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Sources: State Department official source of Plame leak
CNN ^ | August 30, 2006

Posted on 08/30/2006 11:49:44 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was the source who revealed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame to syndicated columnist Robert Novak in 2003, touching off a federal investigation, two sources familiar with Armitage's role tell CNN.

The sources said Armitage revealed Plame's role at the CIA almost inadvertently in a casual conversation with Novak, and it is not clear if he knew her identity was classified at the time.

Armitage was not indicted by the federal grand jury that investigated the disclosure of Plame's name to Novak and other journalists. Deliberately revealing the identify of a CIA operative can be a crime.

The revelation that Armitage was the source of Novak's column is somewhat anticlimactic for Bush administration critics who had used the story as a weapon in Washington's partisan battles.

During the run-up to the Iraq war in 2003, Armitage was viewed as one of the more skeptical voices in the administration about the need to depose Saddam Hussein by force.

In a July 14, 2003, column, Novak noted that Plame was a CIA operative, citing two senior administration officials. The column was primarily about Plame's husband, Joe Wilson, a former career diplomat and critic of the intelligence underlying the invasion of Iraq.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: armitage; cialeak; doublestandard; fifthcolumn; fourthestate; getbush; getrove; impeachthemedia; lyingliars; mediabias; partisanwitchhunt; plame; plamenameblamegame; saddayfordems; smearcampaign; victory; waronerror
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To: VictoryGal
It would be funny if it weren't so dang infuriating..

..and so dang harmful.

Like Rush said, REAL people and a REAL nation got hurt in a time of REAL war.

21 posted on 08/30/2006 12:01:57 PM PDT by evad
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Is Wilson going to demand that Armitage get "frog-marched" out of where-ever he is now?

"revelation that Armitage was the source of Novak's column is somewhat anticlimactic "

Understatement of the year!

Liberals smeared the Bush White house for years over this.
Now it turns out he Liberals were the ones lying all along!

Democrats lied while terrorist victims died.


22 posted on 08/30/2006 12:02:27 PM PDT by WOSG (Broken-glass time, Republicans! Save the Congress!)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Ah, Valerie Plame,the nothing story about the make believe secret agent that won't go away !!!


23 posted on 08/30/2006 12:02:38 PM PDT by Obie Wan
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To: jackieaxe
Give me a brake!

Not sure why you'd want it, but here you go...



Sorry. I couldn't help myself.
24 posted on 08/30/2006 12:03:35 PM PDT by CertainInalienableRights
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To: lilylangtree

Undercover agents don't usually publish their names in Who's Who, either.


25 posted on 08/30/2006 12:03:44 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia; Timesink; martin_fierro; reformed_democrat; Loyalist; =Intervention=; ...
Media Schadenfreude and Media Shenanigans PING

Armitage was not indicted by the federal grand jury that investigated the disclosure of Plame's name to Novak and other journalists. Deliberately revealing the identify of a CIA operative can be a crime.

[snip]

But the Wilsons' attorney, Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the revelation that Armitage was the original source for the leak did not undercut the charge that Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby and White House adviser Karl Rove acted to retaliate against Wilson by engaging in a "whispering campaign" about his wife.

The couple plans to proceed with the lawsuit, Sloan said.

[snip]

Fitzgerald has said he does not plan to bring any charges against Novak's original source.

And the media won't push for prosecution of Armitage. It's no longer a crime or an issue of national security; Bush, Rove, and Libby weren't involved.

When will this shadow government that fought the Bush Administration from within be held accountable for their own actions?

26 posted on 08/30/2006 12:05:07 PM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: CertainInalienableRights

Thanks for the brake. I guess next time I should ask for a break! ;)


27 posted on 08/30/2006 12:06:09 PM PDT by jackieaxe (Democrats are mired in a culture of screwing English speaking, taxpaying, law abiding citizens!)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
The article closed with this bit:

As part of his investigation, Fitzgerald subpoenaed then-New York Times reporter Judith Miller and then-Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper. In 2005, Miller spent nearly 12 weeks in jail after she refused to testify to identify her source to Fitzgerald. (View a timeline of the CIA leak case)

Miller was released after her source, Libby, called her and personally waived their confidentially agreement.

I thought that Miller never did confirm that Libby was her source, leading to speculation that someone else had told her.

28 posted on 08/30/2006 12:07:13 PM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
The revelation that Armitage was the source of Novak's column is somewhat anticlimactic for Bush administration critics CNN who had used the story as a weapon in Washington's partisan battles.
29 posted on 08/30/2006 12:08:16 PM PDT by Niteranger68 (I gigged your peace frog.)
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To: b4its2late
I'm even surprised CNN reported it though they did throw "almost inadvertently in a casual conversation with Novak" in there.....

That is because Armitage is effectively one of their guys -- for the present. Useful, among idiots.

30 posted on 08/30/2006 12:09:19 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: weegee

DU is bending over backwards to find a way that Cheney told Armitage. The word Fitzmas has been stricken from the threads.


31 posted on 08/30/2006 12:09:51 PM PDT by massgopguy (massgopguy)
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To: Wristpin
During the election season the Whitehouse will actually release the truth about this matter to the American people.

How? The liberal MSM isn't going to help the Bushies ... this will be another 'we need to move forward, no need to dwell on this matter' moment for the media. Much like they use to do during the Clinton years when yet another scandal emerged starring their favorite couple Bill & Hill.

32 posted on 08/30/2006 12:13:33 PM PDT by BluH2o
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To: weegee
... the media won't push for prosecution of Armitage. It's no longer a crime or an issue of national security; Bush, Rove, and Libby weren't involved.

That is very concise and to the point ... as they are fond of saying out in the hustings 'It's just a matter of whose ox is being gored'.

33 posted on 08/30/2006 12:19:04 PM PDT by BluH2o
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To: Lunatic Fringe
and it is not clear if he knew her identity was classified at the time.

They still have to dance around the fact that she WAS NOT classified at the time.

They just cannot bring themselves to deal with that fact.

34 posted on 08/30/2006 12:20:20 PM PDT by capt. norm (Bumper Sticker: Honk if you've never seen an Uzi shoot from a car window.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
soon...


35 posted on 08/30/2006 12:21:57 PM PDT by dubie
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Comment #36 Removed by Moderator

To: jackieaxe; CertainInalienableRights
Thanks for the brake. I guess next time I should ask for a break! ;)

Next time ask for a muffler, CertainInalienableRights might give you a whole exhaust system! LOL
37 posted on 08/30/2006 12:30:27 PM PDT by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
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To: jackieaxe

"Give me a brake!"
Here ya go: http://www.brakeworld.com/


38 posted on 08/30/2006 12:35:01 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: CertainInalienableRights

Guess I shoulda read a bit more of the thread!


39 posted on 08/30/2006 12:37:29 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
"Give me a brake!" Here ya go: http://www.brakeworld.com/

Everybody's a comedian! I know, I deserved that one too!
40 posted on 08/30/2006 12:38:05 PM PDT by jackieaxe (Democrats are mired in a culture of screwing English speaking, taxpaying, law abiding citizens!)
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