What Did Shiffrin Know About SERE in 2002?

"Not familiar at all, Senator." That’s what Shiffrin told Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hi). "I knew what SERE was, but no more than you can get from reading a paragraph on it." This guy was the number-two lawyer at the Pentagon for intelligence and he had no idea what SERE was? I suppose that actually reinforces the point that SERE is not an intelligence program. Or it could just be, you know, a lie.