Posted on 04/29/2004 6:41:43 AM PDT by Gothmog
"Those hoping to solve the mystery of who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame...won't find a clear answer in the new book by" Joe Wilson.
In his book "Wilson points to" VP Cheney's "chief of staff, Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, as 'quite possibly the person who exposed my wife's identity.'"
Wilson also claims "that a 'workup' on his background was done by the White House in March 2003 after his public criticism of Iraq policy. 'The other name that has most often been repeated to me...is that of Elliott Abrams.'"
And he still thinks Rove may have done it.
"'The workup on me that turned up the information on Valerie was shared with Karl Rove, who then circulated it in administration and neoconservative circles," Wilson alleges."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Excerpt:
Though I did not file a written report,...
~snip~
As George Tenet described it (see link at #33), it was quite a bit less and unreliable, to boot:
There was fragmentary intelligence gathered in late 2001 and early 2002 on the allegations of Saddam's efforts to obtain additional raw uranium from Africa, beyond the 550 metric tons already in Iraq. In an effort to inquire about certain reports involving Niger, CIA's counter-proliferation experts, on their own initiative, asked an individual with ties to the region to make a visit to see what he could learn. He reported back to us that one of the former Nigerien (sic) officials he met stated that he was unaware of any contract being signed between Niger and rogue states for the sale of uranium during his tenure in office. The same former official also said that in June 1999 a businessman approached him and insisted that the former official meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss "expanding commercial relations" between Iraq and Niger. The former official interpreted the overture as an attempt to discuss uranium sales. The former officials also offered details regarding Niger's processes for monitoring and transporting uranium that suggested it would be very unlikely that material could be illicitly diverted. There was no mention in the report of forged documents -- or any suggestion of the existence of documents at all.
Because this report, in our view, did not resolve whether Iraq was or was not seeking uranium from abroad, it was given a normal and wide distribution, but we did not brief it to the President, Vice-President or other senior Administration officials. We also had to consider that the former Nigerien officials knew that what they were saying would reach the U.S. government and that this might have influenced what they said.
In the fall of 2002, my Deputy and I briefed hundreds of members of Congress on Iraq. We did not brief the uranium acquisition story.
~snip~
I recall Jack Straw defending British intelligence and noting what is stated above: That even Wilson speaks of an overture in 1999 that he interpreted as an attempt to procure uranium!
Joseph Wilson, Niger, Uranium and Bushs Famous Sixteen Words: Evolution of a Confused Story
I have never heard it definitively stated, but there has been *speculation* that since they now have very young children that she would have been removed from that role around the time of having them--if she was indeed ever in that position.
As I write at post #60, I explain that I a) don't believe there was any administration leak--especially with the intent to harm the Wilsons, and b) she should be investigated to see if she or her colleagues were anonymous sources for the media disseminating a false portrayal of Wilson's "findings" and their importance.
I contend that whatever her role in the CIA, I suspect she was not out to serve the best interests of this country.
I know.
As I point out, since the WH wasn't privy to Wilson's jaunt, they can hardly know who sent him on it.
Further, Novak has explicitly stated (though obviously it's ignored) that his sources were not from the WH.
I said the Wilsons *and their allies* were behind the leaks. Cliff May with NRO said as much. He said it was told to him by a democrat in response to his "why was Joe Wilson of all people sent on this trip?". The dem explained that Joe's wife is CIA, and May said it was said in a way as if "See? They're patriots first, partisans second".
Which is laughable as we can plainly see.
I do not think, as I've always stressed, that it was done in any way to mar the reputations or motivations of the Wilsons, but rather by way of explanation for the otherwise inexplicable.
The reason I have deduced this is the wording, especially in the October column, about the counter-terrorism group sending Wilson on their own initiative. Both columns point out Tenet was not informed of the impending trip. Then read Tenet's own statement stating the same.
I do think the sub-group that Plame moved in (including Foley) engaged in anti-administration machinations, including sending Wilson on the trip and the subsequent leaks about it that completely misrepresented it.
Link to original July Novak column, which also contains a hyper-link to the October follow-up:
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