CIA Seeks Probe of Iraq-Al Qaeda Memo Leak [Memo reveals Iraq-Al Qaeda link Dems said was impossible

Washington Post ^ | Tuesday, November 18, 2003 | By Walter Pincus

[JohnHuang2]

By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Page A18

The CIA will ask the Justice Department to investigate the leak of a 16-page classified Pentagon memo that listed and briefly described raw agency intelligence on any relationship between Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network, according to congressional and administration sources.

In addition, the leaders of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Vice Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), are considering making their own request for a Justice investigation. The top-secret memo was attached to an Oct. 27 letter to them from Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith. Feith was answering a request that he support his assertion during a closed-door hearing in July that there was intelligence to support a longtime relationship between the Iraqi leader and the terrorist group.

Excerpts from the memo were first published Saturday in the issue of the Weekly Standard dated Nov. 24. Under the headline "Case Closed," the article described the memo as documenting "an operational relationship from the early 1990s to 2003" between bin Laden and Hussein. It describes the memo as containing "50 numbered points" that are "best viewed as sort of a 'Cliff's Notes' version of the relationship. It contains the highlights, but it is far from exhaustive."

[Eva]

You're 100% correct in your assesment of the mainstream media treatment of the information. The only way to get the information out there was to leak it from the CIA. The Democrats have treating the war issue the same way they used to use information from the Indepenent Council investigation; that is the Democrats were free to make any type of baseless statements or accusations against Republicans because they knew that the truth was sealed by law.

[JohnGalt]

We'll re-group but right now, I'd like to see the whole bloody structure fall on itself, a collapse due to moral rot, help up by spin.

Perhaps tomorrow I will be in a better mood.

Yours in liberty,

[Coop]

And just so we are clear, my intent was only to point out that the tactical approach of blaming the media for not reporting this memo is a bad one, in my opinion and will fail.

Fair enough. And as you can tell by my letter above, I do not think its lack of coverage by the lamestream media is simply a coincidence.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Have a good day, man!

[Monti Cello]

I don't know anyone trumpeting that the memo contains new information. The CIA stated that it didn't in an apparent response to a charge that wasn't leveled. Since much of the information dates from the early and mid 90's the claim that it's old info seems even more irrelevant.

The idea of Iraq-AQ connections have been ceaselessly mocked as ludicrous on their face. This when many mainstream news accounts were documenting such connections long before 9/11.

The memo, if true in its substance, is a major vindication for Bush and the war in Iraq, and clears up a key question on its justification. It also exposes Democrats who were privy to its findings as disingenuous at best. Leaks of 'old information' are of minor consequence by comparison. Harping on that appears to me a feeble attempt to change the subject.

I've got a hunch it was a Democratic staffer who leaked it. The one with the conscience.

[Dog]

Shooting the messenger again??

[Dog]

I think you are correct.....the Democrats have a leaker in their own party.

I wonder what else is going to get leaked......notice they are pulling out the stops to get people to look into the Senat Judiciary leak and now this...

[JohnGalt]

The position of this administration is the Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11. They were privy to all the information contained in this memo and still reached a conclusion opposite the view of the Office of Special Plans.

That is the key here and why there is intentional confusion coming from those who pushed this memo on whether there any new information.

[JohnGalt]

The messenger in question backed John McCain in the primaries; whose side are you on?

[Mo1]

Hannity said it wasn't a Republican that leaked the memo.

That was about the memo regarding te Dems using the Select Intell Committee scoring political points with intell information

This is a different memo .. and I am guessing there is a serial leaker in the Dem Party

I wonder what they'll leak next?

[Steve_Seattle]

Yesterday, liberals - if they mentioned it at all - described the memo as basically worthless, old news, etc. - now that they are playing the leak angle, suddenly it is raw data, highly sensitive, etc. Clearly they're trying to shift focus from the memo itself to the way it was leaked.

[Dog]

Are you talking about Coop??

[Dog]

I am guessing there is a serial leaker in the Dem Party

You are correct.

[Mo1]

Some one is ticked off at the direction their Party is heading

This should be interesting

[JohnGalt]

No, the Weekly Standard.

The assumption many have that they are a friend to this administration is groundless. Their agenda must be considered.

[Steve_Seattle]

Liberal Media Guidebook, Chapter 8: Leaks

Rule 1. If a leak of classified information is embarrassing to a Republican, focus on the damaging content of the leak and portray the leaker as an heroic whistleblower. Suggest that any efforts to identify the leaker are vindictive and an effort to suppress the truth.

Rule 2. If a leak of classified information is embarrassing to a Democrat, cast aspersions on the leaker, accuse him/her of breaking the most sacred laws of the nation, and ignore the subject matter of the leak. It is critical that the focus be on the motives of the leaker, and not on the content of the leak. Demand an investigation into the source of the leak, and imply that the leak was mandated by sources high up in the Republican Party. Under no circumstances refer to the source of the leak as a whistleblower.

3. If there are any doubts regarding the implementation of Rules 1 and 2, contact the Democratic National Committee for the appropriate talking points.

[txhurl]

Serial leaking is additionally helpful in delaying Dem-sponsored media attacks as they are too distracted trying to find the leak to keep momentum in their game plans.

[epluribus_2]

could easily be a Hill-supporter wanting to nuke/trip Dean for 04 so the Beast may rise uncontested again in 08. (bet me she won't)

[Mo1]

Serial leaking is additionally helpful in delaying Dem-sponsored media attacks as they are too distracted trying to find the leak to keep momentum in their game plans.

True ... it does remind me of the Clinton Days

However, it doesn't hide what the Dems have been doing

[Mo1]

could easily be a Hill-supporter wanting to nuke/trip Dean for 04 so the Beast may rise uncontested again in 08. (bet me she won't)

Possibly .. but by doing do they are nuking the Whole party

It's not just this memo that was leaked .. don't forget about the one with Kennedy and Dashole fixing the Mich. case