Posted on 07/14/2005 9:13:31 PM PDT by HAL9000
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Presidential confidant Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he learned the identity of a CIA operative originally from journalists, then informally discussed the information with a Time magazine reporter days before the story broke, according to a person briefed on the testimony.The person, who works in the legal profession and spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, told The Associated Press that Rove testified last year that he remembers specifically being told by columnist Robert Novak that Valerie Plame, the wife of a harsh Iraq war critic, worked for the CIA.
Rove testified that Novak originally called him the Tuesday before Plame's identity was revealed in July 2003 to discuss another story. The conversation eventually turned to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was strongly criticizing the Bush administration's Iraq war policy and the intelligence it used to justify the war, the source said.
The person said Rove testified that Novak told him he had learned and planned to report in a weekend column that Wilson's wife, Plame, had worked for the CIA, and the circumstances on how her husband traveled to Africa to check bogus claims of alleged nuclear material sales to Iraq.
Novak's column, citing two Bush administration officials, appeared six days later, touching off a political firestorm and leading to a federal criminal investigation into who leaked Plame's undercover identity. That probe has ensnared presidential aides and reporters in a two-year legal battle.
Rove told the grand jury that by the time Novak had called him, he believes he had similar information about Wilson's wife from another reporter but had no recollection of which reporter had told him about it first, the source said.
When Novak inquired about Wilson's wife working for the CIA, Rove indicated he had heard something like that, according to the source's recounting of the grand jury testimony.
Rove told the grand jury that four days later, he had a phone conversation with Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper and _ in an effort to discredit some of Wilson's allegations _ told Cooper that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, though he never used her name.
An e-mail Cooper recently provided the grand jury shows Cooper reported to his magazine bosses that Rove had described Wilson's wife in a confidential conversation as someone who "apparently works" at the CIA.
Robert Luskin, Rove's attorney, said Thursday his client truthfully testified to the grand jury and expected to be exonerated.
"Karl provided all pertinent information to prosecutors a long time ago," Luskin said. "And prosecutors confirmed when he testified most recently in October 2004 that he is not a target of the investigation."
Rove's conversation with Cooper took place five days after Wilson suggested in a New York Times opinion piece that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. Novak's column identifying Wilson's wife as a CIA employee and Cooper's magazine piece came out a few days later.
Pressed to explain its statements of two years ago that Rove wasn't involved in the leak, the White House refused to do so this week.
"If I were to get into discussing this, I would be getting into discussing an investigation that continues and could be prejudging the outcome of the investigation," McClellan said.
Even if he learned it from a government source, he has to be AUTHORIZED to learn it to make his disclosure illegal. At the time, he was simply an advisor to GWB, not a government employee. I really doubt he had a clearance to learn the identities of CIA agents, covert or not.
The law:
Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent's intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
I would like to know the specific person by name, in the CIA who tasked Wilson with the mission. There is some big lying by the dems on this one. Wilson/Plamegate promulgated by the very accusers. Send wilson&wife to a soviet gulag. NSNR
Howlin, I wonder what investigative expertise Wilson possesses other than prevaricating? NSNR
I wonder if their sleeping together? NSNR
More than that, I believe that the media were hoping to incite a lynching: they knew that a trial wouldn't produce the result they want, i.e. axing Rove. So they wanted it "tried" by the press, hoping that public opinion would force W to can him. The Slimes editors certainly know the real facts (even though they won't print them), so this the only reasonable explanation, IMHO.
What was phlame a CAINO/ Covert agent In Name Only. I personally don't think see could covertly or overtly get out from the inside of a wet paper bag. I would definitely like to see her resume' to include all service schools attended. Probably a Klintoon hiree(CIA) as a result of campaign donations. NSNR
At the time of our invasion of Iraq, I remember well a story recounting how some local Iraqi's were getting poisoned because they were using the (plastic?) 55 gallon drums which had previously held yellowcake uranium as their potable water storage containers. The story predictably blamed the US administrators for not providing proper water storage. I remember remarking at the time that this is proof positive that Iraq had a nuke program. Of course, the story was buried under the continued success of the US invasion and occupation. Does anyone else recall this story?
Yes, I do. However, the media merely stressed that the IAEA knew about Iraq's program, and had tagged items at this site so that supposedly they would know upon future inspection of any significant change in Saddam's program. So we were blamed for failure to secure the site, which then allowed these people to go in there and get these containers. But we did know Iraq had a program...that much I know. What was disputed was if Saddam was trying to advance that program further after he kicked out the inspectors.
It's all eyewash. The prosecutor is looking for something else.
Me too. I also want the names of the commanders or supervisors that sent her to these advanced schools. I went to 5 in the Air Force and worked for honorable people. Let's drill down for info on this babe!
Rove's gotta be saying, "Man George, this is just too easy."
Let 'em smell blood, make Dims out of themselves for a few days, and then let it leak, that reporters are the one that told Rove. Now, they should put on some CIA agent to suggest that Valarie would routinely tell everyone she met that she was in the CIA, and call it a day.
Chuck Schumer will act so superior
As he guts an opponent's interior.
He pretends he's so wise,
But it's only a guise,
And his motives are always ulterior.
I have been called that occasionally on weekends.....By my wife.
I agree. I think there is something wrong becasue supposedly FLAME is the one who decided that her husband would be the best person to go on this investigative trip. How the heck does THAT happen?
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
Klintoonese supervisors in the CIA and anti-Bush terrorist cells from within the agency. Wilson has one qualification I give him due credit for, "that of a lying fool."
I believe his wife was instrumental in this plot. Now their lies are being exposed and we can see all the misspeaks from the accusers.
Lies have short legs, I presume they forgot. NSNR
If she is so worried about being outed, then why is she in this month's edition of Vanity Fair?
Just another dumb ass liberal attetion seeking commiecrat. NSNR
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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