The White House, the CIA, and the Wilsons

The Weekly Standard ^ | 10/24/05 | Stephen F. Hayes

[Paladin2]

Where's the discussion of whether or not Plame was covert at the time?

[muawiyah]

Still sounds like Wilson and others were involved in a conspiracy to harm the Vice President of the United States, and to commit espionage against them.

Now, is Fitzgerald smart, or is he a hack? We'll find out shortly.

[muawiyah]

Who says (besides the "newsies") that Plame's "covertness" was an issue? There definitely was some poor ol' spy over there in Niger who'd gone to great risk to copy some "forged documents" in the files of the yellow-cake company, and he was "outed" and likely killed!

If anyone's "covertness" was an issue it was his.

[JustDoItAlways]

Fitzgerald will, undoubtably, know all these facts.

It still comes down to who outed Plame's name and her role in the debacle?

If I was in the CIA and wanted to get rid of a rogue agent who's husband was actively campaigning against the President using false information in an election year, I'd out her too.

[Ben Hecks]

Bump for later.

[marktwain]

Where's the discussion of whether or not Plame was covert at the time?

Yes, I noticed that he did not talk about this important aspect as well. However, He appears to have done a good job of debunking Wilson.

[muawiyah]

Plame hadn't been overseas doing CIA work for many years. I don't see where the law applies to her.

[Sacajaweau]

Shucks, you noticed. If the reporter is reading this, he'd say: Damn Freepers, you'd think I was Dan Rather.

Interesting that we're into FORGERY again AND that Wilson blew his timeline in speaking about them.

Hey, where did nice Mr. Wilson go? Haven't seen him around.

[Waco]

meanwhile at club Fed, Ames tidies up is cell.

[frankjr]

This whole Rove/Libby leak thing seems like a side show compared to the bigger story. Unfortunately, I think the MSM and GJ is focused on the side show.

[daybreakcoming]

Where's the discussion of whether or not Plame was covert at the time?

That is the discussion I keep looking for. I've read that 5 years out of covert - the rule lifts. And according to time lines, it did not apply to her any longer.If this is so, why is this an issue? Or is Fitzgerald being pressured to bring down bigger fish than Libby?

And is the answer as to why Ari left contained in this op-ed?

[pinz-n-needlez]

Where's the discussion of whether or not Plame was covert at the time?

"Three days later, Robert Novak wrote a column in which he named Joseph Wilson's wife, "CIA operative" Valerie Plame. Novak sourced this information to "two senior administration officials." The CIA concluded that the reference had compromised Plame's undercover status and asked the Justice Department to investigate."

Apparently the CIA made the call that she was undercover in the fact that they called ofr a special prosecutor. Now was this request made by people out to get Rove? Or was this call made in order to bring out the whole backstory of Wilson's lies and Plame's shenanigans in setting up her husband to embarrass the administration (and start and impeachment process?).

If the latter, it might have been of the nature of, "Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that she was exposed as an undercover agent... If that's what she wants, that's what she'll get. Fitzpatrick has all of this information, and more besides. Somehow, I doubt that it's Rove or Libby who're going to be busted.

Pinz

[maica]

bookmarked

[maica]

It's possible that discussion of the minutiae of "covert status" is more than the CIA execs want to have spun out in world media. That discussion may have the unwanted result of outing true undercover agents and/or tradecraft and policy of the Agency.


They decided to give the facts to Fitzgerald, let him make a summary report, and to squash Wilson+Plame in the process.

[hershey]

It would be nice to see Fitz indict Wilson.

[Paladin2]

Good points, but if the CIA is not playing politics with this, why not just state yea or nay without going into the particulars.

[ex-snook]

Plame is a side show. The issue is Niger Yellowcake. It seems that if it was believed that Wilson was wrong in his report, another investigator would have been sent to refute. The fact that the messenger was attacked instead of the message is the story, perhaps a crime.

[gov_bean_ counter]

The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) was more dubious. INR thought it unlikely that the government of Niger would take the substantial risks involved in doing illicit business with a rogue regime. INR analysts also expressed doubt that the transaction could have taken place because the uranium mines in Niger are controlled by a French consortium, which would be reluctant to work with Saddam Hussein--an objection that seems naive with the benefit of hindsight.

This part bothers me. Naive or giving cover?

[norton]

"Wilson's wife, "CIA operative" Valerie Plame..."

a] By this time, SOMEONE should be able to cite the date Plame-Wilson was assigned to Langley.
Better yet, the date she returned from last overseas assignment & her title in that assignment would be a great clue as well.

b] It seems also that someone would be able to note when she and Wilson-the-ambassador began to date, not when they were married but when they became an item.
I very much doubt that her covert activities or status would have continued once she became closely associated with our official representative.
(Trust me on this, "they" know who you are cozy with and people can get pulled from overseas in a flash for a potentially embarrassing liaison.)

c] I'd also like to see some kind of an evaluation of Plame-wilson's contacts and relationships within CIA; just how many of the analysts involved in this thing knew her well enough to be complicit.