[popdonnelly]

"The whole question of Plame's participation is a disgusting red herring."

The same report indicates that Plame sent out a memo suggesting her husband for the trip.

I find it particularly amusing that the CIA says it had no other options but to send Wilson. They really need to work on their Africa desk.

[Steve_Seattle]

"I find it particularly amusing that the CIA says it had no other options but to send Wilson."

Did they really say that? If that is true, then the CIA is in sad, sad shape. More likely, they are saying that as CYA, to cover the fact that Wilson was a lousy choice, that the CIA did not take even minimal steps to guarantee his mission's secrecy, that as a result Plam'e cover was blown, and that Wilson's trip did not qualify as a serious, professional investigation, but was in fact a half-assed proposition from the get-go. So this interpretation ALSO leads to the conclusion that the CIA is in sad shape.

[liberallarry]

I find it particularly amusing that the CIA says it had no other options but to send Wilson. They really need to work on their Africa desk.

The CIA had reports from the Ambassador to Niger (the woman with the hyphenated name) and General Carlton Fulford, who they sent for the same reason they sent Wilson. They probably had reports from spies and covert contacts as well.

The Senate report is no great shakes for accuracy, consistancy, and clarity.