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CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript


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And what we're talking about is this film about the killing of Osama bin Laden both blessed and aided by the Obama administration, due to the released about a month before the election next year. Congressman King, none too thrilled about any of this.

Congressman King, why not? What's the issue?

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Well, Brooke, the issue is that ever since May 1st -- and by the way, I gave President Obama tremendous credit for carrying out the operation. This is not a partisan shot at President Obama at all.

But for the last 90 days, we have had sensitive information on top of sensitive information being released by this administration. So many press reports about CIA operations. The fact that there were Navy SEALs at all. The fact that there was going to be a CIA operation back to the compound to examine the helicopter. We see reports in "The New Yorker" last week giving a minute-by-minute account of what happened regarding Pakistani airspace.

I've been contacted by so many people in the intelligence community over the last 90 days outraged over so much sensitive material. And not just me, Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

BALDWIN: Have they called you up personally?

KING: Admiral Olsen from Special Operations.

They have made public statements saying how too much information has come out and it's time to shut up.

Now to find out on top of this the administration is cooperating with a Hollywood movie after leaking so much sensitive information over the last 90 days --

BALDWIN: Let me get to that.

KING: -- I can only -- yes, sure.

BALDWIN: Let me get to that, Congressman, because, I know, listen, I read your letter talking about this potential investigation. You cite this particular column in "The Times," and the quote is that the movie makers -- let's see, "The movie makers are getting classified information from an administration that tried to put more people in jail for leaking classified information than the Bush administration."

Well, so we finally did hear from the White House today., Jay Carney in the briefing just about an hour or so ago, you know, was asked about this top level access in the briefing. Here was Jay Carney's response. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: First of all, the claims are ridiculous. When people, including you in this room, are working on articles, books, documentaries or movies that involve the president, ask to speak to administration officials, we do our best to accommodate them. That is hardly a novel approach to the media.

We do not discuss classified information and I would hope as we face a continued threat from terrorism, the House Committee on Homeland Security would have more important topics to discus than a movie.


BALDWIN: Congressman King, your reaction?

KING: Well, obviously, someone wrote out a statement for Jay Carney and he has no idea what he's talking about. This administration has revealed classified information, sensitive information step-by-step for the last 90 days.


BALDWIN: Let me just jump in. How do you know that? Can you share how you know that definitively?

KING: There's no one else that it would be coming from except the administration. The fact that it was Navy SEALs that were involved, SEAL Team Six, that came from the White House.

The fact that you can look at press reports of a doctor in Pakistan who is in jail today because in somebody the administration said how we were using him.

When you talk about -- for instance, the article in "The New Yorker" last week, the fact that the administration said the CIA was going back in to try to retrieve the helicopter, they announced that before the operation was carried out.

There's been all this information -- I'm on the intelligence committee. Two days after the operation, we received sensitive information. More than ever, we were told this could should not be revealed, ever.

BALDWIN: Congressman King --

KING: Well, within days, it was coming out step by step.

BALDWIN: I understand. I did, you know, I picked up the phone, I talked to our folks in the Pentagon, and they said absolutely. Katherine Bigelow has been to the Pentagon since bin Laden was killed, she worked on this film, she's now changed the story line because of this death of bin Laden.

Now I know she met with -- they have a movie liaison in the Pentagon who sort of reads these scripts -- by the way, there's not even a script yet on this movie. And she also met with the undersecretary of intelligence who I am told, and I'm quoting, went out of his way not to reveal any classified information about the ride.

So some people coming forward saying with everything going on in Washington, sir, this potential investigation, isn't it a little silly?

KING: Absolutely not. How can you say that? We're talking about revealing classified information that would put American lives at risk. And this -- what the administration has done for 90 days -- if they hadn't done it up until now, I'd say OK, but they have such a horrible track record.

It's embarrassing what they've done. It's putting lives at risk. And that's why so many people in the intelligence community have been outraged with what they're doing in the last 90 days.

And on top of that, if we can't trust them to keep classified information in the last 90 days, how can we trust them when they're dealing with a Hollywood script writer, especially someone involved in a previous movie, Miss Bigelow, where the Defense Department had to break off its contacts with because she violated her agreement on "The Hurt Locker."

BALDWIN: When are you officially going to launch the investigation?

KING: I'm not -- I've asked the Inspectors General of the CIA and the Inspectors General of the Defense Department to report back on what steps are being taken to ensure that absolutely no sensitive or classified information is given to Hollywood.

BALDWIN: This movie, also, when you look at the timing comes out in October, before a massive, massive election in our country. How do you feel about that?

KING: Well, you know, that's almost a secondary issue except it puts a cloud over the whole project. And I've been told by people in the intelligence community, in CIA, when they agreed to cooperate, they were never, ever told that this was going to come out three weeks before the election. And that took them totally by surprise and some of them look upon it as a breach of faith.

BALDWIN: We're going to follow up on this for sure.

Peter King, we thank you very much. Appreciate it.

KING: Thank you. Thank you.


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