Specter on CIA: "Very Bad" Record on Honesty

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) took the Central Intelligence Agency to task today for what he said was the Agency's history of keeping information from Congress and even the president. "The CIA has a very bad record when it comes to honesty," Specter told the American Law Institute in Washington today.

"It goes back to the mining of the harbors in Nicaragua when Sen. Goldwater was the chairman of the (Intelligence) Committee," he said.

In addition to that 1984 episode, Specter spoke of the CIA's role in the Iran-Contra affair, "Director Casey appeared and gave perjurious testimony to the Committee." He added that the CIA's deputy director had prepared Casey's testimony and that he, "Came within a hair's breadth of being prosecuted by an independent counsel."

Specter also described his experience as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee during the 104th Congress, saying that, at the time, "There were repeated instances where we didn't get the information that was there."

"One situation arose which, frankly, I wouldn't believe if someone told me about it."

Specter described an episode in which a CIA operative knowingly gave President Clinton intelligence information without telling him that it had been compromised. When Specter deposed the agent years later, the operative testified, "Yes I knew it was tainted . . . but they wouldn't rely on it and my experience told me it was accurate."

"It's a real problem as to how we get the information," Specter said.

Regarding the feud between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the CIA Director, Leon Panetta, Specter said, "It's not the policy of the Central Intelligence Agency to misinform Congress." He later added, "But that doesn't mean that they're all giving out the information."

On Pelosi specifically, he said had worked with the Speaker years ago and that, "I found her to be reliable and very able . . . It is my hope that we'll put aside all the politicization and try and find an answer."

He said he believes that the notes from the CIA briefings that included Pelosi should be released, as long as the classified information is redacted. "The public is entitled to know what went on."

When asked follow-up questions by reporters after his speech, Specter declined to elaborate, saying, "I chose my words very carefully."