CNN: Aide Told Pelosi Waterboarding Had Been Used

CNN reported yesterday that a source close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has confirmed her intelligence aide, Michael Sheehy, told her in early 2003 that waterboarding had been used on CIA detainee Abu Zubaydah:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A source close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now confirms that Pelosi was told in February 2003 by her intelligence aide, Michael Sheehy, that waterboarding was actually used on CIA detainee Abu Zubaydah.

Source says Nancy Pelosi didn’t object about waterboard usage because she wasn’t personally briefed about it.

This appears to contradict Pelosi’s account that she was never told waterboarding actually happened, only that the administration was considering using it.

Sheehy attended a briefing in which waterboarding was discussed in February 2003, with Rep. Jane Harman, D-California, who took over Pelosi’s spot as the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

This source says Pelosi didn’t object when she learned that waterboarding was being used because she had not been personally briefed about it — only her aide had been told.

The source said Pelosi supported a letter that Harman sent to the administration at the time raising concerns. The source asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of matters discussed in classified intelligence briefings.

I distrust anonymous sources with a passion and I’d normally ignore a story like this but… the details match closely with earlier reporting and would appear to confirm what me already knew or at least surmised: Nancy Pelosi is lying about what she knew and when she new it.

Special thanks to Cliff for the tip.