Washington held back terrorist link to consulate raid
Petraeus testifies before lawmakers
WASHINGTON — Former CIA director David Petraeus told lawmakers Friday that classified intelligence showed the deadly raid on the U. S. consulate in Libya was a terrorist attack, but the administration withheld the suspected role of specific al- Qaida affiliates.
The spy chief, who resigned a week ago over an extramarital affair, said references to terrorist groups suspected of carrying out the violence that killed the U. S. ambassador were removed from the public explanation of what caused the attack so the groups would not know the U. S. intelligence community was on their trail.
Petraeus also said it initially was unclear whether militants infiltrated an anti- U. S. protest to cover their attack.
The retired four- star general addressed the House and Senate intelligence committees in closed- door hearings as questions persist over what the Obama administration knew just after the Sept. 11 attacks and why its public description did not match intelligence agencies’ assessments.
The issue has threatened to affect the search for a new U. S. secretary of state once Hillary Clinton steps down. Clinton will testify next month on the attack.
Lawmakers said Petraeus testified the CIA’s draft talking points written in response to the Benghazi assault referred to it as a terrorist attack but the reference was removed from
The general was adamant there was no politicization of the process, no White House interference or political agenda.
ADAM SCHIFF DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
the final version. He wasn’t sure which federal agency deleted it.
Democrats said Petraeus made it clear the change was not made for political reasons during President Barack Obama’s re- election campaign.
“The general was adamant there was no politicization of the process, no White House interference or political agenda,” said Rep. Adam Schiff. “He completely debunked that idea.”
But Republicans remained critical of the administration’s handling of the case. Sen. Marco Rubio said Petraeus’s testimony showed “clearly the security measures were inadequate despite an overwhelming and growing amount of information that showed the area in Benghazi was dangerous, particularly on the night of Sept. 11.”
Petraeus told lawmakers that security at the consulate was so lax that protesters walked in and set fire to the facility, according to a congressional official who attended the briefing, leading to Ambassador Chris Stevens’ death from smoke inhalation.