In Leak Case, Reporters Lack Shield For Sources

Washington Post ^ | 11-29-04 | Charles Lane

[Snapple]

One intriguing possibility, noted by several lawyers familiar with the case, is that Novak may have invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and that Fitzgerald has not yet chosen to give him immunity from prosecution to compel his testimony.

[cyncooper]

...and transparency is an indication of innocence. Unlike the deceitfulness that Wilson has displayed since day one.

[cyncooper]

Why do you assume the investigatin is a waste of time and money? I assume there is an aspect, or several aspects, being looked into and I look forward to finding out what has been found out.

[lizma]

redstatemomma is very new here.

Give her sometime to realize sometimes on FR your comments have to be defended against people who know an issue inside and out. I've been here for awhile and still forget that!

[cyncooper]

:)

[Always A Marine]

How right you are, lizma. The backgrounds here are quite varied, and some run very deep. I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said.

[Max Combined]

redstatemomma, rat agent provocateur, has had her account pulled.

[cyncooper]

Thanks for the update, Max.

I know I didn't report the obvious trollness of it all, but evidently someone did.

Ah, well.

[Snapple]

Miller seems to be close to the neocons. She wrote a book with Laurie Mylroie and she wrote a lot of articles in the NYT about WMD. Her information for these articles came from A. Chalabi.

She also wrote a book about biowarfare called GERMS.
She was a big booster of the War with Iraq.
She doesn't fit the profile of a democrat.

[Snapple]

Yes he did disclose that in a column, but the law makes this a question of intent.

You have to know the person was still under cover. Novak claims he didn't know this.

Also, in practice this law against publishing the names of undercover people is usually only used against serial offenders who would do this routinely with the intent to harm the national security.

[Snapple]

You mention "CIA rogues." Who do you think these rogues are?

[cyncooper]

Valerie Plame leaps to mind.

(to name just one)

[Snapple]

Leaking the name of a undercover CIA official is not just the crime of the leaker. A reporter who publishes the name is also committing a crime.

This is different than an ordinary leak where only the government official is held responsible.

A reporter can be prosecuted for publishing the name of a CIA official under cover. The government usually doesn't do it.

[Southack]

"You mention "CIA rogues." Who do you think these rogues are?"

Most of the CIA is staffed with incompetents and traitors who leak (e.g. Schuer, Valerie Plame) stories harmful to their domestic political foes while they are busy missing the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the nuclear testing of India, the nuclear test by Israel/South Africa/ Taiwan, 9/11, et al.

The CIA doesn't even know who perpetrated the anthrax attacks against us. Furthermore, the CIA couldn't even do what a California surfer kid did...infiltrate Al Qaeda to meet Bin Laden. We caught him in Afghanistan, if you recall.

Fire them all. Then prosecute them all. Our CIA is out of control, filled with rogues.

[Snapple]

You mentioned only one supposed leaker.

You mentioned CIA rogues--plural.

Care to name any other CIA officials who are leaking.

Or maybe you could just let the FBI know.

[cyncooper]

Unlike you, I am not privy to a host of names of employees at the CIA. However, it is clear that Plame belongs to a faction of rogues, even if I can't list their names for you.

[cyncooper]

Care to name any other CIA officials who are leaking.

Was it Plame or some other employee who was the anonymous "CIA official" quoted in the BBC touting the false Wilson version of his Mission to Niger?

What this official said to the reporter was flat out false. In anyone's book that makes this purported CIA source a rogue.

[Southack]

Look kid, the CIA approved, officially, this book of leaks during the 2004 election campaign, directly attacking President Bush in a time of war in an overt attempt to influence an election...by Schuer while he was still a CIA agent on the taxpayers' payroll.

That's treason. That's an attempt to overthrow our sitting government with CIA leaks.

Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror
by Michael Scheuer

[Snapple]

Michael Scheuer didn't leak anything. He published a book that dissented from the administration's assessments about Bin Laden. The book went through a CIA process to make sure it did not leak secrets.

You or I or Bush may not agree with his opinions, but he did not leak.

The book is extremely well-written and tho' I have some questions about his ideas, this person is no incompetent.

[Snapple]

You keep spelling his name wrong. I am not a kid. I have grandchildren.

It is not treason for a government employee to dissent from the president of the US during an election. That is called democracy, not treason.

[Terabitten]

Maybe Novak didn't actually talk to the White House/high administration official. Maybe another reporter got the information and told him what was said.

I seem to recall Novak saying that it was more-or-less common knowledge that Plame worked for the CIA. IIRC, he said that it never occured to him that it might be privileged info because, essentially, everyone knew it anyway.