CIA says White House did not block its director from briefing Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House did not block CIA Director Gina Haspel from participating in a briefing on Wednesday for the U.S. Senate about the war in Yemen and U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia, a spokesman for the agency said. "The notion that anyone told Director Haspel not to attend today's briefing is false," agency spokesman Timothy Barrett said in a statement. Some senators who are interested in the spy agency's assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi had complained that Haspel was absent from the briefing. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Tim Ahmann)