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Who changed CIA talking points on Libya?

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    Petraeus testimony stokes controversy over handling of attack

  • Duration 4:08
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This transcript is automatically generated

Well democratic lawmakers are now pushing back against suggestions that the US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice misled the public.

When she initially said that the deadly attack in Ben -- grew out of a protest.

As we earlier reported the former CIA director General David Petraeus.

Reportedly told lawmakers this morning that from the start the CIA's report on Ben does he pointed to terrorism.

But that someone or some group later changed the language of the talking points that ambassador rice made public.

Democrats say that's because she was going off the initial unclassified.

Report from the intelligence community -- CI -- prepares.

Additional talking points which then go through.

The various components of the intelligence community and those components.

Either sign off on and discuss them.

And I believe the intelligence community signed off -- -- talking.

The accusations against ambassador rice have big implications she is widely considered a potential nominee.

For secretary of state.

Joining us now one of the Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee congressman.

Joseph hack in and congressman as we got to go through this year heard -- senator Feinstein just said -- -- gonna help us connect the dots here if you would we know the General Petraeus categorize this after 24 hours as being a terrorist attack with elements of al-Qaeda involved and then somebody.

We don't know who.

Change the language and took -- al-Qaeda and took out terrorist.

And inserted extremists and by the time Susan Rice got to the Sunday shows it was no this was not a pre planned attack and I mean there was it.

Clearly a glitch in this whole thing.

Well differently was tracing as you laid out.

The product initially produced by the CIA at the request of the house intelligence committee for unclassified talking points.

Originally had the the phrase al-Qaeda affiliated groups.

And the word attack.

In those talking points now once they left the CIA building and went through that -- -- process.

That senator Feinstein alluded to changes were made to question we have is who made the changes and why and we have -- they would get that answer.

And that's certainly did change the tenor and tone of that statement.

If it was used by ambassadors we quite honestly don't know what talking points ambassador rice used on Sunday where he got them from.

So go back to the changes if you would congressman you don't know who made these changes to the CIA's statement.

Who has the authority to change something like that I mean that's from a pretty high level who can go in there.

And just Jacob black marker and say okay this is out and this is the enemy any idea in your experience who might have that.

Authorities.

Well we know that once the product was produced in left the CIA building.

They did go through multiple other intelligence community -- partners he went to the public affairs offices.

I -- also went to the deputies committee which met on Saturday were already scheduled to meet on other issues on Saturday and they reviewed.

The talking points and in the final product was delivered to the House Intelligence Committee on Saturday afternoon but again.

We're uncertain as to who briefed ambassador rice prior to her appearance and which talking point she was actually working for.

They may not have even been the talking points that were provided to the House Intelligence Committee.

And that and that's a good point because a lot of people are taking are taking a little bit.

Of an issue -- the statement that ambassador rice made when she said and I'm quoting here by the best.

Estimate our Intel said that this was not she's stressing not a pre planned attack and a lot of people are saying look.

That was not the best estimate because David Petraeus gave the best estimate which was -- this in fact was a pre planned terror attack.

Right and we heard that from my director Petraeus and that.

Assessment was made soon after the attack occurred -- that there was a deliberate.

Posture to this attack and that there were elements of pre planning involved.

And so that was available within the first 124 to 48 hours after the attack took place.

Congressman Joseph -- from the Intel committee congressman thank you --

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