This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
David Petraeus denies classified leaks ahead of Benghazi testimony
David Petraeus denies classified leaks ahead of Benghazi testimony
(about 7 hours later)
Former CIA director David Petraeus has denied passing classified documents to his lover, Paula Broadwell, as the FBI investigation focuses on how the general's biographer came to have restricted material on a personal computer and in her house.
Former CIA director David Petraeus has denied passing classified documents to his lover, Paula Broadwell, as the FBI investigation focuses on how the general's biographer came to have restricted material on a personal computer and in her house.
/>Petraeus also told CNN that his resignation as the intelligence agency chief was solely the result of the affair and was not linked, as some Republicans have hinted, to the CIA's role during the Benghazi attack in which the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans, including two CIA security men, were killed.
Petraeus also told CNN that his resignation was solely the result of the affair and was not linked, as some Republicans have hinted, to the CIA's role during the Benghazi attack in which the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans, including two CIA security men, were killed.
Petraeus has agreed to give evidence on Friday to congressional intelligence committees looking into the security failures around Stevens' death, including allegations that the State Department turned down appeals from American officials in Libya for more protection, and accusations that the CIA and other agencies failed to heed warning signs of an attack.
The CIA said it had opened an "exploratory" investigation into the conduct of Petraeus. "At the CIA we are constantly reviewing our performance. If there are lessons to be learned from this case, we'll use them to improve," a CIA spokesperson said in a statement. "But we're not getting ahead of ourselves; an investigation is exploratory and doesn't presuppose any particular outcome."
The closed door hearings opened on Thursday with appearances by Petraeus's replacement, acting CIA director Michael Morell, and the national intelligence director, James Clapper.
Petraeus has agreed to give evidence on Friday to congressional intelligence committees looking into the security failures around Stevens' death, including allegations that the state department turned down appeals from US officials in Libya for more protection, and accusations that the CIA and other agencies failed to heed warning signs of an attack.
CNN did not directly quote Petraeus. It said he had a conversation with one of its reporters, Kyra Phillips, who has previously interviewed him. She said that although Petraeus was no longer formally required to testify to congressional intelligence committees about the Benghazi attack once he resigned as CIA director, he is keen to do so.
The closed-door hearings opened with appearances by Petraeus's replacement, acting CIA director Michael Morell, and the national intelligence director, James Clapper.
"He said this has nothing to do with Benghazi, and he wants to testify. He will testify," she said on CNN.
CNN did not directly quote Petraeus. It said he had had a conversation with one of its reporters, Kyra Phillips, who has previously interviewed him. She said that although Petraeus was no longer formally required to testify to congressional intelligence committees about the Benghazi attack once he resigned as CIA director, he was keen to do so.
Phillips also quoted Petraeus as saying that he resigned as a matter of honour after he "engaged in something dishonourable".
"He said this has nothing to do with Benghazi, and he wants to testify," she said on CNN.
"He was very clear that he screwed up terribly ... even felt fortunate to have a wife who is far better than he deserves," Phillips said.
Petraeus's affair prompted the US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, to order a review of ethics training for military officers. The FBI is scrutinising classified material discovered in Broadwell's house and on her computer. But Phillips said Petraeus denied giving secret documents to her.
Petraeus's affair with Broadwell prompted the US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, to order a review of ethics training for military officers.
The Pentagon withdrew Broadwell's security clearance as a lieutenant colonel in the military intelligence reserve as the focus of the FBI investigation shifted to how she came to have classified documents. Her security clearance gave her access to "secret" and "top secret" material. However, it would not necessarily have permitted her to keep hold of it.
The FBI is scrutinising classified material discovered in Broadwell's house and on her home computer. But Phillips said Petraeus denied giving secret documents to his biographer and lover.
Concerns that Petraeus may have spoken to Broadwell about secret information were raised after it was revealed that in a speech at the University of Denver last month, Broadwell said the Benghazi attack on 11 September was prompted by the CIA holding militiamen prisoner there. The CIA has denied the claim.
"He insisted to me that he has never passed classified information to Paula Broadwell," she said.
The Pentagon withdrew Broadwell's security clearance as a lieutenant colonel in the military intelligence reserve on Wednesday as the focus of the FBI investigation shifted to how she came to have classified documents. Her security clearance gave her access to "secret" and "top secret" material.
However, it would not necessarily have permitted her to keep hold of classified documents, or to store them at her house or on a personal computer.
CNN reported a source as saying that "Broadwell was acting as Petraeus' archivist".
Concerns that Petraeus may have spoken to his mistress about secret information were raised after it was revealed that in a speech at the University of Denver last month, Broadwell told students that the Benghazi attack on 11 September was prompted by the CIA holding militiamen prisoner there.
"I don't know if a lot of you have heard this, but the CIA annex had actually taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to get these prisoners back," she said.
The CIA has denied the claim.
The intelligence committees of both houses of Congress are keen to speak to Petraeus about what the CIA told the White House in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attack as well as whether it had picked up warnings of an imminent assault and security failings.
The intelligence committees of both houses of Congress are keen to speak to Petraeus about what the CIA told the White House in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attack as well as whether it had picked up warnings of an imminent assault and security failings.
Senator John McCain is pressing for Watergate-style public hearings after accusing the president of being an incompetent or a liar over the attack.
Republican ire has focused on Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, who said in television interviews five days after the attack that it was an angry, spontaneous response to an anti-Muslim video on the web which prompted protests in Egypt and other countries.
Republican ire has focused on Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, who said in television interviews five days after the attack that it was an angry spontaneous response to an anti-Muslim video on the web which prompted protests in Egypt and other countries. McCain has accused the administration of playing down links between the attackers and al-Qaida and of denying the Benghazi assault was a terrorist attack. Barack Obama fired back on Wednesday, vigorously defending Rice by saying her statements merely reflected the intelligence information available at the time.
Senator John McCain has accused the administration of playing down links between the attackers and al-Qaida and of denying that the assault was a terrorist attack.
Petraeus is likely to face intense questioning over whether that is true.
Barack Obama fired back, vigorously defending Rice by saying her statements reflected the intelligence information available at the time. />CBS reported that it obtained the CIA talking points given to Rice, which were also supplied to the House of Representatives intelligence committee ahead of the hearing, in which no reference was made to the Benghazi assault being a terrorist attack.
CBS reported that it obtained the CIA talking points given to Rice, which were also supplied to the House of Representatives intelligence committee ahead of Thursday's hearing, in which no reference is made to the Benghazi assault being a terrorist attack.
The memo appears to back Obama's assertion that Rice accurately reflected what she was told by the intelligence service.
"The currently available information suggests that the demonstrations in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the US embassy in Cairo and evolved into a direct assault against the US diplomatic post in Benghazi and subsequently its annex. There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations," the CIA talking points said. "This assessment may change as additional information is collected and analyzed and as currently available information continues to be evaluated."
McCain said he also wants Petraeus to explain why there were not "significant forces" in or near Libya to respond to the attack, although it is not immediately clear that was the CIA's responsibility even though it is evolving from an intelligence organisation and increasingly resembles a paramilitary force.
The committees have agreed not to ask about the Broadwell affair.
