Posted on 07/23/2005 8:53:56 AM PDT by YaYa123
WASHINGTON - Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed Friday that two years ago he discussed the blown cover of CIA operative Valerie Plame with then CIA director George Tenet and that Tenet "was furious." Tenet promptly called the Justice Department to demand an investigation into who in the Bush administration leaked Plame's identity to columnist Robert Novak, Schumer said at a hearing held by House and Senate Democrats.
Novak revealed Plame's identity in July 2003 in a column in which he said she played a key role in having her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, sent to Niger to investigate reports that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had tried to buy materials for a nuclear weapon there.
The Democratic panel heard from five former CIA operatives who said the disclosure of Plame's classified identity was a breach of the law that forbids government officials from revealing the identity of an undercover intelligence officer and a violation of trust that has harmed America's intelligence-gathering capabilities.
(Excerpt) Read more at buffalonews.com ...
As far as I can tell, your analysis in #89 is spot on.
What is alarming me is that these people were in the CIA.
Oh, lala land. Larry Johnson says that he did not learn anything about Valerie from her. Says she was very careful not to reveal herself. I guess the third date revelation to Joe Wilson was just out of character.
He didn't quite say that. He noted this fact, but didn't say that's how he learned her name.
But having re-read that article again, it convinces me even more that the original source was Tenet. Here is what Novak said about his conversation with the original source:
"He said Wilson had been sent by the CIA's counterproliferation section at the suggestion of one of its employees, his wife. It was an offhand revelation from this official, who is no partisan gunslinger."
This hardly sounds like Karl Rove or Lewis Libby. But it fits Tenet perfectly. And what other "senior administration official" would know this kind of CIA-specific information, other than Tenet or a top deputy at the CIA?
He failed this country badly and has NO credibility at all.
Tenet's deputy ws John McLaughlin, I think .....who angled for the job and didn't get it and quit, thank God.
"A footnote: In July when he revealed himself as author of a report commissioned by the CIA, Wilson sought a book agent. After being turned down by a prominent agent, he has now found one."
This is also telling in a couple of ways. Both the timing, and the fact he couldn't get a top drawer book agent.
His book was eventually published (with no bidding war) by a fairly unknown publisher who usually publishes travel books and porn. They are situated in Berkeley.
David Corn's article in The Nation was the first one that claimed that Plame was a covert agent. And the source for that article was almost certainly Joe Wilson. It appeared two days after Novak's article.
When did Wilson sign off on a nondisclosure agreement with the CIA? Did he sign one? Did he sign any kind of secrecy agreement? Was he released from that agreement? I can't imagine the CIA hiring an 'investigator' or using a source and allow him to shoot his mouth off when he gets back from his supposed CIA assignment.
What was the paper trail in the CIA? Who signed his travel vouchers? Did he get paid? Did he blend his assignment in with a business trip - and then write off all expenses as business expenses? (Hellooooo IRS!) Who OK'd his expenses? Why didn't the CIA require a written report from Wilson upon his return?
Does the CIA usually debrief a 'source' in his home in the presence of his wife? Does this set the stage for 'plausible deniability' since there is no paper trail? Maybe all he said was that he had sweet tea with some dignitaries, was in the men's room when yellowcake was discussed, and flew home. Without a written report or even contemporaneous notes from his trip - NO ONE KNOWS specifically what he said in his CIA debriefing - and he can say whatever he wants about it now.
What is the relationship, if any, between the Wilsons, the Coopers, - including the lovely Mandy - Judith Miller and the Kerry campaign?
In any case, the term "Democrat Operative" MUST be attached to the Wilsons whenever they are referenced. All of this was to help the Kerry campaign and defeat GWB.
Then it was Tenet.
True ........ steaming!
Clarke's (Hey, I good a book To Sell) timing was pretty good, too.
And Wilson wrote a piece for Corn's The Nation, back in Marcyh 2003. Where he railed against the "new imperialism" of the "neocons" (Jews).
Tenet & Wilson...The Kerry Campaign was a reward.
As far as I can see, Joe Wilson blabbed to even strangers that his wife worked at the CIA. And even Andrea Mitchell when asked if it was common knowledge that Valerie worked there answered "Yes".
Actually there is no quote to verify, just the charaterization from Schumer, at least in the excerp. I ams sure Schumer was not there, so this article is purely based on third person heresay.
Some very good news that the Republicans had BETTER use everytime the Rats mention Rove.
The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into whether Democratic Senators Dick Durbin, Jay Rockefeller and Ron Wyden leaked details about a secret "black ops" CIA satellite program last December in a move that may have seriously compromised national security, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin said on Saturday.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1449050/posts
He went to Berkley, didn't he?
I hate to admit, but I thought I knew every element of this story. But this is news to me. I'm looking for the original Novak article, but I cannot find it. But I am finding plenty about that article.
No, Wilson went to UC Santa Barbara. He still brags about his lifelong membership in the surf club out there. Funny thing is, it means surfing in runoff from a nuclear plant.
Maybe that explains Wilson.
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