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1:57Now PlayingWhy Gina Haspel is a controversial CIA pick
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November 29, 2018
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1:57Now PlayingCIA Director Gina Haspel was absent from a closed-door briefing on the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, and lawmakers are questioning why. With her controversial past, the CIA director may have provided insight into the methods of Khashoggi's death.
Lawmakers were furious Wednesday about CIA Director Gina Haspel's absence from a contentious, closed-door briefing on the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi – and the session seemed to increase support in Congress for legislation rebuking Saudi Arabia for its role in his death.
That was the opposite of the intended effect, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis warning lawmakers against congressional action during the hour-long classified briefing. But their pitch fell flat, and it even seemed to alienate some lawmakers who were hoping to be convinced that the Trump administration would forcefully punish Saudi Arabia for its role in Khashoggi's death, so Congress would not have to act.
"It was unpersuasive," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who added that "nobody was happy that (Haspel) wasn’t there."
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