Novak: The abuse of my integrity provokes this response

Houston Chronicle ^ | July 31, 2005 | Robert Novak

[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.

[GOPJ]

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.

How do Kerry and Berger fit into this?

[GOPJ]

When Fitzgerald is finished, I'm hoping Wilson, Larry Johnson and some State and CIA traitors get what's coming to them.

And the MSM -- for covering.

[pageonetoo]

BTW, my drug of choice these days is ibuprophen! I walk on a mountain ridge nearby, most every day, with Spot, my year old dalmation. Where I will walk five-seven miles, most days, he will run twenty, or more. But my few are tough on my 58 yr old frame. I just try to keep the machinery oiled and working! It helps to justify the steak and baked potatoes, with loads of sour cream and slabs of butter, washed down with a shiraz, cabernet, or merlot!

I took some friends to dinner last year at a place in VA. It's a five staar, and has prices accordingly. By the time we walked out, the bill for the five of us would have fed a small african country for several years. (We ate from a fixed price menu, and had three bottles of wine, and three glasses of good cognac. The bill came into four figures, rather much!) It was good, but it was a one of a kind thing for me. It's one of the things I can afford to walk away from. I'm a good cook, married to a good cook, and yet we like to eat out!!! That's an addiction I can live with! I'll just stay away from those places, and spend the difference on travel!

[GOPJ]

pageonetoo, your comment shows a natural contempt for conservatives. If you think conservatives are so stupid, why don't you check out the winning party of great intellectuals? Those total winners -- the dems. They never say "gum't". They're sooooo sophisticated. So much better than the great unwashed who are loyal to Rush. (sarcasm off)

Why not spend some time working to elect a gum't that truly is conservative,

[My2Cents]

I wonder how many msm outlets will give this an airing.

I can count them on less than one finger.

[mercy]

This whole deal was a CIA setup. I guess we should be glad that they have at least 'matured' in these years. They no longer assasinate Presidents they don't like as they did JFK. They just mobilize large sections of their manpower to smear them.

[kesg]

Reading between the lines, Hadley or another CIA source told Novak about "Wilson's wife." He learned her name either from the same sources or by using Google or similar Internet search engine. In any event, Hadley probably asked Novak not to identify Plame by name, but Novak understood that this request was meaningless because of Google.

So, what does Judith Miller know that we don't already know from other sources?

[1Old Pro]

What's incredible is how the liberal media is playing this. I've forgotten the exact words but when discussing this are basically re-re-denigrating Novak.

[Lazamataz]

Argh.

You just waved a steak in front of a starving man.

I've cut my calories by anywhere from 700-1300 a day to lose weight. ;^)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.....How do Kerry and Berger fit into this?

Berger was national security adviser for Kerry's presidential campaign. It was rumored Berger would be asked to be Secretary of Defense in a Kerry Administration. Berger was dropped like a hot potato when he was caught stealing and destroying papers from the National Archives, where he was researching his own activities during the Clinton Administration in preparation for a Congressional investigation into their response to the threat of terrorism.

Why do you ask? Am I not seeing something?

[FreeAtlanta]

yes. Art of UN Apologist

[Ditto]

What were 'agents' of the US government, elected, appointed or civil servants doing protecting Saddam/France/UN in the first place?

Hmmmmm? $$$$$$$

[pageonetoo]

I've cut my calories by anywhere from 700-1300 a day to lose weight. ;^)

Ouch! Sorry, I'll try to make amends...

Of course, it's better with...

Blue cheese dressing!

[prairiebreeze]

Oh gaaack. In the opening scene that I stumbled on, Donald Sutherland was riding around in a limo telling some woman that if things could just go right with (whatever the plot line was) "the UN could turn into a real world power". The woman just nodded in agreement with a dreamy, wistful look on her face.

Total crap, and I immediately applied my remote control.

spit, spit!!

[Lazamataz]

You are evil, you are.

[leadpenny]

"My style? Think Dennis Miller."

Why doesn't that surprise me?*





*That's a compliment to, at least, Dennis.

[leadpenny]

Near Sperryville?

[bray]

All the roads seem to lead right at Mr & Mrs Wilson. They are being investigated for perjury.

Pray for W and Our Amazing Troops

[pageonetoo]

Indeed...

Don't skip the animation!

[leadpenny]

Thanks. Been by there many times as the boys and I hiked Old Rag and other trails around Washington and Sperryville. Never been in the Inn though. Now I'm really hungry.