Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday that the congressional intelligence committees are the best place to determine who's telling the truth in the dispute between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the CIA.
Pelosi has accused the CIA of lying to Congress about the use of enhanced interrogation tactics, while the CIA rejects the claim.
McConnell, R-Ky., told "FOX News Sunday" that he personally questions the need to hold inquiries to find out "who knew what when," but acknowledged that the disagreement between Pelosi and the CIA could warrant one.
"There's no question you've got a dispute here between the speaker and the CIA," McConnell said. "We know what the CIA believes and the speaker apparently disagrees with them. ... The best way to resolve the dispute if it needs to be resolved is through the (House and Senate) intelligence committees."
Pelosi on Thursday escalated the controversy over when she learned the CIA was using interrogation tactics like waterboarding. She admitted for the first time that she learned, through an aide, that the tactic was being employed in 2003 and accused the CIA of misleading Congress on those tactics during that time period.
CIA Director Leon Panetta issued a statement in response saying CIA records indicate officers "briefed truthfully" on interrogation techniques.
"It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values," he said.
But he, too, said it is "up to Congress to evaluate all the evidence and reach its own conclusions about what happened."
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader John Boehner, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," called on Pelosi to provide evidence the CIA misled her about harsh interrogation techniques or apologize for her accusation. - FOX News Story
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