Gibbs: Senator Bond Should Apologize

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs fired back against criticism from Republican Senator Kit Bond, who today sent a scathing letter to President Obama about the handling of intelligence surrounding Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's detention.

Senator Bond claims that FBI Director Robert Mueller told him that details of Abdulmutallab's cooperation with law enforcement should not be disclosed as a matter of national security.  But Bond pointed out that within 24 hours of the FBI Director's testimony to lawmakers, the White House released details of Abdulmutallab's cooperation and how that information was obtained.

Gibbs defended the administration in today's daily briefing, saying intelligence officials did NOT leak sensitive or classified information.  "No briefing is done here or anywhere in this administration where classified information is used in a place where it shouldn't be," Gibbs said, "and I would suggest that somebody that alleges that when they know it doesn't happen owe people an apology."

Gibbs implied that the White House was forced to brief reporters to contextualize law enforcement testimony given to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, in which he says it became clear that Abdulmutallab was talking to investigators.

Gibbs accused Bond of playing politics and insisted that he apologize for suggesting that intelligence officials would release information that would endanger the American people.

Read more here and watch a clip from the briefing below:

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