Durbin: We Were Told White House Blocked CIA Director Haspel From Saudi Arabia Briefing

After today’s intel briefing with senators on Saudi Arabia and Yemen, one thing several lawmakers made a point of highlighting was the absence of CIA Director Gina Haspel. And according to lawmakers, it was revealed in the briefing that Haspel was blocked from attending by the White House.

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the CIA concluded Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. In an interview with the Post yesterday, President Donald Trump disputed the reporting:

“Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t,” Trump said. “But he denies it. And people around him deny it. And the CIA did not say affirmatively he did it, either, by the way. I’m not saying that they’re saying he didn’t do it, but they didn’t say it affirmatively.”

So Haspel’s absence at the intel briefing today was rather notable, with Lindsey Graham declaring he won’t join in key Senate votes until Senators hear from the CIA.

Senator Dick Durbin rather explicitly told reporters this afternoon, “The most persuasive presence in this briefing was the empty chair, the chair that should have been occupied by Gina Haspel… We were told in this briefing that it was at the direction of the White House.”

Democratic Sen. Durbin says that Sec. Mattis and Sec. Pompeo told Senate in Saudi Arabia-Yemen briefing that CIA Dir. Haspel did not attend “at the direction of the White House.” pic.twitter.com/fy2o6V2RqW

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 28, 2018

The Daily Beast has since confirmed with multiple other senators that Pompeo and Mattis said the White House blocked Haspel from the briefing.

[Photo via Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images]