Former CIA agents tell RNC to shut up

Gee, too bad these guys didn't speak out when the left didn't make it a crime to divulge an agent's name.

Or when Kerry outted an agent on public television. And countless other examples below:

"Minority Leader Harry Reid Strayed From His Prepared Remarks On The Senate Floor Yesterday And Promised To Continue Opposing One Of President Bush's Judicial Nominees Based On 'A Problem' He Said Is In The Nominee's 'Confidential Report From The FBI.'" (Charles Hurt, "Reid Cites FBI File On Judicial Pick," The Washington Times, 5/13/05)

· "Those Highly Confidential Reports Are Filed On All Judicial Nominees, And Severe Sanctions Apply To Anyone Who Discloses Their Contents. Less Clear Is Whether A Senator Could Face Sanctions For Characterizing The Content Of Such Files." (Charles Hurt, "Reid Cites FBI File On Judicial Pick," The Washington Times, 5/13/05)

Reid: "Henry Saad Would Have Been Filibustered Anyway ... All You Need To Do Is Have A Member Go Upstairs And Look At His Confidential Report From The FBI, And I Think We Would All Agree That There Is A Problem There." (Charles Hurt, "Reid Cites FBI File On Judicial Pick," The Washington Times, 5/13/05)

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Revealed Name Of Undercover CIA Officer In Senate Hearing:

"John R. Bolton, President Bush's Nominee To Be Ambassador To The United Nations, Delicately Referred To The Undercover Officer As 'Mr. Smith' At His Confirmation Hearing On Monday."" (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Loose Lips Let Slip Agent's Name At Hearing," The New York Times, 4/13/05)

"Though Mr. Armstrong [Name Kerry Revealed] Had Been Identified In News Reports Two Years Ago About His Dispute With Other Officials Over Intelligence Involving Cuba, That Was When He Was The National Intelligence Officer For Latin America, And His Name Was No Secret. When The Bolton Nomination Resurrected The Old Accounts, However, The C.I.A. Asked News Organizations To Withhold His Name." (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Loose Lips Let Slip Agent's Name At Hearing," The New York Times, 4/13/05)

"[M]r. Kerry Mentioned [Armstrong] By Name While Questioning Mr. Bolton. The Hearings Were Televised, And Transcripts Were Widely Published." (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Loose Lips Let Slip Agent's Name At Hearing," The New York Times, 4/13/05)

. "'Did Otto Reich Share His Belief That Fulton Armstrong Should Be Removed For His Position?' Mr. Kerry Said During The Hearing On Monday, Reading From Committee Records Of Interviews Its Staff Had Conducted. 'The Answer Is Yes.'" (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Loose Lips Let Slip Agent's Name At Hearing," The New York Times, 4/13/05)

. "Mr. Bolton Was Not Ruffled. 'As I Said,' He Replied, Sticking To The Alias, 'I Had Lost Confidence In Mr. Smith, And I Conveyed That.'" (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Loose Lips Let Slip Agent's Name At Hearing," The New York Times, 4/13/05)

Sen. Patrick "Leaky" Leahy (D-VT) Forced To Resign Intelligence Committee Post Because Of Loose Lips:

Leahy Was Forced To Resign From The Senate Intelligence Committee After Leaking Information On The Iran-Contra Investigation. "Sen. Patrick Leahy's admission that he resigned from the Intelligence Committee this year for 'carelessly' exposing the panel's draft report on the Iran-Contra investigation comes at a time of increased political tension over the issue of leaks to the news media." (George Lobsenz, UPI, 7/29/87)

"Leahy Asserted His Only Goal Was To Prove That The Draft 'Was Being Held Up Because There Were Major Gaps And Other Problems With It, And Not Because Of A Desire To Embarrass The President.' He Said He Was 'Angry With Himself For Carelessly Allowing The Press Person To Examine The Unclassified Information.'" (George Lobsenz, UPI, 7/29/87)

"[Leahy] Leaked A Draft Report On The Iran-Contra Affair, Leading To His Resignation From The Intelligence Panel. Behavior Like This Earned For Him The Sobriquet, 'Leaky Leahy.'" (Jay Nordlinger, "The 'Nastiest' Democrat: Sen. Patrick Leahy, Republican Nightmare," National Review, 7/9/01)

Leahy Leaked Information He Received During A CIA Briefing On A Television Show. "The article [in Reader's Digest] said [Sen. Patrick] Leahy inadvertently revealed intelligence secrets obtained during a CIA briefing just two hours prior to the Senator's appearance on television." (UPI, 10/30/86)

"[W]ritten By Washington Political Columnists Rowland Evans And Robert Novak, Said Leahy's Mistake Tipped Off Governments Around The World About A CIA Tactic Of Intercepting Tele Phone [Sic] Calls To Obtain Intelligence Information." (UPI, 10/30/86)

· "In The Letter [To Reader's Digest], Leahy Said The Material He Discussed In The Show Had Already Been Disclosed By Administration Officials. The Letter Calls The Article 'A Well-Timed, Politically Motivated Libel By Two Writers Known To Have Close Ties To The Far Right.'" (UPI, 10/30/86)

"Also, In The '80's, Leahy Gained Some Notoriety As A Member Of The Intelligence Committee. He Was Charged With Revealing Classified Information During The Achille Lauro Terrorist Incident, Outraging Administration Officials." (Jay Nordlinger, "The 'Nastiest' Democrat: Sen. Patrick Leahy, Republican Nightmare," National Review, 7/9/01)

Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Intelligence Committee Member, Revealed Information On Classified Spy Program:

"Sen. Ron Wyden, During This Month's Debate On Intelligence Reform, Said A 'Major Acquisition Program' Was 'Too Expensive' And 'Unnecessary.'" (Jeff Kosseff, "Wyden Treads Slippery Slope In Intelligence Reform Debate," The Oregonian, 12/20/04)

"But In The Arcane World Of Intelligence Spending, Where Billions Are Doled Out With No Public Discussion, It Was The Equivalent Of Shouting Fire In A Crowded Theater. Wyden Is A Member Of The Senate Intelligence Committee, Which Typically Meets In Top-Secret, Closed Sessions." (Jeff Kosseff, "Wyden Treads Slippery Slope In Intelligence Reform Debate," The Oregonian, 12/20/04)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Ranking Member, Senate Intelligence Committee, Revealed Information On Classified Spy Program:

"Tucked Inside Congress' New Blueprint For U.S. Intelligence Spending Is A Highly Classified And Expensive Spy Program." (Katherine Pfleger Shrader, "Lawmaker Says Mystery Spy Project 'Dangerous To National Security'," The Associated Press, 12/9/04)

"In An Unusually Public Rebuke Of A Secret Government Project, Sen. Jay Rockefeller Of West Virginia, The Senior Democrat On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Complained Wednesday That The Program Was 'Totally Unjustified And Very, Very Wasteful And Dangerous To The National Security.' He Called The Program 'Stunningly Expensive.'" (Katherine Pfleger Shrader, "Lawmaker Says Mystery Spy Project 'Dangerous To National Security'," The Associated Press, 12/9/04)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) Alluded To Secret Spy Program In ABC Interview:

"Durbin, During An Interview Sunday With ABC's 'This Week,' Alluded To The Secret Dispute Within Congress. 'Eventually Some Information Will Come Out,' Durbin Told ABC. 'But It Does Point To The Weakness In The Whole Process. It Takes A Leak To Understand That Billions Of Taxpayers' Dollars Are Being Wasted That Could Be Spent To Make America Safer.'" (Ted Bridis, "Feds Urged To Probe Leaks On Spy Project Opposed By Levin," The Associated Press, 12/15/04)

Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger Stole And Destroyed Classified Documents From National Archives:

"Former National Security Advisor Samuel R. 'Sandy' Berger Admitted ... That He Had Stolen Classified Documents, Destroyed Some Of Them, Then Lied About What He Had Done. As A Seasoned Foreign Policy Manager Under President Clinton, Berger ... Had Also Been Entrusted With The Highest Security Clearance Granted By The Government." (Johanna Neuman, "Top Clinton Aide Admits He Pilfered Documents," Los Angeles Times, 4/2/05)

"[H]e Pleaded Guilty To A Misdemeanor And Acknowledged In Painstaking, Often Humiliating Detail How In 2003 He Had Secretly Removed Sensitive Documents Involving Anti-Terrorist Policy From The National Archives, And Afterward Sought To Mislead Investigators And The Public." (Johanna Neuman, "Top Clinton Aide Admits He Pilfered Documents," Los Angeles Times, 4/2/05)

· "In Addition To Removing The Five Documents And Lying About His Actions, Berger Acknowledged That He Destroyed Three Of Them With Scissors." (Johanna Neuman, "Top Clinton Aide Admits He Pilfered Documents," Los Angeles Times, 4/2/05)

Berger: "I Exercised Very Poor Judgment ... I Deeply Regret It. It Was Mistaken And It Was Wrong. ... I'm Pleased That This Matter Is Resolved, And I Look Forward To Moving On." (Johanna Neuman, "Top Clinton Aide Admits He Pilfered Documents," Los Angeles Times, 4/2/05)

"Prosecutors Are Recommending That Berger Be Fined $10,000 And Stripped Of His Security Clearance For Three Years." (Johanna Neuman, "Top Clinton Aide Admits He Pilfered Documents," Los Angeles Times, 4/2/05)

NBC's Andrea Mitchell: "Berger Has Stepped Down From The Kerry Campaign, But That Didn't Stop The Sniping. Democrats Claim The Story Was Leaked Just In Time To Distract From The 9/11 Report." John Podesta Clinton White House Chief Of Staff: "I Think That A Lot Of People Are Skeptical That This Wasn't Engineered By People Some Place In The Government." (NBC's "Nightly News," 7/21/04)

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Has Repeatedly Opposed Measures To Strengthen Anti-Leak Laws:

Schumer Voted Against "Adoption Of The Conference Report On The Bill To Make It A Felony To Publicly Expose The Identities Of U.S. Covert Intelligence Officers, Agents, Informants And Sources." (H.R. 4, CQ Vote #125: Adopted: 315-32: R 159-0; D 156-32; 6/3/82, Schumer Voted Nay)

"A New Federal Policy To Prosecute Federal Employees Who Leak Certain Kinds Of Information To The Press Not Only Could Inhibit Whistle-Blowing About Government Abuse, But Also Could Pose A Direct Threat To Reporters' Use Of Confidential Sources, Legislators And Free-Speech Attorneys Said Thursday." (Thomas B. Rosenstiel, "Rule May Curb Press's Use Of Secret Sources," Los Angles Times, 8/4/89)

· "The New Policy, Announced By The Justice Department On Wednesday, Reverses Department Guidelines Dating Back 11 Years That Were Designed To Protect Government Whistle-Blowers In The Wake Of The Watergate Scandal And Revelations Of CIA Misconduct." (Thomas B. Rosenstiel, "Rule May Curb Press's Use Of Secret Sources," Los Angles Times, 8/4/89)

"'I Am Worried That This Policy Is So Broad It Could Easily Be Abused,' Said [Then-] Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). 'Whistle-Blowers Could Be Prosecuted On Political Whim.'" (Thomas B. Rosenstiel, "Rule May Curb Press's Use Of Secret Sources," Los Angles Times, 8/4/89)

Florida Times-Union Editorial: "But The Democrats Want More. Much Of The Rhetoric Is Coming From Sen. Chuck Schumer, Who Has Sought To Decriminalize The Leaking Of Classified Data For Over A Decade. This Makes Him Come Off As Petty, And A Little Hypocritical." (Editorial, "Politics Much Ado," Florida Times-Union, 10/2/03)

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Voted Against Law Making It Crime To Disclose Covert Agents' Names:

Biden Was One Of Only Three Democrats To Vote Against The Intelligence Identities Protection Act. (H.R. 4, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 81-4: R 44-1; D 37-3; 6/10/82, Biden Voted Nay)

"By A Vote Of 81 To 4, The Senate Cleared The Intelligence Identities Protection Act, Which Makes A Crime Of Disclosing The Name Of Covert Agents." (Michael Wright, William C. Rhoden And Caroline Rand Herron, "Senate Approves Agent Protection," The New York Times, 6/13/82)

· "The 'No' Votes In The Senate Were Cast By Joseph R. Biden Jr. Of Delaware, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Of New York And Gary Hart Of Colorado, All Democrats, And Charles Mathias Jr. Of Maryland, A Republican." ("Bill To Penalize Uncovering Of Agents Passed By Senate," The New York Times, 6/11/82)

How could she be working "under cover" if she worked at Langley every day? It is illegal for the CIA to operate within the United States. That is the job of the FBI. The CIA works exclusively outside the country. That is their charter.

"Any breach of the code of confidentiality and cover weakens the overall fabric of intelligence, and, directly or indirectly, jeopardizes the work and safety of intelligence workers and their sources."

This constitutes a breach of the code of confidentiality and cover. These people are "former". Twits.

Former CIA agents tell RNC to shut up

Translation: "DNC asks supporters, former CIA agents to tell RNC to shut up" ;)

The fact is that there are thousands of U.S. intelligence officers who work at a desk in the Washington, D.C. area every day who are undercover
is it just me or does this not sound right.. if the CIA is not allowed to be involved in any domestic affairs, why would they need covert agents stationed inside the US?

I thought that one had to be overseas to be described as covert, esp. with this particular accusation. Am I wrong?

Maybe the CIA should have been a little more careful with their assignments. They hired Wilson at his wife's request who launched a PR campaign against Bush and joined the John Kerry election tour. They have some explaining to do.

Can you say CIA cover-up?... I knew you could. I think this letter demands a full and thorough investigation into the CIA and it's role into attempting to direct the outcome of the election.

It would be much better if they told Joe Wilson to shut up.

Yup...

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec03/leaks_09-30.html

To all those former CIA officers. The CIA was partly responsible for 9/11. The CIA is so political Valerie Plame was involved in a scam to embarrass the Commander in Chief by sending her political hack fraud husband to Niger. It was the CIA that told the President "it's a slam dunk" when asked about WMD. It's ok that Plame outed herself years earlier as did her own husband. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves.

You will notice that they are all formers...I wonder why.

"Formers." Maybe Clinton Administration people? Current duty people can't say squat, wouldn't it put them in danger?

I'll guarantee all of these people are friends of Plame.

This is a sham.

They are covering for her.

Wasn't Bush planning to dissolve the CIA in his second term? What ever became of that?

LARRY JOHNSON, right there! He has backed Wilson totally. OMG. Good find. I totally new I saw him somewhere. Wow. You gotta admit the letter on their part is strategic to say the least, this will be used by dems to further the story I guarantee it.

These "formers" are representative of the typical Democrat Liberal, they THINK they are important and we should listen to them. As far as I am concerned they are no different and have no more say or authority to send a letter to the RNC than I, along with 10 other citizens . Sure, they can send it but why do they think its so dam important. They are so caught up in themselves they can't believe they aren't important. Its not just these people, all the Liberals are like this. (whats the use, we get a steady stream of horse sh** from them and they just go from one dumb thing to another)

And aren't all these people perhaps "outing" themselves or those they worked with by putting their names to this document?

Whats the source?

What amazes me is they really think people are so stupid as take their word and not do any research ourselves. They keep digging the hole and I keep praying they fall in.

I work undercover with the CIA too but I am forced to keep my employment secret by reporting to Einstein's Bagels every morning at 7:00 a.m. wearing the fake nose and moustache then sneaking out the back door to a waiting limo which then takes me to the local CIA office.

Been doing this for years and the neighbors are none the wiser.......The folks at Einsteins are beginning to wonder tho...

It's funny, Plame's former boss at the CIA has been on national radio, saying the same thing. Plame was exposed by Aldrich Ames and the CIA's own carelessness. The statute states that the CIA must be making every effort to conceal the agent's identity and that certainly was not the case. I guess it's a good thing that these politicized agents were drummed out of the CIA.