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.
Great column. Thanks for posting it.
< It has been years since he had anything original to add or scooped the media or even Drudge. >
Since when was Rush supposed to provide us with "scoops"? His advertisement is to chew up the current news and spit it out so we can digest it better. I dearly love Laura Ingraham's show and I just plain love Tony Snow (aka Stud Muffin), but Rush is still the one to beat.
With the introduction of Aldrich Ames into the mix this case takes on a double agent, counter spying, "Jack Higgins" sort of flavor. With Aldrich Ames comes, perhaps, another facet of this investigation.
Aldrich Ames ~ CIA Traitor, The Story
It is interesting to note that what brought Ames down was the extravagant life style he and his wife had and, from all I've seen, Wilson and his wife's life style seem right up there with Ames.
(as a sort of side bar, for an additional bit of "hmmmmmm...very interesting", there is the EDWARD LEE HOWARD spy case: Congressional Record, EDWARD LEE HOWARD EDWARD LEE HOWARD (Senate - November 27, 1991)
It is also interesting to note that on 10/29/03 Wilson participated in an on-line chat discussion and made the following remark regarding Novak:
from www.restorehonesty.com We Will Beat Bush - Archives Transcript of Chat with Ambassador Joe Wilson
riverrat (Oct 29, 2003 11:17:37 AM)*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:07 AM)
The leak about your wife was a clear violation of a specific law about exposing the identity of CIA agents. But most leaks don't violate this particular law, although they often involve the release of other kinds of classified information that is illegal under other statutes. Can we really expect to have a government that doesn't leak? Don't people in the executive branch often use classification to hide policies from the public they think would be unpopular?
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:17:50 AM)*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:07 AM)
That does indeed occur.
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:17:57 AM)*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:07 AM)
But there are legitimate reasons to classify information.
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:18:16 AM)*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:07 AM)
The problem in my case was that what was leaked was the name of a national security asset, my wife, which is unprecedented
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:18:40 AM)*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:07 AM)
not for the purpose of protecting a policy, but for the purpose of protecting a person with a specific political agenda at the expense of the national security of our country
Knight_of_the_Star (Oct 29, 2003 11:18:57 AM)
Ambassador Wilson, what was your initial reaction when you found out that your wife's identity as a CIA operative was leaked to the press?
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:07 AM)
My initial reaction was unprintable
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:11 AM)
but it starts with an F
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:18 AM)
But then I asked myself 2 questions:
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:26 AM)
-what did my wife's name add to the article
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:29 AM)
nothing
*** Joe Wilson (Oct 29, 2003 11:19:48 AM) -and what part of no didn't Bob Novak understand when the CIA told him not to use it
I think there is more to this investigation than meets the eye ~ but that isn't something we will really know until it's over. In the meantime, for what it's worth, this angle might add a bit of intrigue to a story that has been run into the ground and made tedious beyond belief by the MSM.
Bravo!
Your integrity has already been determined Beltway Bob. It's your sanity I question.
Maybe he just woke up more than usually disgusted with sycophancy.
If you've ever had back pain so severe that you're lying on the floor doubled up and screaming, you'd be glad to get pain medication that would let you walk and be able to sleep.
I have and I don't begrudge anyone in severe pain relief from that pain.
It's easy to imagine the reaction of liberals who see it.
Love your tagline. (And glad to see that I'm not on your list.) ;)
No, actually, I got up around 5, and drove over to the west side of Sleepy Creek WMA*, where Spot and I spent an hour and a half, on the newly cleared NW trail. I walk, He runs.
I then came home, showered, and spent some time reading drivel...
I guess Rush is your guy. He WAS one of mine. I still like him, but won't usually waste my time on his show, any more. I don't LEARN anything, and I much prefer music for entertainment...
* Sleepy Creek WMA (22,928 acres) Berkeley and Morgan counties. Located approximately six miles southeast of Berkeley Springs and eleven miles west of Martinsburg, travelers may use state Routes 8/2 (Highland Ridge) and 13/5 (Greenwood Road) in Morgan County or state Route 7/9 (Jones Springs and Shanghai) in Berkeley County. Oak-hickory forest covers 3,500 acres while Virginia pine-oak forest blankets the majority of the area. Sleepy Creek is primarily managed for deer, turkey, grouse, squirrel and raccoon, with wild turkey the featured game species. Sleepy Creek Lake, 205 acres, contains an already good but still developing sport fishery for largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie. Boat launching facilities are situated at the dam spillway and near the midpoint of the lake. The area also has a rifle range. Seventy-five camping sites are available and trailers over 17 feet are not recommended due to the graveled roads. Water and vault toilets are available and a nominal camping fee is charged. Owned by WVDNR.
Joe said, in an interview, that Valerie wanted him to stay home to help with the twins. He said it was illogical that she would have suggested he go to Niger for 8 days.
Makes you wonder how she could take care of them, alone, when he was on tours for his book and for Kerry's campaign.
"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.
"...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."
"...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."
Is this the first time that Novak has ID'ed Harlow as one of his apparently 3 sources on the original column?
It looks to me like Harlow himself at CIA confirmed to Novak that Wilson's wife was at the CIA, which is the whole point about the so-called illegal leak. So is Harlow in trouble?
So you get your meds from your maid?
I am pointing to his ILLEGAL use of drugs, not justifying why he needed them
BTW, would that some person screaming on the floor get up and play a round or two of golf?
The image is too tarnished, thank you... He is a drug ABUSER, and the folks supporting him want to ignore that fact, while decrying the eeeeevil pot smoking guys...
I am not sure, but I think that is labeled hypocracy!
And also the people at the CIA ( and those that are retired and a part of the problem) that have been undermining the WOT and Pres. Bush. Its time to clean the CIA out and start fresh. What can we lose, they have not been very effective in what it is they do.
I hope we are off to a good start with the appointment of a new director.
_________________________________________________________________
“………… 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...........”
________________________
I read that as, Novak talked to a lot of people and no one feared using Ms. Plame in the story would bring harm to her.
Why don't you go start your own thread?
You are so correct, this all starts with Clinton, the people at the CIA (or any other part of the government),that had any connection to Clinton should be out. Clinton had no standards and it shows in his choices.
It's Monday, Laz. This is pageonetoo's pro-statist anti-drug day. Tuesday is when he turns into a "how dare the police arrest someone for leaving their kid in a hot car" anti-statist. By Wednesday, he will be back to "why take pain medication at all when Jesus will cure you?"
Not sure about Thursday yet.
"I am not sure, but I think that is labeled hypocracy!"
I am not sure, but I think that this is misspelling.
hy·poc·ri·sy
We don't need to fight that battle again, but please don't mischaracterize the objection to Rush, as that statement does. Many object to his stance on the WOD versus his personal life. You may disagree. Those opinions are formed so, as I said, there's no use debating it further. But the implications of your statement can't be disregarded. At least give opponents the courtesy of their own arguments.
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