Anyone?
The name KARL ROVE is NOWHERE on it!
Posted on 08/01/2005 1:48:56 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
A statement attributed to the former CIA spokesman indicating that I deliberately disregarded what he told me in writing my 2003 column about Joseph Wilson's wife is just plain wrong.
Though frustrated, I have followed the advice of my attorneys and written almost nothing about the CIA leak over two years because of a criminal investigation by a federal special prosecutor. The lawyers also urged me not to write this. But the allegation against me is so patently incorrect and so abuses my integrity as a journalist that I feel constrained to reply.
In the course of a front-page story in last Wednesday's Washington Post, Walter Pincus and Jim VandeHei quoted ex-CIA spokesman Bill Harlow describing his testimony to the grand jury. In response to my question about Valerie Plame Wilson's role in former Ambassador Wilson's trip to Niger, Harlow told me she "had not authorized the mission." Harlow was quoted as later saying to me "the story Novak had related to him was wrong."
This gave the impression I ignored an official's statement that I had the facts wrong but wrote it anyway for the sake of publishing the story. That would be inexcusable for any journalist and particularly a veteran of 48 years in Washington. The truth is otherwise, and that is why I feel compelled to write this column.
My column of July 14, 2003, asked why the CIA in 2002 sent Wilson, a critic of President Bush, to Niger to investigate an Italian intelligence report of attempted Iraqi uranium purchases. All the subsequent furor was caused by three sentences in the sixth paragraph:
"Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction. Two senior administration officials told me that Wilson's wife suggested sending him to Niger to investigate the Italian report. The CIA (Harlow) says its counter-proliferation officials selected Wilson and asked his wife to contact him."
There never was any question of me talking about Mrs. Wilson "authorizing." I was told she "suggested" the mission, and that is what I asked Harlow. His denial was contradicted in July 2004 by a unanimous Senate Intelligence Committee report. The report said Wilson's wife "suggested his name for the trip." It cited an internal CIA memo from her saying "my husband has good relations" with officials in Niger and "lots of French contacts," adding they "could possibly shed light on this sort of activity." A State Department analyst told the committee that Mrs. Wilson "had the idea" of sending Wilson to Africa.
So, what was "wrong" with my column as Harlow claimed? There was nothing incorrect. He told the Post reporters he had "warned" me that if I "did write about it, her name should not be revealed." That is meaningless. Once it was determined that Wilson's wife suggested the mission, she could be identified as "Valerie Plame" by reading her husband's entry in "Who's Who in America."
Harlow said to the Post that he did not tell me Mrs. Wilson "was undercover because that was classified." What he did say was, as I reported in a previous column, "she probably never again would be given a foreign assignment but that exposure of her name might cause 'difficulties.' " According to CIA sources, she was brought home from foreign assignments in 1997, when Agency officials feared she had been "outed" by the traitor Aldrich Ames.
I have previously said that I never would have written those sentences if Harlow, then-CIA Director George Tenet or anybody else from the Agency had told me that Valerie Plame Wilson's disclosure would endanger herself or anybody.
The recent first disclosure of secret grand jury testimony set off a news media feeding frenzy centered on this obscure case. Joseph Wilson was discarded a year ago by the Kerry presidential campaign after the Senate committee reported much of what he said "had no basis in fact."
The re-emerged Wilson is now accusing the senators of "smearing" him. I eagerly await the end of this investigation when I may be able to correct other misinformation about me and the case.
Novak is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington.
He is also confirming that he not only talked to Harlow, but to Tenent as well. At least that is the way I read it. I didn't realize he had mentioned Tenent before in any of his writings about this subject.
CPJ Delegation, Including Brokaw, Visits Judith Miller ***NEW YORK A delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has met with jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller in the Alexandria Detention Center. "At the end of our 30-minute conversation," said former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, "it was emphatically clear that she is absolutely convinced that she made the right decision and is prepared to stay the course."
Paul Steiger, CPJ chairman and Wall Street Journal managing editor, headed the delegation, which included Brokaw and CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. The group talked with Miller for a half hour though a clear plastic partition. She said she has been able to go outside just twice in three weeks.
"There's no good purpose in keeping this dedicated, honorable, committed professional in jail," Steiger said after the visit.
Miller wore a dark green prison uniform with "PRISONER" written in capital letters on the back. While she praised the professionalism of the detention center staff, she said the crowded facility is subjected to random lockdowns for security reasons................***
I noticed!!!!
Love the graphic!
Love the post. Thank you.
Hilarious. Poor Ms. Miller, attired in green with the word, 'PRISONER' written in capital letters on the back, having to speak to visitors (Committee to Protect Journalists),through a clear partition, allowed outside only twice in three weeks... Oh, the humanity! I guess they won't be asking Novak to join the CPJ anytime soon!
A dollar says she'll get out claiming she's some sick media martyr for something.
Isn't she in the clink for CONTEMPT?
She's in prison because she chooses to be there.
No doubt working on her book.
I sure hope this ends the way it should.
With Joseph Wilson (among others) in prison.
The image of Novak eating popcorn while the Left trails down dead-ends is priceless!
Is he back today??? I don't care what anyone says, life is not the same without El Rushbo. I like Levin and Hewitt too, but I hardly ever get to hear them.
Reading this, I get the sense there is mostly likely every good purpose in keeping her locked up.
Excellent!
Yes, I believe so too. This Plame story is a big attempt to divert attention from elsewhere and Oil For Fraud wouldn't surprise me one bit.
Gee, we haven't heard much about Oil for Food lately have we, what a surprise....../sarc
The media, talking heads and others have been basically painting Novak as being somewhat dishonorable in his handling of reporting in this matter .. while poor poor Judy Miller is sitting in jail and poor poor Valarie is being smeared .. according to Wilson and the liberals, that is
If I was to guess .. Novak is sending a warning shot across the bow to those of concern that he knows the scoop ... and he ain't liking what is being said about him.
LOL
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