Was Scooter the Leaker? [Plame CIA leak]

Of course Novak didn't know who initiated the trip. That's why, in the long conversation with the "senior official" he asks why Wilson? And the response was "Oh, his wife recommended him". Further, it is explained that this little sub-group in the CIA came up with this trip on their own--not at the direction of Tenet.

Thanks for the links. Since everyone seems to have a theory as to what actually was going on, I’ll offer mine – sans links and stuff because it would take too much time. This is based on reading articles on Plame and Wilson’s treacherous behavior and I’ll note a source when I remember.

2001-2002 -- Plame, Foley and the other leftist bureaucrat CIA analysts arrogantly decide that they know better than the ‘cowboys’ in the Admin and try to take a more active (and unearned) role in policymaking.

They leak anonymously and publicly release (Foley) to friends in the media (NYT’s Kristof, WPost’s Pincus) information damaging to the Bush Administration.

THE SET UP

Late 2002 -- Cheney makes general request to CIA ‘find out more about Iraq and WMD.’

Plame and Foley decide to take advantage of this request by skewing it from the inside. They send a ringer (Wilson) to gather information to ‘debunk’ the Administration.

Wilson makes his fatuous trip and ‘discovers’ there is no information to support the Administration’s position. He returns and offers his worthless advice to the CIA and it’s appropriately rejected out of hand and never sent to the WH.

WORKING THE PRESS AND POLITICIANS

Early 2003 – Stymied, Plame/Foley/Wilson turn to the press and the communists serving as dems in Congress. As Shermy notes, on May 3, 2003, Kristof reports Wilson’s claims anonymously.

A few days later in May, as Hersch reports in his “Stovepipe” article, Wilson and Kristof both speak at a dem senator policy luncheon. Wilson admits to Hersch that he ‘mentioned’ his bogus trip. Yeah right! That was the purpose of his visit. He was shopping his ‘insider knowledge’ to a bunch of dem senators anxious to discredit Bush after the hugely successful and popular liberation of Iraq.

Plame/Foley/Wilson continue to work the media. In mid-June, Pincus reports Wilson’s claims anonymously in the WPost. Later in June Wilson’s claims are reported anonymously in the British press. (See Shermy’s list).

MEDIA TOUR DE FORCE

There’s still no real traction with the public, so they increase their treacherous activity. Plame/Foley/Wilson arrange for a media tour de force. Wilson (through Kristof) will get an op-ed published in the NYT. Meanwhile, Pincus is granted special access to Wilson’s claims in a personal interview before the NYT op-ed is published.

The op-ed and Pincus’ ‘special insider’ article are published the same day. What cooperation between the NYT and WPost! Usually such treatment is reserved for A list public figures/leaders (Dole, Gingrich, Clinton, etc.). IOW, nationally known people with clout inside the beltway. Not C-list (at best) former diplomats with almost no clout inside the beltway.

[Note: Plame and Wilson were ‘so concerned’ about protecting her identity that they 1) needlessly listed her CIA cover on a public document and 2) invited a well-connected WPost intel reporter (whose wife works at the State Dept. intel shop) to their house for an in-depth interview on CIA, WMD intel issues. I think Wilson doth whine way too much.]

NOVAK

Novak, like I would have done, wonders why the Bush Administration sent a Clinton political hack to check out sensitive WMD information. It is an obvious question.

Novak does what anyone would do if they were interested in finding background information about a former diplomat and calls his contacts in the State Dept. These are the ‘Senior Admin officials.’

Novak starts asking the obvious questions, eg; what are Wilson’s political leanings, does he have special contacts in Africa, etc. IOW, what would provide a reason for the CIA sending him to Nigeria. During one conversation a source mentions, ‘…and his wife works over at the CIA.’ Novak confirms this with a second State source.

[Note: For those worried about Plame’s alleged, super-secret NOC status, Novak called the CIA for confirmation and they gave him an SOP ‘we’d rather you didn’t mention any CIA names in public’ answer. Not the type of response you would expect they would give if she were actually still a NOC and in any danger. Plame is no longer a NOC and has not been for some time].

A NEW AVENUE OF ATTACK

Plame/Foley/Wilson get more media coverage for their cause and their Niger information claims are folded into the whole dem ‘look how these stupid cowboys’ are screwing up re the Iraq WMD media strategy. Minor points scored for the communists.

And Novak’s revelation gives Plame/Foley/Wilson a new avenue of attack. Other than a few communists like David Corn, no one seems outraged that Plame’s ID has been revealed. Certainly no faux ‘public’ outrage like later in Sept.

That’s because the groundwork hasn’t been laid. So, Plame/Foley/Wilson take a two-pronged strategy to score points with their new avenue of attack.

1) Wilson is sent on a media tour over the summer to whine and complain about his treatment at the hands of the ‘evil’ WH (Rove, Cheney, Bush, etc., all the dem bogey monsters). He tours the dem base making speeches to college communist/anarchists opposed to the liberation of Iraq and anything Bush.

2) The CIA, prompted by Plame/Foley or just SOP, forwards a complaint to the FBI to check into the source of the leaks. The FBI yawns and puts it on the back burner.

THE SCHUMER CONNECTION

I have no hard evidence of this, just a gut feeling that this is what might have happened. Since the FBI was not paying this any mind, I believe Plame/Foley/Wilson got sen. Schumer involved. He sits on no intel committees and is not known for interest/activity in intel issues. Nor is anyone involved a constituent.

But, he is a sharp political hack. And he sits on the Judiciary Committee, on important committee for the DOJ and FBI. He is also the ranking minority member on the Administrative Oversight and the Courts subcommittee, which oversees some DOJ funding.

I think I got this notion because I believe that it was right after a DOJ/FBI funding meeting with a Senate subcommittee in late Aug/early Sept that it was leaked that the FBI launching a formal probe into the Plame complaint.

So I’m betting that Schumer or a staffer kept track of the FBI activity (or lack thereof) and when they got a chance to squeeze the FBI on funding they took advantage. The FBI, willing to please a key senator while discussing funding said, ‘Oh sure, you want us to follow that up? No problem, anything for you senator.’

And we know the rest. A formal FBI probe gave Plame/Foley/Wilson, their lib friends in the media and democrats a ‘gotcha’ political issue to use in attacking Bush.

They got everything they worked for and more. The sad part is that they will face no punishment at all for treacherously overstepping their authority while pushing their lib agenda. No justice.

This moron Wilson,if he is an example of people in our foreign service, sends chills up and down my spine. An obvious opportunist. He has a ditzy wife who plays secret agent (despoiling the C.I.A. in the process) who couldn't find her butt with both hands. People like her should be exposed. This myth that exposing incompetance in any government agency is a no no is laughable.

Gothmog, you have summed almost EXACTLY how I picture it.

I guess at the source of who told Novak Plame recommended her husband, but it is not the crux of the matter and clearly was not told to him as "retaliation", and that is a Wilson smokescreen to divert.

I would only add to your scenario that when the anonymous stories were being planted, yet as you point out, failing to gain traction, simultaneously over in jolly old England the "Sexed up Dossier" business was being rolled out courtesy of the BBC.

The same BBC our anonymous "CIA official" felt it necessary to discuss Joe Wilson's version of events with.

I've posited before that the accusations made about Bush and Blair hyping the WMD threat was plotted out and designed to roll out at the same time.

Alas, David Kelly was one BBC source and they actually held hearings and uncovered over there that it was the BBC, not Blair, that had played fast and loose with the facts.

Yeah, the Kelly investigation was quite a farce. Investigator proves BBC lied, media reports probe as whitewash and public believes it. Unbelievable.

Not surprising attacks on Bush and Blair are linked -- communism is a worldwide conspiracy.

Interesting.

Consider this: money.

Who, or rather what nations had a lot to lose with the overthrow of Saddam?

Saddam, the socialists/communists/dictators at the UN, Russia and France.

John Kerry thinks we need to work more closely with them.

Gotta go now, I'll see y'all tomorrow.

It was in March 2003--over a year after Wilson's trip.

Tenet notes in his statement (see my earlier link) that no forged documents were ever mentioned in conjunction with Wilson's trip.

To quote Tenet: "There was no mention in the report of forged documents -- or any suggestion of the existence of documents at all."

Trying to dismiss looking into the Niger/Africa/yellowcake issue by pointing to the forged documents is a red herring, since there was other intelligence that raised suspicions about Iraq trying to procure the stuff.

I am aware of when the documents were quickly found to be forged. It was shortly after our intelligence agencies got ahold of them---and after the SOTU Address. Before that only the State department had them....what a shock. It fits in exactly with the above proposed scenario of setting up this president.

Forged documents mostly ignored until after Bush speech

Excerpt:

The State Department obtained the fraudulent documents alleging Iraq sought uranium in Africa months before President Bush made the claim, but U.S. intelligence analysts did not examine them closely enough to determine they were forgeries until after the president's disputed speech, U.S. officials say.

~snip~

The U.S. Embassy in Rome obtained the documents -- which purported to show contacts between officials in Iraq and Niger over the transfer of uranium -- from a journalist there in October 2002 (**MY NOTE: Wilson went to Niger in February 2002. Months before October**), officials said. They were shown to CIA personnel in Rome and sent to State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. But the CIA's station in Rome did not forward them to CIA headquarters outside Washington, D.C., where they would have been analyzed.

~snip~

The CIA provided them to the United Nations. U.N. officials announced in early March the documents were fakes, and the CIA concurred, the intelligence official said.

~end excerpts~

Now, we have the State Department with them before the speech, but not analyzed by intelligence until after the speech. They never formed the basis of President Bush's SOTU Address, nor did Wilson's trip enter into including the Africa/uranium reference. Wilson has stated that both were considered. That is a lie. Britain stands by their intelligence to this day--and it has nothing to do with the forged documents or Wilson's trip.