretary of State nominee Susan Rice even more disturbed and concerned than before. The seemingly simple question at hand: what or who prompted Rice to tell the nation that a YouTube video was to blame for the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11?
Looking at the faces of the US Senators who were in the Libya meeting today is so disturbing. Imagine what they AREN’t saying. #Benghazi
— Eye on Politics (@EyeOnPolitics) November 28, 2012
The mainstream news networks took their time covering the story, but CBS’s Sharyl Attkisson is making up for lost time by compiling today’s events in a series of tweets. It’s been difficult following the ball as it has been passed back and forth among the White House, State Department, CIA and FBI, but Attkisson’s tweets are a good primer.
CBS: Sen. Graham: CIA said FBI did it (changed talking points)…then CIA called back later & said that was wrong…
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: Petraeus told Congressional Dems and Reps that the CIA originally included mention of al-Qaeda and terrorism…but somebody took em out
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: White House and State Dept said it wasn’t them…
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: Admin official at first said the references were removed so as not to tip off al Qaeda as to what we knew.
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: Admin official later said references were removed because they were thought to be “tenuous” (though now believed to be correct)
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
This might be a good time to interject: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today said “there are no unanswered questions” about the talking points Rice delivered on Sept. 16.
CBS: A Director of National Intelligence source told @margbrennan the changes were made within DNI
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: DNI head Clapper has said he does not know who made the changes.
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: Today, Sen. Graham says CIA told Senators FBI removed the references because there’s an “ongoing investigation…”
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: Then Sen. Graham said a few hrs later, CIA called and said that was not correct…
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: According to Graham: “CIA now says that it deleted the al-Qaeda references, not the FBI. They were unable to give a reason as to why.”
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
CBS: regardless of who may have done it, day-to-day the admin has steadfastly said the changes had nothing to do with politics.
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
@dancurry Sen. Graham says Rice today stated she read the intel, not just the talking points, and the intel (says Graham, who’s seen it)
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
@dancurry …made frequent mention of terrorism and al qaeda
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
(Does it make any sort of statement that the nation’s best intel folks can’t tell us who changed the intel?)
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) November 28, 2012
Yes. Yes, it does — as does the president’s unwillingness to make a definitive statement in favor of macho posturing. Which reminds us: is Hillary Clinton back from that wine tasting trip to Australia yet?
