Former CIA director David Petraeus testified on Friday that he believes the Sept. 11 attacks on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya was an act of terrorism that did not arise out of a spontaneous demonstration, a lawmaker who heard the testimony said.
“He now clearly believes that it [the Sept. 11 attacks] did not arise out of a demonstration, that it was not spontaneous and it was clear terrorist involvement,” Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said.
King said that to the best of his recollection, Petraeus’s testimony differed from what he told the committee at a previous hearing on Sept. 14.
The retired four-star military general and spy chief was not seen by reporters as he arrived early Friday to meet with the House and Senate intelligence committees in closed briefings. The separate hearings occurred in secret briefing rooms three floors underground in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center.
Petraeus gave a 20-minute opening statement to the House panel and took about 70 minutes of questions, according to King, who said the former director did not comment nor was he asked about his extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.
“It was made clear at the start that would not be a focus of the questioning,” King told reporters. Petraeus told lawmakers, however, that the affair had no effect on his testimony, King said.
King also said that Petraeus testified Friday that the CIA gave the White House and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice information on the Benghazi attack that differed from Rice’s public comments on the incident. Some senior lawmakers, including Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) have criticized Rice’s actions, but President Obama, believed to be considering her for secretary of state, has strongly defended her.
Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) suggested to reporters that he was frustrated by some of Petraeus’s answers, but couldn’t specify his concerns due to the classified nature of the briefing.
Young, like King and other lawmakers this week, expressed continued sustained support for the former director: “I have a lot of trust and respect for the man, he served this nation well.”
Petraeus’s testimony before the panels comes one week after he resigned as CIA director after admitting to an extramarital affair with Broadwell.
He agreed to testify this week behind closed doors after lawmakers said they still wanted to hear from him about the attack, in which four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, were killed.
Taking advantage of the visitor center’s multiple public entrances, underground tunnels and loading docks, the former military commander and spy chief appeared to elude dozens of reporters, photographers and video crews who had taken up positions across the Capitol complex.
Intelligence committee aides would not provide details on Petraeus’s whereabouts or how he entered the building. Reporters were allowed to stand outside the House briefing room, but were ordered upstairs on the Senate side, limiting their ability to see whether he was present.
“He now clearly believes that it [the Sept. 11 attacks] did not arise out of a demonstration, that it was not spontaneous and it was clear terrorist involvement,” Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said.
King said that to the best of his recollection, Petraeus’s testimony differed from what he told the committee at a previous hearing on Sept. 14.
The retired four-star military general and spy chief was not seen by reporters as he arrived early Friday to meet with the House and Senate intelligence committees in closed briefings. The separate hearings occurred in secret briefing rooms three floors underground in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center.
Petraeus gave a 20-minute opening statement to the House panel and took about 70 minutes of questions, according to King, who said the former director did not comment nor was he asked about his extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.
“It was made clear at the start that would not be a focus of the questioning,” King told reporters. Petraeus told lawmakers, however, that the affair had no effect on his testimony, King said.
King also said that Petraeus testified Friday that the CIA gave the White House and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice information on the Benghazi attack that differed from Rice’s public comments on the incident. Some senior lawmakers, including Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) have criticized Rice’s actions, but President Obama, believed to be considering her for secretary of state, has strongly defended her.
Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) suggested to reporters that he was frustrated by some of Petraeus’s answers, but couldn’t specify his concerns due to the classified nature of the briefing.
Young, like King and other lawmakers this week, expressed continued sustained support for the former director: “I have a lot of trust and respect for the man, he served this nation well.”
Petraeus’s testimony before the panels comes one week after he resigned as CIA director after admitting to an extramarital affair with Broadwell.
He agreed to testify this week behind closed doors after lawmakers said they still wanted to hear from him about the attack, in which four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, were killed.
Taking advantage of the visitor center’s multiple public entrances, underground tunnels and loading docks, the former military commander and spy chief appeared to elude dozens of reporters, photographers and video crews who had taken up positions across the Capitol complex.
Intelligence committee aides would not provide details on Petraeus’s whereabouts or how he entered the building. Reporters were allowed to stand outside the House briefing room, but were ordered upstairs on the Senate side, limiting their ability to see whether he was present.