Posted on 01/28/2007 2:28:47 PM PST by freespirited
President Bush's ex-spokesman invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked in front of a grand jury about the illegal outing of spy Valerie Plame, prosecutors revealed this week. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer sought and received immunity from prosecution for unmasking the secret agent.
Armed with this immunity, Fleischer is now expected to testify Monday in the perjury trial of Lewis (Scooter) Libby.
Fleischer is expected to tell the court that Libby, formerly Vice President Cheney's top adviser, told him on July 7, 2003, that "he had some information that was hush-hush," said special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald.
What was hush-hush was that Bush critic and former ambassador Joseph Wilson was married to Plame, a CIA operations officer. Wilson had infuriated Cheney by debunking the White House claim that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had tried to buy uranium in Niger for a nuclear bomb.
Fleischer cited his Fifth Amendment rights in 2004 before a federal grand jury and was "reluctantly" given immunity, Fitzgerald said in court Thursday.
"I didn't want to give him immunity," Fitzgerald said.
Libby is fighting perjury charges for telling a grand jury he first learned about Plame on July 10, 2003, from journalist Tim Russert. That is three days after Libby allegedly told Fleischer about Plame.
Fitzgerald told the jury in opening arguments that Fleischer also helped spread the news about the spy.
"Ari Fleischer had conversations with reporters about Wilson's wife that he should not have had," Fitzgerald said.
Libby's lawyer Ted Wells said Fleischer told NBC's David Gregory and others about Plame during a stroll while on a presidential trip to Africa.
Wells told jurors Thursday that "Fleischer may have issues of credibility because of a deal that was cut."
Fleischer must be a walking computer if he can remember the exact date that someone told him something. I can't remember what I had for breakfast.
I thought the Grand Jury had expired, or was another one empaneled?
And to think that this same Fleischer used to be seen [while a press-secretary] - right here, on FR, - almost as demigod. And now - 'ex-flack' and 'walking computer'. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Funny, I did not know they have shown anything about the so-called outing was illegal.
This case reminds me way too much of the Duke University 'rape case'. . .you know the 'rape case; where there was no 'rape'. . .but for one fricken year; and 'more now'. ..we have heard the lies and misrepresentations; and still. . .there is 'still' a case.
Seems to me Fitzgerald should have been thrown out long ago; but then, the 'Get Bush' factions would have to start all over. . .
I also recall that NOBODY was charged with a crime identified as "outing of spy Valerie Plame."
Scooter Libby is on trial for lying to the Grand Jury so pray tell,
Why is the press keeping this false mantra going that Valeri Plame was outed?
Tell a lie often enough . . . . . . . .
Pulleeeeze! Just tell us, what the crime is Fitzgerald. . .There is not a place in hell; big enough for Fitzgerald and the rest of these people. . .IMHO
Help me here please. Who is Mary McCarthy? FBI?
Three strikes in the very first paragraph!
1. It hasn't yet been extablished that the "outing" was illegal. Certainly no one has been charged with such a thing.
2. It has never been extablished that Valerie Plame was a spy. We know that she's an analyst, which means she's not a spy.
3. Fleischer couldn't be the guy who unmasked the "secret agent" who's not a secret agent since Armitage already said he's the one who did it.
Ari Flieischer may have invoked the fifth as "federal prosecuitors" say, but on looking closer this article doesn't say "Federal prosecutors" gave the reason- the author appears to have made up the reason or perhaps obtained it from the reporter Kristoff and inserted it behind the info from prosecutors in order to give the impression the prosecutors were the source for hat sentence too.
To paraphrase, it's not the nature of the evidence; it's the seriousness of the charge that counts.
Yikes(!) and thanks for the graphic. . . That must have taken more than a little concentration. . .;^)
Mary McCarthy is the CIA leaker who had been appointed by the thief of national archives documents Sandy Berger as the "Special Assistant
to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs ." ... That president being Bill Clinton.
He has a good memory no doubt; but should there be a memory lapse; he could be risk having to go to jail. . .what a total farce this is.
Mary McCarthy : One aspect of her background so far comparatively unexamined is her West African uranium connection. She served in a key government position concerned with West African nations producing yellowcake uranium at the same time that Joseph Wilson was working in the area. The two may be considered members of the “yellowcake community” within the Clinton national security apparatus of the 1990s. There are more questions than answers for the moment, but yellowcake uramium is not only of strategic importance for WMD puposes, it is also a highly profitable commodity traded under UN supervision and restrictions, a set of circumstances known to produce extraordinary opportunities for both profit and corruption, as in Oil-for-Food. These comparatively still waters may run deep. Investigators equipped with both subpoena power and security clearance may be called for.
Mary McCarthy held positions in both African and Latin American analysis desks at Langley while Wilson was U.S. Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic from 1992 to 1995.
Gabon was a [2] producer of yellowcake uranium. Wilson’s powerful position in Gabon from 1992 to 1995 raises questions about his official trip to Niger to discredit President Bush’s claim that Iraq had sought quantities of uranium from Africa.
During his time in Gabon, Wilson must have been deeply knowledgeable about uranium production and trade there, and must have been familiar with officials of the French energy giant [3] COGEMA, now consolidated into the French [4] Areva Group, a firm closely involved with the French government which appoints members of its board. Joe Wilson has his own [5] French connection.
So, who better to send to Africa to dig up dirt to refute intelligence findings of both the US and Great Britain concerning the Iraq-Africa yellowcake trade?
I was certainly taken with Fleischer. I thought he was a nice guy who did a good job. Now I don't think he is a nice guy at all.
Speaking of dealing in commodities, this whole affair brings us back to square one and Mary McCarthy. One of her previous [6] employerswas [7] Beri, SA. Possibly by coincidence Beri provides a [8] Mineral Extraction Risk Assessment service for up to 145 countries that are expected to show rapid growth in oil, gas, and mineral extraction capacity. If one had advance access to economic intelligence and had fostered close business ties over the years with uranium producers, huge financial gains would be possible. Could the Wilson-McCarthy-Africa connection may indicate another [9] instance of US intelligence and Foreign Service personnel taking advantage of regulatory loopholes and lax security in third world countries for personal gain?
"Funny, I did not know they have shown anything about the so-called outing was illegal."
Or that she was a spy.
Because it supports their agenda--to "prove" that the administration is a cesspool of corruption.
The whole thing is a mess....IMO it tarnishes Fitzpatrick and the Wilsons.....everyone else is just a side issue.
Fitzgerald makes it **sound** illegal by saying that her job status was "classified." Ooooooooh. I doubt there is much at the CIA that isn't classified.
Whatever the law might be about leaking classified info (as opposed to the identity of a covert agent, which Valerie was not), the reality is that it goes on all the time. If there has been a single prosecution, I confess that I missed it.
Libby will forever be on trial for outing Valerie Plame so long as he's going to court.
It's a real disservice to the reading public.
If he's compelled to testify, what can he do other than tell the truth? I don't see anything that indicates he's doing something other than that.
It's hard to feel sympathy for the perps though...Nifong included because he's a similar scoundrel.
WOW!!!
"DEBUNKING" ???
Another gaping inaccuracy.
Freakin Chaney was infuriated because of an OBVIOUS UNDECLARED BIAS!!!! charading as a top level State Dept.(?) mission. (I can't recall what agency sent Wilson)
The author goes on to tell even more lies here :
What was hush-hush was that Bush critic and former ambassador Joseph Wilson was married to Plame, a CIA operations officer. Wilson had infuriated Cheney by debunking the White House claim that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had tried to buy uranium in Niger for a nuclear bomb. "
Wilson never debunked any White House claim- the 911 commission found that Wilson lied to the public in press reports when he claimed he found no evidence Iraq sought to buy uranium in africa - in fact, wilson did bring back evidence of such an effort. So the author lied on this, too.
The author of the article is also lying when he says the White House claimed Iraq sought to buy uranium in Niger. Bush's speech never referred to Niger. Bush said Iraq sought to acquire uranium in AFRICA.
There's alot of countries in Africa- Niger, is but one and it was from Niger that Libya obtained some of the uranium for their nuclear program, in spite of French safeguards. Could be the reason the press gets there panties in a wad is that Iraq sent delegations to various African countries, one in particular of note being Congo. The US also had a lead that Iraq had stored uranium in the country of Benin. That country has a port from which France also ships its uranium from Niger.
Still think this author is telling the truth?
Hopefully not- the author seems to be extracting his information from an article by Kristoff- and Kristoff has a number of issues that gp back a long way- Kristoff has used Karen Kwiatkowski as one of his sources.., Karen's the ex Air Force officer who writes articles for Lyndon LaRouche's magazine and for LlewRockwell.com I believe and who got her info all wrong about the Pentagon Office of Special Plans.
Yes indeed, and Ari told David Gregory. No wonder he wanted immunity.
From the Just One Minute blog: "We are relying on the live-blogging of the Libby trial by the always-astute EmptyWheel, who is covering the opening statement of Libby's attorney, Ted Wells, but we have a potential blockbuster absolutely guaranteed to get exactly zero headlines. Ted Wells drops the news that David Gregory of NBC received a leak about Plame from Ari Fleischer on July 11"
Another gaping inaccuracy. Joe Wilson thoroughly debunked the claim. Joe Wilson scoured the hotel bar, and not a single bar tender knew antyhing about Iraqis trying to get uranium. What more do you want??? Every MSM told us so.
Great catch- thanks for posting that.
JULY 7, 2003 : (THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS aka CAP IS LAUNCHED- See SOROS, SHADOW PARTY) By early 2004, the Shadow Party’s infrastructure had assumed a coherent shape, under Soros’ guidance. At its heart lay seven ostensibly “independent” non-profit groups which constitute the network’s administrative core. Let us call them the Seven Sisters. In chronological order, based upon their launch dates, they are: 1. MoveOn.org : Launched September 22, 1998 , 2. Center for American Progress (CAP) : Launched July 7, 2003 ... ------ "The Shadow Party: Part II," By David Horowitz and Richard Poe FrontPageMagazine.com October 7, 2004
JUNE 7, 2003 : (NY TIMES JUDITH MILLER & WILLIAM J BROAD STORY ABOUT MOBILE WEAPONS LAB TRAILERS - MORE 'ANONYMOUS SOURCES' TRY TO DOWNPLAY THE DISCOVERY) ----------------- "Some Analysts of Iraq Trailers Reject Germ Use," By JUDITH MILLER and WILLIAM J. BROAD, New York Times, 06-07-03
Moveon.org is the group with whom Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie are connected.
Judith Miller as we know is another individual involved in this Plame leak case.
There's no sourced information here on which to form either a negative or positive opinion of Ari.
ROFL!! Excellent!!!
As of July 6, 2003 Armitage and Powell stuill hadn't contacted the White House about Armitage's big mouth...
Sandy Burgler, speaking of something "worthy" of a grand jury followed by a trial.
One does not need any sourced information whatsoever - the declarative statements alone suffice perfectly. More, these declarative statements have been provided by others gratis, without much prodding. Remember Miranda rule?
...and if your weren't looking, the same GSlob was ordered off a thread mere moments ago for inappropriate comments.
Because they have their plot line - Valerie Plame was "outed," and our national security damaged, in order to exact revenge on Joseph Wilson, who was exposing the lies of the Bush Administration to get us into a war to enrich big oil and Halliburton. The facts must be adjusted to fit the story. The press is living in a reality show and this is the plot that has been concocted for our entertainment.
When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
She may have been outed as a CIA employee, but she was not covert at the time, as even Joe Wilson has admitted, so the Intelligence Identities Protection Act was never violated. As far as I know, outing someone as a non-covert CIA employee is legal.
If it was illegal then Scooter Libby would be on trial for that. The witch hunt could only identify a discrepancy in his statements timeline so they've decided to bring pergury charges against him.
They must be fairly frustrated with that wimpy charge after thinking they'd been smelling red meat for so long...only to come up dry.
Ollie North is still going strong !
JULY 8, 2003 : (CAPITOL HILL BLUE PUBLISHES DOUG THOMPSON ARTICLE UNDER THE TITLE "White House Admits Bush Lied About Iraqi Nukes" - See the mythical? CIA guy "TERRENCE J WILKINSON") The bold headline was backed by an equally assertive lead-in, which stated "After weeks of denial, the White House Monday finally admitted President Bush lied in his January State of the Union Address when he claimed Iraq had sought significant quantities of uranium in Africa."
This assertion went far beyond what other news organizations were reporting, which was that the Bush administration had admitted that the claim made in the State of the Union Address was based on information the President later found to be unreliable. There were other eye-raising details in the story, however.
The article quoted a "CIA advisor" named Terrance J. Wilkinson, claiming he had been present at two White House briefings attended by the President. "The report had already been discredited," the story quoted Wilkinson as stating. "This point was clearly made when the president was in the room during at least two of the briefings" said Wilkinson, who claimed Bush responded in anger. "He said that if the current operatives working for the CIA couldn't prove the story was true, then the agency had better find some who could," the Capitol Hill Blue story continued Wilkinson's quote. "He said he knew the story was true and so would the world after American troops secured the country."
Wilkinson claimed to have written "numerous memos" questioning the use of "intelligence information that we knew to be from dubious sources." While American troops continue to search Iraq for a smoking gun regarding weapons of mass destruction, these allegations, if true, would be the smoking gun the left wing of American politics has been searching for in their quest to discredit the Bush administration.
- by freeper William McKinley, GAMES PEOPLE PLAY, July 10, 2003
See "White House Admits Bush Lied About Iraqi Nukes"
JULY 8, 2003 : (CAPITOL HILL BLUE'S DOUG THOMPSON PUBLISHES STORY ABOUT "T J WILKINSON'S" CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN IN THE OVAL OFFICE WHEN WILSON'S MEMO WAS PRESENTED) Based on the statements of one Terrence J. Wilkinson, who purported to "be there" when Wilson's memo was presented in the Oval Office, Doug Thompson publishes his J'Accuse in CHB. Quickly, Wilkinson's story (as well as Wilkinson himself) is proven a complete lie. But, now and only now, all hell breaks loose!
With the impetus that the President had forcibly dismissed a CIA-commissioned report, the story races around the world. Every major network, newspaper and news magazine hops on the story -- there is virtually no attribution to CHB and NO mention of Terrence J. Wilkinson. When CHB backtracks and retracts, the story shifts and the original inflammatory accusations are edited out. Instead, they begin to report response to the original report...and momentum gathers behind "Bush lied".
In other words, in my opinion, the whole escapade was a carefully planned agitprop operation in which Doug Thompson and CHB were unwitting tools. After over three months of lying fallow, somebody (employed by someone) found a way for the Niger operation to gain traction. Without Terrence J. Wilkinson, none of this would've happened!
It was a major operation bent on one purpose -- breathing life into what was a dead story. - FreeRepublic Freeper okie01 , reply 1,305 posted on 07/23/2003 7:08 PM PDT by okie01
(* My note :Wilkerson later proves to be a fake, and by Wilson's own admission he wrote no report on his trip to Niger or his findings there.)
TRUHOUT.COM is the website registered one day before 9/11- on September 10, 2001. It is run by Marc Ash. Another individual associated with the group is Peter Daou, of Online Rapid Response for John Kerry for President, Inc.
A contributing author to Truthout's website is former CIA employee Ray McGovern, of the group called VIPS which has publicly advocated that government employees leak classfied info.
Another contributing author to Truthout is Larry Johnson. Larry Johnson has a particular hatred of Ahmed Chalabi, Karl Rove and Judith Miller; Johnson when he was in the Clinton admin spent time downplaying the islamist terror threat from bin Laden. LAter he started writing for Antiwar, a site we know of from Pitt potsting their stuff on FR. Antiwar is also the group associated with Ismail Royer, who was one of the perps in the VA Jihad/Paintball cell.
Larry Johnson is also a friend of CIA leaker Mary McCarthy I mentioned earlier in the thread. Johnson is also heavily invested inthe Nigerflap plame leak story, and tried to smear Porter Goss with the hookergate story.
Another contributing author is William Rivers Pitt. Pitt is an associate of former UNSCOM inspector Scott Ritter, known for accepting funding from Shakir al Khafaji, who obtained it from Iraqi oil vouchers during theoil for Food sanctions period. Pitt and Ritter were involved in producing aan antiwar book on Iraq.
He's appropriately named.
Gorelick ( and the 9/11 Commission Report Dietrich L. Snell was a Senior Counsel & Team Leader ) were put in charge of disseminate what information got seen by the full Commission.
So the woman who created the Wall which blocked the flow of information, was again put in charge of blocking information to the Commission which was charged with finding out why information got blocked.
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