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| David Petraeus testimony fails to clear up questions on Benghazi attack | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The scandal-hit former CIA chief David Petraeus has failed to satisfy a congressional hearing into conflicting accounts of the attack in September on the US consulate in Benghazi. | |
| Petraeus, in his first public outing since resigning from the CIA a week ago over an affair with his biographer, was smuggled into Congress for an early-morning hearing to avoid a media scrum. | Petraeus, in his first public outing since resigning from the CIA a week ago over an affair with his biographer, was smuggled into Congress for an early-morning hearing to avoid a media scrum. |
| Appearing before a closed-door hearing of the House intelligence committee, the affair surfaced only once when he was asked if it had had an impact on earlier testimony. He assured the committee it had not. | Appearing before a closed-door hearing of the House intelligence committee, the affair surfaced only once when he was asked if it had had an impact on earlier testimony. He assured the committee it had not. |
| The rest of the 90-minute hearing was devoted to the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi on 11 September that left the ambassador and three other Americans dead. | The rest of the 90-minute hearing was devoted to the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi on 11 September that left the ambassador and three other Americans dead. |
| Republicans in Congress have been campaigning relentlessly over discrepancies between the initial explanation provided by the Obama administration that blamed the attack on a spontaneous demonstration over a US-produced anti-Muslim film and a later explanation that blamed al-Qaida elements. | Republicans in Congress have been campaigning relentlessly over discrepancies between the initial explanation provided by the Obama administration that blamed the attack on a spontaneous demonstration over a US-produced anti-Muslim film and a later explanation that blamed al-Qaida elements. |
| Some Republicans expressed suspicions that Petraeus's resignation had not been over the affair but to avoid a scheduled appearance on Thursday before the congressional hearing. | Some Republicans expressed suspicions that Petraeus's resignation had not been over the affair but to avoid a scheduled appearance on Thursday before the congressional hearing. |
| Although he is no longer CIA chief, he was asked to give evidence anyway. The chairman of the House homeland security committee, Peter King, said that Petraeus did not appear to be disconcerted by the loss of the CIA job and the revelations about the affair. The hearing had been cordial and Petraeus had been professional, knowledgeable and strong but overall it had been awkward. | Although he is no longer CIA chief, he was asked to give evidence anyway. The chairman of the House homeland security committee, Peter King, said that Petraeus did not appear to be disconcerted by the loss of the CIA job and the revelations about the affair. The hearing had been cordial and Petraeus had been professional, knowledgeable and strong but overall it had been awkward. |
| "I consider him a friend which makes the questioning tough, to be honest with you," King said. "It's a lot easier when you dislike the guy." | "I consider him a friend which makes the questioning tough, to be honest with you," King said. "It's a lot easier when you dislike the guy." |
| A large number of journalists gathered outside the corridor close to the hearing in hopes of snatching an interview with Petraeus, but congressional officials took him through a back entrance. | A large number of journalists gathered outside the corridor close to the hearing in hopes of snatching an interview with Petraeus, but congressional officials took him through a back entrance. |
| The hearing was held in an extra-secure location several floors below ground level. | The hearing was held in an extra-secure location several floors below ground level. |
| The main discussion at the hearing was over talking points, compiled by the intelligence agencies, that the Obama administration gave to its UN ambassador Susan Rice ahead of a series of media interviews in September blaming demonstrators. | The main discussion at the hearing was over talking points, compiled by the intelligence agencies, that the Obama administration gave to its UN ambassador Susan Rice ahead of a series of media interviews in September blaming demonstrators. |
| King said: "It is still not clear how the final talking points emerged. He [Petraues] said it went through a long process involving many agencies including the Justice Department and including the State Department. | King said: "It is still not clear how the final talking points emerged. He [Petraues] said it went through a long process involving many agencies including the Justice Department and including the State Department. |
| "No one knows yet who came up with final version of the talking points other than to say the original talking points prepared by CIA were different from the ones that were finally put out." | "No one knows yet who came up with final version of the talking points other than to say the original talking points prepared by CIA were different from the ones that were finally put out." |
| King saw a contradiction between the account Petraeus had given to an earlier House hearing and the one he was giving now. | King saw a contradiction between the account Petraeus had given to an earlier House hearing and the one he was giving now. |
| "His testimony was he told us that from the start it was a terrorist attack. I told him that was not my direct recollection. The clear impression we were given was that the overwhelming amount of evidence was that it arose out of a spontaneous demonstration and not that it was a terrorist attack." | "His testimony was he told us that from the start it was a terrorist attack. I told him that was not my direct recollection. The clear impression we were given was that the overwhelming amount of evidence was that it arose out of a spontaneous demonstration and not that it was a terrorist attack." |
| Asked if the affair had come up, King said: "Only in answer to one question when he was asked at the start if it had an impact on his testimony and he said 'No'." | Asked if the affair had come up, King said: "Only in answer to one question when he was asked at the start if it had an impact on his testimony and he said 'No'." |
| King, summing up the Benghazi attack and the conflicting talking points, said it was all "still very vague". He added that he was satisfied the "ultimate conclusion" reached by Petreaus, that the attack had been linked to al-Qaida, but "honestly disagreed with his recollection" of his earlier explanations. | King, summing up the Benghazi attack and the conflicting talking points, said it was all "still very vague". He added that he was satisfied the "ultimate conclusion" reached by Petreaus, that the attack had been linked to al-Qaida, but "honestly disagreed with his recollection" of his earlier explanations. |