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Three years of the Condor [Questions The CIA Needs To Answer!!]
Powerline ^ | Nov. 8, 2005 | Scott Johnson

Posted on 11/08/2005 6:21:38 AM PST by conservativecorner

Last week before the dam began to break on the subject of the CIA war on the Bush administration, I contacted the CIA public information officer who fields media questions regarding Wilson. I asked him why the Agency hadn't required Wilson to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding his trip to Niger. He hesitated for a few seconds, then responded: "I don't know." At his suggestion, I followed up with my questions by e-mail:

(1) Why wasn't Wilson's February 2002 trip to Niger made subject to a confidentiality agreement?

(2) Did the Agency contemplate that Wilson would publicly discuss the trip at will upon his return?

(3) Did the agency anticipate that if he did so, it would attract attention to the employment of his wife by the agency?

(4) Why did the Agency select Wilson for the mission to Niger to check out such an important and sensitive matter given his lack of experience in intelligence or investigation?

(5) Was the Agency aware when it selected him for the mission of his hostility to the Bush administration?

The CIA officer responded: Given the ongoing legal process, I don't have anything for you in response to your questions about Ambassador Wilson. Joe Wilson was not the only CIA-related political opponent of the Bush administration who emerged during the run-up to the 2004 election. In July 2004, the same month that the Times published Wilson's notorious op-ed column, CIA analyst Michael Scheuer published his strange book Imperial Hubris.

In the epilogue to the paperback edition, Scheuer stated that he "was never told why the CIA permitted publication." Following publication of the book, the CIA permitted Scheuer "anonymously" to criticize the Bush administration's conduct of the war on terror in media interviews until his criticisms extended beyond the administration to the intelligence community. (Scheuer left the Agency last November -- the week after the election.) I also asked the CIA the following questions regarding Scheuer:

(1) Has the Agency ever before in its history authorized the publication of a book by a current Agency employee attacking the incumbent administration?

(2) Was Scheuer's employment status classified at any time between 1999 and the time he resigned from the Agency? If so, over what period?

(3) Can you cite any previous instances in the history of the Agency of currently employed Agency analysts attacking the incumbent administration?

The Agency's response to these questions was a bit more forthcoming: [A]ll CIA employees have prepublication obligations. Beyond the obvious prohibition on releasing classified information, the outside writings and speeches of serving officers must not affect either their ability to do their jobs or the agency's ability to accomplish its mission. Because CIA is not a policy organization, its regulations discourage current employees from speaking or writing publicly on policy issues.

In light of that common-sense guidance, the chances are extremely remote -- to put it mildly -- that a presently serving officer would be allowed to write a book today injecting him or herself into a national policy debate. That is how things stand now.

Which leaves the open question: How did things stand last year? The Daily Standard has posted my column on the subject of the CIA's apparent efforts to undermine the Bush administration: "Three Years of the Condor."

Jed Babbin provides a take similar to my own in a column for the Spectator: "The CIA disinformation campaign." Babbin's column points to additional anomalies in Wilson's 2002 trip to Niger, but Babbin erroneously asserts that the 2002 trip was Wilson's first such trip. Babbin overlooks the Senate Intelligence Committee Report's brief reference to Wilson's having performed a previous mission to Niger on behalf of the CIA in 1999. At the American Thinker, Clarice Feldman picks up the thread: "Joe Wilson's earlier mission to Niger." The American Thinker also posts an intriguing column by James Lewis speculating on the possible French role in the affair as well: "The French connection."

The Senate Intelligence Committee Report on prewar intelligence is the key document on Wilson's trip. If only the Senate Intelligence Committee had classified the Report and leaked it to the Times, it might have had an impact on the mainstream media story line on the Wilson affair. As it is, the fact that the Report demonstrated Wilson's thoroughgoing mendacity essentially remains confidential insofar as mainstream media reporting is concerned.

One of these days some big-time journalist is bound to take a look at the story underlying Joe Wilson's phony baloney assertions of wrongdoing against the Bush administration and dig out the evidence of the CIA's scandalous efforts to undermine it. Right?


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cialeak
Additional links embedded in article.
1 posted on 11/08/2005 6:21:38 AM PST by conservativecorner
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To: conservativecorner; SittinYonder

Good post, interesting reading. I can only hope they'll answer the questions, but I think I know the answer to that.


2 posted on 11/08/2005 6:24:21 AM PST by eyespysomething (still no tag line, sigh)
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To: conservativecorner

You might also consider contacting the CIA/IG at OIGINV@UCIA.GOV. I presented a list of similar questions to them. Part of the Inspector General charter is to root out frau, waste and abuse. I can think of no finer example!


3 posted on 11/08/2005 6:25:27 AM PST by Hillary'sMoralVoid (hey cannot co)
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To: conservativecorner

What were the specific instructions given to Fitz? The info on his web site is quite general and certainly wouldn't get in the way of investigating Wilson, CIA folks (say Val for starters) and much more of the MSM. Since Fitz and his supporters claim that he is such an upstanding, neutral bulldog, why did Fitz so limit his investigation? How many times did Fitz have contact with ANY CIA employee? Why did Fitz take TWO years to come up with esentially nothing? Answer no real questions?


4 posted on 11/08/2005 6:27:26 AM PST by Paladin2 (If the political indictment's from Fitz, the jury always acquits.)
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To: conservativecorner
This is why newspaper readership is down - bloggers are asking the right questions, and MSM stenographers aren't.

(1) Why wasn't Wilson's February 2002 trip to Niger made subject to a confidentiality agreement?

(2) Did the Agency contemplate that Wilson would publicly discuss the trip at will upon his return?

(3) Did the agency anticipate that if he did so, it would attract attention to the employment of his wife by the agency?

(4) Why did the Agency select Wilson for the mission to Niger to check out such an important and sensitive matter given his lack of experience in intelligence or investigation?

(5) Was the Agency aware when it selected him for the mission of his hostility to the Bush administration?

5 posted on 11/08/2005 6:28:32 AM PST by GOPJ
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To: conservativecorner

I find it very troubling that virtually all the msm has negligently failed to ask any of the questions posted above. If the roles were reversed, and a Democrat president and his foreign policy were being undermined, the entire media focus would have been on the CIA, Wilson and his wife, and how they all treasonously attempted to undermine the president.


6 posted on 11/08/2005 6:29:19 AM PST by Cruz
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To: conservativecorner

All the facts on Bush's trumped-up impeachment & Able Danger will be revealed after your children pass away.


7 posted on 11/08/2005 6:32:42 AM PST by johnny7 (“What now? Let me tell you what now.”)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: conservativecorner

I anticipate some of these questions being
strenuously ASKED (if not answered) during
the Scooter Libby trial. As his lawyer said,
"We DON'T want to try this case in the media.
It will be interesting to see just how he
avoids that, especially since he has already
annnounced his intention to "recall several
of the MSM personnel who testified before Fitz's
Grand Jury!


9 posted on 11/08/2005 6:50:02 AM PST by Grendel9 (uick)
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To: Paladin2

I suspect Fitzgerald limited his investigation to the immediate leak-related matters because he didn't want to live the job of special counsel for the rest of his life. You see how long it took to investigate this small aspect of things (albeit - the press participation had to be compelled via taking the matter all the way to the SCOTUS + Judith Miller's 85 days). The question I have is with regard to what triggers there are for the AG to appoint another special counsel - to pursue the many aspects of the CIA's (institutionally and individually) back-stabbing of the administration. In the case of the Plame matter - all it took was a letter from the CIA to AG Ashcroft. What is necessary to start the ever so slowly rolling ball on the CIA?


10 posted on 11/08/2005 7:05:26 AM PST by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: johnny7
All the facts on Bush's trumped-up impeachment & Able Danger will be revealed after your children pass away

Well, we are living in "Internet time", so by my crude calculations, that should be next Tuesday.

This article shows that if the MSM would ask even HALF of these questions, the answers about Wilson and his lies would be answered by "next Tuesday" (i.e., in the near future).

Maybe then, they could start asking questions about Able Danger and how the malfeasance of the Klintoon administration and its lawyer mentality cause the loss of 3,000 American lives.

Yes, I know, I won't hold my breath, but it would be nice to see the technology we have today, spread the truth earlier than 80 years from now.

11 posted on 11/08/2005 7:23:56 AM PST by mattdono ("Crush the RATs and RINOs, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of the scumbags" - Arnie)
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To: GOPJ
Not only are the MSM not asking the right questions, they are still actively promoting Wilson and trashing his critics. Just this week, the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a nearly unbelievable column laughing at the notion that Wilson might have been using his wife at the CIA to go on business trips to Niger - which, of course, would make her employment status a major part of the story and thus fair game for reporting. "Who volunteers to go to Niger?" he sneered. Clearly the man had never even read the Senate Intelligence Committe report, which included Mrs. Wilson's own emails suggesting her husband for the trips because he had "an upcomimng business trip" (in 1999) and had business contacts in Niger (in 2002). Or if he had read it, he willfully disregarded it in a vain effort to brainwash his readers into believing that Wilson is a heroic truth-teller and anyone who discussed his wife's employment is a criminal.
12 posted on 11/08/2005 7:25:12 AM PST by Dems_R_Losers (The Kerry/Lehane/Wilson/Grunwald/Cooper plot to destroy Karl Rove has failed!!)
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To: Dems_R_Losers
And still, the MSM wonders why they're numbers are dropping...

the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a nearly unbelievable column laughing at the notion that Wilson might have been using his wife at the CIA to go on business trips to Niger - which, of course, would make her employment status a major part of the story and thus fair game for reporting. "Who volunteers to go to Niger?" he sneered. Clearly the man had never even read the Senate Intelligence Committee report, which included Mrs. Wilson's own emails suggesting her husband for the trips because he had "an upcoming business trip" (in 1999) and had business contacts in Niger (in 2002). Or if he had read it, he willfully disregarded it in a vain effort to brainwash his readers into believing that Wilson is a heroic truth-teller and anyone who discussed his wife's employment is a criminal.

13 posted on 11/08/2005 7:37:32 AM PST by GOPJ (The French should ask immigrants "Do you want to be Frenchmen?"- Not "Will you work cheap?")
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To: mattdono
What is said on the Internet never amounts to squat.

Rather/Mapes forged documents to turn an election... and walked. Sandy Berger stole archived documents... and walked. Clinton sold technology & received campaign donations from the Peoples Republic of China... and is still the titular head of the DNC.

ALL this info was divulged on the Internet... and it all amounted to jack! When the game is this rigged... it's time to kick-over the table.

14 posted on 11/08/2005 7:39:02 AM PST by johnny7 (“What now? Let me tell you what now.”)
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To: GOPJ

Excellent point! What is so frustrating is that the so-called educated journalists on CNN, etc don't ask questions that are so obvious. Just as obvious is the fact that they just don't WANT to know the answers.


15 posted on 11/08/2005 7:58:54 AM PST by t2buckeye
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To: GOPJ

I have not taken the Inquirer for 15 years. Whenever they call for a "free" trial subscription, I tell them that when they get their editorials off their front "news" page and start reporting the news rather than their opinions, I would reconsider.


16 posted on 11/08/2005 8:02:31 AM PST by t2buckeye
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To: t2buckeye
What is so frustrating is that the so-called educated journalists on CNN, etc don't ask questions that are so obvious. Just as obvious is the fact that they just don't WANT to know the answers.

You're right. But another problem is "reporters" have spend so many years being stenographers for the democrats that they don't know how to ask a question beyond "gotcha". And still, they wonder why their numbers are dropping...

17 posted on 11/08/2005 8:05:15 AM PST by GOPJ (The French should ask immigrants "Do you want to be Frenchmen?"- Not "Will you work cheap?")
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To: Dems_R_Losers

The reason Wilson went on those trips to Niger were on to gain success for his company, which is reportedly the one that brokered the deals for yellowcake between Niger and Saddam.

When will this little 'truth' come out?


18 posted on 11/08/2005 8:09:28 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (I jez calls it az I see it.)
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To: conservativecorner
More questions:

* Did Joe Wilson see forged documents (French/Italian) before US intelligence or the Administration saw them?

* Did Joe Wilson assist in creating false or misleading documents as part of his conspiracy to discredit the President?

* Does Joe Wilson understand that more than one country in Africa mines yellow-cake uranium?

* Why isn't Joe Wilson being charged with lying to Congress based on his factually false statements made during the 9-11 Commission hearings?

* Did Joe Wilson need to use the bathroom after drinking too much sweet mint tea, and miss the part of the story where the Iraqi ministers visited Niger to discuss goats and yellow-cake?

19 posted on 11/09/2005 6:16:46 PM PST by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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