Posted on 04/06/2006 6:44:54 PM PDT by Veritas et equitas ad Votum
APRIL 6--A former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney told a federal grand jury that President George W. Bush authorized him to leak information from a classified intelligence report to a New York Times reporter. Details of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's testimony were included in a court filing made yesterday by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, who is prosecuting Libby for perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements in connection with the probe into the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity. According to Fitzgerald's filing, an excerpt of which you'll find below, Libby, 55, testified in 2003 that he provided reporter Judith Miller with information from a classified National Intelligence Estimate after being told by Cheney that Bush "specifically had authorized" him to "disclose certain information in the NIE." Libby also testified that Cheney specifically directed him to speak to other reporters about information in the classified NIE (which addressed Iraq's purported weapons of mass destruction programs) as well as a cable authored by Plame's husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson. The leaking of the classified material was apparently done in an effort to counter claims made by Wilson regarding the White House's justification for invading Iraq. The Fitzgerald filing also notes that Libby told grand jurors that he conferred with David Addington, Cheney's counsel, about the leak directive and that Addington told him "that Presidential authorization to publicly disclose a document amounted to a declassification of the document." While both Bush and Cheney have been interviewed by Fitzgerald, it is unknown whether they confirmed or disputed Libby's assertion that he was authorized to disclose findings in classified reports. Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, resigned his White House post last October following his indictment on five felony counts.
That's false. That's what the LSM would like you to believe.
"That's false. That's what the LSM would like you to believe."
I figured as much, probably just a desperate attempt to save his own skin. Of course, it only works when you trade up, and therefore Scooter Libby didn't have too many options...
There is no linkage in what Libby said about "leaks" and the plamegate story. None. It was reported by SS on FNC that there were no indications that the President "leaked" anything having to do with Plame.
If you read TSG, they don't say there is a link. Only a misleading headlien.
I believe he was authorized to leak some aspects of the intelligence estimate regarding Iraq. Plame and the CIA have nothing to do with the authorization. In any event, it seems that Plame's line of work was fairly well known in Washington.
I have just read the filings and the material is highly open to interpretation.
It appears that the NIE information is stuff that specifically contradicted the assertion in Wilson's cable. It appears to have nothing to do with releasing Plame's name (if indeed that is even remotely important anymore.) In fact, I would venture to say that if this was a Democratic president and a Republican field operative, the Democratic president would now be being praised for releasing information the public needed to know to make a decision.
If Bush/Cheney made any mistake, it was in not releasing more data and not going to the public more.
The MSM, however, will not spin it that way. And we will hear much about how the leak-stoppers were the hypocrites who were actually leaking.
I would watch Jon Stewart tonight to see what evil he will produce out of this non-story, but he does not come with own barf alert.
McVey
I find it interesting, but not at all surprising, that the media is only reporting on Fitz's filings, and not even mentioning the filings by team LIbby. In there, it is made clear that in February 04, Fitz knew who the leaker was, and new it wasn't Libby, and knew it wasn't anyone in the Whitehouse; yet he kept right on going. Of course, the media will not report that aspect. Typical -- one way old media, only reporting the dnc side of the issues.
If the President authorizes disclosure then that negates the term "Leak". The MSM can't have it all ways.
its a non-story across the board.
but its clear that Fitz is leaking to satisfy the Dems that are running him.
Laverne:
Where would I find team Libby's filings?
Thanks,
McVey
Bush should get a "Whistle Blower" award, for unmaksing that Valerie Plame used her trusted position with the CIA for political purposes: sending her husband, who had no expertise in performing the job and it was her husband who leaked information he shouldn't have about what he found out in Africa -- never mind, he didn't even actually try to find out anything, just use that trip as an excuse to try to smear President Bush.
Precicely.
As much as the MSM wishes there was a connection between the "leak" of Ms. Plame's CIA status and the authorized leak of Iraq intelligence, there is not.
The MSM is not only reporting only one side--it is distorting the one side it is reporting.
They are here on fr somewhere; let me search, and I'll post the link.
Thanks.
The President can't "leak" anything.
He's the sole and highest authority on whether intelligence is classified secret or not. If he releases information that was classified secret, he's declassified it automatically. The release of declassified information is not a "leak".
whose skin? Libby's?
Libby isn't charged with leaking Plame's name. no one is, no one will be, she was not covert, and most of the DC media knew who she was in any case - from her husband.
I think the word "leak" has more to do with the METHOD of releasing the information. It could certainly have been an approved leak. Many leaks are. The word simply means to release the information somewhat quietly, as opposed to, say, holding a press conference.
I am sure there is nothing in the NIE about Valerie Plame.
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