Collected Thoughts

The Washington Dispatch ^ | October 29, 2003 | Paul M. Weyrich

[Grampa Dave]

Here is one of Kings Comments/opeds on the Wilson Mess:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/994438/posts

Rep. Peter King - The CIA Leak: Rogue Agency?
New York Post ^ | 10/3/03 | Rep. Peter King (R - N.Y.)


Posted on 10/03/2003 7:01 AM PDT by WhiteTrashRepublic.com


THE CIA LEAK: ROGUE AGENCY?

By PETER KING

October 3, 2003 -- THE current furor over who, if anyone, in the White House leaked anything about Joe Wilson's wife and whether that leak, if it occurred, constitutes a crime is off the mark. My concern is about something far more ominous. It is what I see to be a systematic pattern of conduct being carried out by elements within the Central Intelligence Agency constituting a virtual covert operation against the Bush White House - a covert operation designed to protect the spy agency's turf and deflect charges of incompetence.

All the elements are in place: repeated leaks of selective classified information and tawdry political use of pre-war intelligence. But this is a story most of the media have chosen to ignore.

Let me get a few things straight right away. I support a strong CIA and oppose virtually all of the restrictions liberals have imposed on it over the past three decades. Also, as a practitioner of New York politics for those same three decades, I'm no stranger to inelegant turf battles.

But it's one thing to fight over a sewer contract or a highway project and quite another to put a bureaucracy's parochial interest before the national interest - particularly when our nation is in a war for survival against international terrorism. Sadly, that is what the CIA did after 9/11 and what it continues to do in the aftermath of the war in Iraq.

There's no doubt the CIA missed a lot of signals leading up to 9/11. Whether there were enough signals to prevent the attacks - or, in the popular term of art, enough dots to connect - is another question. In any event, President Bush decided against seeking scapegoats.

We were entering into a new and dangerous war and the president did not want to disrupt the national security leadership - so he reaffirmed his support of CIA Director George Tenet and no heads were made to roll.

Unfortunately, the CIA has not seen fit to return that loyalty - either to President Bush or to the national interest.

Consider the following:

* In the spring of 2002, when the CIA was coming under increasing scrutiny for its pre 9/11 failures, a memo was leaked suggesting the CIA had warned President Bush of the terrorist attacks more than a month prior to 9/11 and that he failed to take any action.

The resultant political firestorm succeeded in diverting attention from the CIA. It took several days to realize that this supposed warning consisted primarily of a 3-year-old intelligence report indicating that terrorists might hijack planes to obtain the release of prisoners and that no time frame was given.

* In May and June of this year, when weapons of mass destruction were not found in Iraq, CIA sources began to leak that Vice President Dick Cheney and other administration officials had pressured its WMD analysts prior to the war, causing them to inflate their estimates, though these estimates were almost identical to those of previous years.

* In July of this year, Wilson charged in print and in repeated TV appearances that President Bush had lied to the American people in his State of the Union speech when he said the British government had learned that Iraq was attempting to purchase enriched uranium from Niger for its nuclear program. Wilson claimed he was basing his allegations on a secret mission to Niger he had carried out for the CIA last year.

The Wilson incident raises troubling issues and serious concerns. Why did the CIA entrust a non-CIA man with such a sensitive assignment? Wasn't the CIA aware that Wilson opposed the Bush policy in Iraq? How extensive was Wilson's investigation? Why didn't the CIA take action against Wilson when he went public against Bush and revealed the details of his mission?

Why didn't the CIA point out that Wilson's investigation never addressed what the president said in his State of the Union speech, that the British source was separate from the CIA's and that the British stand by their finding to this day. In other words, that despite Wilson's posturing and outrage, everything the president said about Niger was true.

Against this backdrop, isn't the position of Wilson's spouse at the CIA a matter of legitimate concern or debate? Isn't it more significant that we have a rogue spy machine operating at cross purposes with our national interest than who said what to Robert Novak?

And how much credibility should we give to Wilson, who shows off pictures of his wife, comparing her to an actress in a TV spy drama?

America is at war with international terrorism. For us to win that war, the CIA must be focusing its attack on Islamic fundamentalists - not spreading disinformation against the elected leaders of our nation.

The CIA must be made to realize that we don't have the luxury of being at war with ourselves. For the CIA to get that message, perhaps the time has come for some heads to roll.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) represents parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.

[Grampa Dave]

Then 3 days later, Peter King nailed who violated CIA rules and laws. He named Wilson.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996445/posts

Rep. Peter King: Prosecute Leakgate Accuser for CIA Secrecy Violation
NewsMax.com ^ | Monday, Oct. 6, 2003 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff


Posted on 10/06/2003 9:14 PM PDT by jmstein7


A leading New York congressman is calling for an investigation into whether Leakgate accuser Joseph Wilson violated CIA secrecy when he blew the lid off his role in a February 2002 mission to determine whether Iraq had sought uranium from Niger.

For the last week Wilson has been demanding an investigation into the Bush administration's role in revealing his wife's job as a secret CIA operative, a move that he contends was an act of retaliation for his decision to go public about the Niger mission in a July op-ed piece for the New York Times.

But Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said Sunday that it's Wilson who needs to be investigated - and even prosecuted if he violated CIA secrecy.

"I assume that if he went into this job for the CIA, he had to sign an oath of secrecy - a confidentiality [agreement]," King told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg. "And if he did, then he violated it and he should be prosecuted."

"He conducted a so-called secret mission for the CIA," King complained. "[However] he's talking about it all over national and international television - undermining the president of the United States. ... Why wasn't this guy called in before a grand jury?"

King says that if the CIA didn't require Wilson to sign a confidentiality agreement, then the agency should explain why not - along with why it picked the talkative Wilson for the sensitive mission in the first place.

"Why did they pick the guy who was anti-Bush, anti-war with Iraq, to go over and conduct a really half-assed investigation of Niger?" the House Homeland Security Committee member told Malzberg.

[Grampa Dave]

It depends on where in California. Valley girls and surfer lads have their own unique accent.

This is why most voices on voice mail and voice driven menus for internet use are Mid Western people. Again not all of them are perfect.

[Scenic Sounds]

Governor-elect Schwarzenegger will straighten all this out in a few short weeks. Please be patient. ;-)

[Grampa Dave]

Actually what I like about California are the different accents from Valley Girl to second generation Mexican Americans to whatever as long as it is in English.

[Scenic Sounds]

Actually what I like about California are the different accents from Valley Girl to second generation Mexican Americans to whatever as long as it is in English.

You're right, of course. In California, there do remain some very slight differences detectable only to connoisseurs like you and me. Our new governor is committed to unifying us, though. ;-)

[Grampa Dave]

Actually millions and millions of us like Arnold's great accent.

That is one of the reasons we watch his movies and voted for him.

[Scenic Sounds]

Actually millions and millions of us like Arnold's great accent.

That is one of the reasons we watch his movies and voted for him.

It's really nothing more than an affectation. He's been faking that accent for years - for as long as I can remember, anyway.

[Texas Federalist]

Like totally, dude. Right on!!! :)

[Grampa Dave]

Have a nice day. I will turn on Arnold's reading of something to enjoy the afternoon.

[onyx]

It's really nothing more than an affectation. He's been faking that accent for years - for as long as I can remember, anyway.

Wow, I am impressed. Heretofore, I did not know that you are personally acquainted with Arnold! If I'm a good girl, (or a 'nice' girl) will you get me his autographed photo?

[Scenic Sounds]

Wow, I am impressed. Heretofore, I did not know that you are personally acquainted with Arnold! If I'm a good girl, (or a 'nice' girl) will you get me his autographed photo?

It's time that we stopped kidding these non-Californians, onyx. You know as well as I do that whenever the national press is gone and he's with just us Californians, Arnold speaks with no accent whatsoever. ;-)

[GeekDejure]

"King’s bill would also make English the only official language of the USA.

Mee Own Lee Spee Kee Free Pee (um... Freeperee) !!! ;-))

.

[Scenic Sounds]

Solamente inglés se habla aquí.

[spodefly]

BTTT

[onyx]

Dang, and here I was ready to do some 'bargaining' with you for his autograph. Local girl to local boy, an exclusive type of "thang." :)

[Scenic Sounds]

We locals have got to stick together, onyx.

There must be some way to get that autograph. ;-)

[viaveritasvita]

Very informative post -- will write to my reps about supporting S 1558.

Just to clarify: Is this a ping to your Freedom and Liberty (I think that's the correct name) ping list? I definitely want to remain on that ping list.

Thanks EV!

<><

[windchime]

Thanks for the ping, EV!

[EternalVigilance]

Oh shoot. I just took you off the list, as per your request on the other thread. LOL...

I only have the one, and I have greatly reduced the number of pings.

Just let me know.

:-)