Yesterday, Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said this about CIA briefings his boss received on enhanced interrogation: “As this document shows, the Speaker was briefed only once, in September 2002. The briefers described these techniques, said they were legal, but said that waterboarding had not yet been used.” (emphasis mine).
This is very different from Pelosi’s earlier statements that she was not told that waterboarding was being used during those briefings.
In one case, she is accusing the CIA of withholding information — which is a serious accusation in and of itself. But in the other, she is accusing them of lying — telling her that the techniques had not been employed, when in fact they had been used on Abu Zubaydah.
This is a very serious charge. Lying to Congress can be a criminal offense. Pelosi should be asked to provide proof that the CIA lied to her — or retract this statement.