Posted on 04/11/2005 6:40:58 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Mr. Smith came to Washington again Monday, as an alias for a Central Intelligence Agency officer who works covertly. Senators, however, may have blown his cover.
During questioning on John R. Bolton's nomination to be President Bush's ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton and members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee referred to "Mr. Smith" as one official among several who were involved in a dispute over what Democrats asserted was Bolton's inappropriate treatment of an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him.
"We referred to this other analyst at the CIA, whom I'll try and call Mr. Smith here, I hope I can keep that straight," Bolton said at one point.
Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., both mentioned a name, Fulton Armstrong, that had not previously come up in public accounts of the intelligence flap.
It is not clear whether Armstrong is the undercover officer, but an exchange between Kerry and Bolton suggests that he may be.
In questioning Bolton, Kerry read from a transcript of closed-door interviews that committee staffers conducted with State Department officials prior to Monday's hearing.
"Did Otto Reich share his belief that Fulton Armstrong should be removed from his position? The answer is yes," Kerry said, characterizing one interview. "Did John Bolton share that view?" Kerry said, and then said the answer again was yes.
"As I said, I had lost confidence in Mr. Smith, and I conveyed that," Bolton replied evenly. "I thought that was the honest thing to do."
I tend to agree with your description. I heard JFKerry in his upon high brow beating of Mr. Bolton, appearing to do to Mr. Bolton the very thing he was attempting to accuse Mr. Bolton of doing to "Mr. Smith". There was absolutely no doubt about WHOM JFKerry was referring to.
Interestingly Mr. Bolton in responding to the little 'god' JFKerry used Mr. Smith.
Yeah it looks like Lugar did too but it was before they started calling him Mr. Smith. It was just after Bolton's opening statement.
There's a transcript over here.
http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/index.php?id=535
http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/Bolton_tranny.pdf Top of page 16
No, I don't.
We could dream! ;-)
Well .. just don't hold your breath! I don't see any democrats being held accountable for anything.
Oh I know it. This will be swept under the carpet(the Kerry part), but If Lugar did mention the name "Mr. Armstrong" in his opening statement,THAT WILL BE THE STORY!
I think the C-span announcer said the panel would feature those interviewees who gave Bolton so much trouble. Wonder if the no longer mysterious "Mr. Smith" will be there, hehheh.
I can't watch all of it, but hope y'all can listen -- real closely -- and report back.
And .. since Lugar supposedly said it first that would absolve Kerry. As usual .. the scum get a pass.
Gee, both an R and a D did it. No wonder AP reported it. To take the heat off of Skerry. Did Luger actually use his name and who did it first?
I don't get C-SPAN 3, drat.
Confirmation hearing for John Negroponte is supposed to be coming up on C-SPAN 1 at 10 am.
HOWEVER, Lugar's mention of the name did not raise a red flag for most viewers, I'm sure. See post 40.
Only Kerry mentioned Armstrong's name in a context in which viewers would say "AHA! He just divulged the CIA agent's REAL name."
Apparently, this report is accurate.
Thanks for the ping!
Well, he did -- but he was plagiarizing kerry at the time.
Bolton used real name of CIA agent
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