Tenet and his people were peeved about Wilson's article. So was Powell and his.
Meanwhile, we have reason to believe that Pincus was very pleased with the article and guided by self-interest. Recall the strong suspicion that Wilson was actually a Pincus "client" -- who was being advised on how best to manipulate the press by advancing the story and giving it "legs".
Accordingly, I assume Pincus is commenting in a "protection mode".