Pelosi Remarks Following Bipartisan Briefing with Director Panetta Today
Washington, D.C. - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi held a brief press availability today in the Capitol Visitor Center following a bipartisan classified briefing for Members of Congress with CIA Director Leon Panetta on the action taken in Pakistan on Sunday. Below is a transcript of the press availability:
Leader Pelosi. Good afternoon. As you are aware, we were just briefed by the Administration on the action taken in Pakistan on Sunday and the apprehension of Osama bin Laden.
Earlier today, I called President Bush to congratulate him and thank him for the leadership role that he had played in this quest over the years. I have also placed a call to President Clinton to thank him. As you may recall in the ‘90s, he declared Osama bin Laden public enemy number one for America. So both of those presidents have been on this trail for a while.
"Hail to the Chief," as I said yesterday, to President Barack Obama for his determination, his allocation of resources, the precision of his team as he tasked Leon Panetta to get this done--we are very proud of him as a former House Member for the success that he had in this, but he attributes the success to many people in our military and in our intelligence community.
Much of what the briefing was today, some of us have had in advance, some how the events transpired, some of it in the public domain, but all of it something to make us very, very proud of the work of our men and women in uniform and the leadership in the intelligence community.
Q: Leader Pelosi, what did George W. Bush say when you spoke with him on the phone yesterday?
Leader Pelosi. Today. I spoke to him today. What he--he is a very friendly person, as you know, and he thanked me for my call. And I think he appreciated it. But I wanted him to know the appreciation that many of us have in a bipartisan way. We have all recognized in our public comments that his role was important in having this success.
Q: There seems to be a lot of debate here on Capitol Hill over whether or not waterboarding in the secret prisons contributed information that led to the capture. What's your take?
Leader Pelosi. I have no idea. We didn't talk about that at all in there.
Q: Is that something you have discussed in the past?
Leader Pelosi. We have not discussed that.
Q: Do you believe they should release the photos?
Leader Pelosi. That will be up to the Administration. I believe, as you know, in giving the Administration room to make its decisions about what is in our national security interest, and I am sure that will figure in releasing or not releasing the photos. But I do believe that it is under lively discussion.
Q: Did Mr. Panetta explain why the Administration decided not to tell Pakistan before the operation took place?
Leader Pelosi. You know, you are going to have to ask these questions directly to the Director and to the Administration. This was a classified briefing that we had here with the Administration. I think the Members were very appreciative with the thoroughness of the briefing that we received. I don't believe they came out prepared to confirm or deny anything that may be in the public domain. I think you should ask them.
Q: [inaudible] might be tempted to say "Mission accomplished in Afghanistan, let's go home."
Leader Pelosi. Well, we are on a track to come home from Afghanistan, beginning in July 2011 we begin that path. I was there over St. Patrick's weekend and visited our troops there at that time. And what I saw was a preparation for our downsizing in Afghanistan and a turn to what our civilian presence might be there after we deploy out of Afghanistan militarily. So the change is in the air there, and now it is even more so in light of it.
Q: Do you think aid to Pakistan needs to be looked at in appropriations bills?
Leader Pelosi. I think any of our relationships with any of our countries depend on what it means to our national security, and that is the debate that we always have to have in terms of the larger issue. Pakistan is a country that has a strategic location, that has nuclear weapons, and that has an importance to us in that regard, and we will have that debate as we go forward, in light of what it means to our national security.