Spy Games [(My Title) The truth about Joe Wilson]

National Review On Line ^ | 9/29/03 | Clifford D. May

[zook]

Mr. Wilson is now saying (on C-SPAN this morning, for example) that he opposed military action in Iraq because he didn't believe Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and he foresaw the possibility of a difficult occupation. In fact, prior to the U.S. invasion, Mr. Wilson told ABC's Dave Marash that if American troops were sent into Iraq, Saddam might "use a biological weapon in a battle that we might have. For example, if we're taking Baghdad or we're trying to take, in ground-to-ground, hand-to-hand combat."

Equally, important and also overlooked: Mr. Wilson had no apparent background or skill as an investigator. As Mr. Wilson himself acknowledged, his so-called investigation was nothing more than "eight days drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people" at the U.S. embassy in Niger. Based on those conversations, he concluded that "it was highly doubtful that any [sale of uranium from Niger to Iraq] had ever taken place."

That's hardly the same as disproving what British intelligence believed — and continues to believe: that Saddam Hussein was actively attempting to purchase uranium from somewhere in Africa. (Whether Saddam succeeded or not isn't the point; were Saddam attempting to make such purchases it would suggest that his nuclear-weapons-development program was active and ongoing.)

For some reason, this background and these questions have been consistently omitted in the Establishment media's reporting on Mr. Wilson and his charges.

There also remains this intriguing question: Was it primarily due to the fact that Mr. Wilson's wife worked for the CIA that he received the Niger assignment?

Mr. Wilson has said that his mission came about following a request from Vice President Cheney. But it appears that if Mr. Cheney made the request at all, he made it of the CIA and did not know Mr. Wilson and certainly did not specify that he wanted Mr. Wilson put on the case.

It has to be seen as puzzling that the agency would deal with an inquiry from the White House on a sensitive national-security matter by sending a retired, Bush-bashing diplomat with no investigative experience. Or didn't the CIA bother to look into Mr. Wilson's background?

If that's what passes for tradecraft in Langley, we're in more trouble than any of us have realized.

[zook]

I excerpted from the latter half of the piece to highlight the stuff that really hits at Wilson's credibility. Wilson never "investigated" anything, nor did he have the skills to do so. The White House never "sent" him to Niger. Bascially he went there and asked his old buddies if the uranium claim was true. They told him "of course not, Joe!" and he swallowed it.

[alloysteel]

This sounds more and more like something that Joseph C. Wilson IV cooked up himself, by letting some reporter in on the background, then that reporter asked a seemingly innocent question of one of the White House operatives, thus "proving" the leak came from the White House.

But was it really a secret, that the spouse of Joseph C. Wilson IV worked for the CIA?

[mattdono]

and [s]he swallowed it.

You know, the whole Monica thing is over, let's try to move on.

[Thebaddog]

Wilson is an egotistical piece of work who considers his needs above those of others, IMO. I saw him speak and I know the type well. And he got his words into the New York Times in a way extremely damaging to Bush so he's no friend of the current administration. In fact, I betcha he has a lot of friends who are good loyal democrats and so does his wife. He'll go away shortly with a little more sunlight.

[Redcoat LI]

Great article, I read it this morning. This guy has an ax to grind with Bush,this whole scandal is B.S.

[YaYa123]

Actually, this morning I heard Wilson say that Iraq did have a WMD program ongoing, and did have chemicals to use in weapons. He did not dispute what was common knowledge among all intelligence agencies worldwide. What Wilson said he objected to was this president claiming those weapons and that program posed an imminent threat to America, when they did not. He's accusing the president of going to war for illegitimate reasons, for attacking another country without provocation. It's serious.

What Old Friend wisely reminds me....This president pledged that we weren't going to allow ourselves to ever become a target again, that we were going to take action against our enemies before they could act against us again.

Oh Lord, this is wicked what the democrats and Wilson are trying to do...thinkof it...punish this president because he did what Clinton would not do...go after our enemies and protect us from terrorists.

Remember how Clinton insisted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing be treated as common crimes in the criminal courts of New York?

But folks, this line of attack on President Bush...Wilson and his allegations, how it's coming back again, with the help of the media, is an election year effort to weaken this president. This, along with the constant daily drone coming from 10 democrat candidates, is taking it's toll.

Lord help us if voters don't remember President Bush's resolve after 9-11, and remember how they supported his leadership and his courage. AND most important what strength he gave us.

[malia]

I think the dots need to be connected!!

Something stinks!!

Just a little bio: "Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, IV Ambassador Wilson served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council from June 1997 until July 1998. In that capacity he was responsible for the coordination of U.S. policy to the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, He was one of the principal architecs of President Clinton's historic trip to Africa in March 1998.

Ambassador Wilson was the Political Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of United States Armed Forces, Europe, 1995-1997. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe from 1992 to 1995. From 1998 to 1991, Ambassador Wilson served in Baghdad, Iraq as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy. During ''Desert Shield'' he was the acting Ambassador and was responsible for the negotiations that resulted in the release of several hundred American hostages. He was the last official American to meet with Saddam Hussein before the launching of ''Desert Storm.''--"

and more background follows----

"In 1982, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission in Bujumbura, Burundi. In 1985-1986, he served in the offices of Senator Albert Gore and the House Majority Whip, Representative Thomas Foley, as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brazzaville, Congo, 1986-88, prior to his assignment to Baghdad--"

It is house cleaning time!!!

[browardchad]

If that's what passes for tradecraft in Langley, we're in more trouble than any of us have realized.

It's truly convenient that this call for an investigation by Tenet follows on a letter sent to Tenet last Thursday from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, critical of the CIA's "significant deficiencies" in its ability to collect fresh intelligence on Iraq prior to the war.

This letter to Tenet was obtained by the Washington Post this weekend. How interesting. The Post of course used it to blame the White House for "overstating its case" for war.

How very, very, convenient this accusation of leaks from the White House is for Tenet, who apparently has decided that the best defense for CIA failings is to join the offense against Bush.

[Steve_Seattle]

"This sounds more and more like something that Joseph C. Wilson IV cooked up himself, by letting some reporter in on the background, then that reporter asked a seemingly innocent question of one of the White House operatives, thus "proving" the leak came from the White House."

That's certainly the Clintonista M.O. - leak something, then blame your opponent for it. Just ask Kenneth Starr.

[zook]

"What Wilson said he objected to was this president claiming those weapons and that program posed an imminent threat to America, when they did not."

Well, then he's still lying, right? Because Bush never claimed "imminent threat." He said we can't wait for that to happen.

[YaYa123]

As this progresses, spurred on by the democrats, it will become more and more a war of words, with this slimeball Wilson, wiggling himself out of embarrassments when he has to backtrack.

He kept saying today, on all his tv appearances, that "his sources within the administration told him Rove was involved in leaking. Shouldn't some reporter asked him "what sources"?

And when Wilson said Rove was the one who spoke to Novak, shouldn't some reporter have asked, "Did Novak tell you that"? I mean, how in hell would Wilson have known who talked to Novak?? This whopper reminded me so much of Wesley Clark's big fat lie about his White House phone call right after 9-l1.

In fact this whole episode reminds me of Wesley Clark's misspeaks since he entered the race. He's finding out how hard it is to keep the lies straight.

CNN, NBC, and MSNBC all led the news with "Did a White House official leak Wilson's wife's name to Novak"? In all cases, we already knew the answer was "no". The shame is, they did too.

Blood is in the water, the sharks are circling...and they don't care if they know they are hyping a lie...all they care about is sliming Bush, Cheney, and Ashcroft. They know the noise they create will have a negative impact on President Bush.