Boehner calls out Pelosi over CIA claims

WASHINGTON, May 17 (UPI) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should provide proof she was misled by the CIA over its interrogation tactics, U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday.

In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" program, the Ohio Republican said Pelosi, D-Calif., needs to provide evidence she was misled about the use of harsh interrogation techniques against terror suspects.

CNN reported that last week Pelosi reiterated her assertion that she was briefed by the CIA on such techniques only in September 2002, at which time she was told the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques were not being used.

A Justice Department memo, however, says the CIA used waterboarding at least 83 times in August 2002 in the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, a suspected al-Qaida leader held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"Lying to the Congress of the United States is a crime," Boehner said. "If the speaker is accusing the CIA and other intelligence officials of lying or misleading the Congress, then she should come forward with evidence and turn that over to the Justice Department so they be prosecuted. And if that's not the case, I think she ought to apologize to our intelligence professionals around the world."