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 ...
TREASON! TREASOOONNN!!!!
The State Department. I'm shocked, just shocked!
I see the non-story continues.
Liberalspeak for the exposure of the knowing lie the MSM, Dems and Fitz have been pushing the last two years.
Heck, doesn't everybody have "casual converstations" about CIA agents and "inadvertently" leak that info?
I know I do.
It would be funny if it weren't so dang infuriating-- how many valuable administration cycles have been wasted on this nonsense? And will counter-charges be laid on the accusers?
I'm wondering why they are so late in reporting this?
You are right; she was not covert. I believe her cover had been blown during the Clinton administration (make up your own joke here....) and she had been working behind a desk (insert second joke here) ever since. She did not qualify for the status of "covert".
Shocking!
The Mean Spirited Media and "Justice" Department shot everywhere except at the target.
So, what is the State Department? Is it a 6th column or a 2ND 5th column?
So difficult to keep all these seditious dogs in order.
Exactly! This woman hadn't worked as an undercover agent (if she ever, in fact, was) for over five years. She was busy getting knocked up and having a couple of kids. This whole thing was a complete sham.
And Fitz owes the government the money he wasted while he KNEW who was really the 'leaker'.
Think the DBM'll lett anyone actually get that money back? Rosie O'Donnell will vote for Neal Boortz for King first.
And you know, if Valerie Plame looked like a bucket full of doorknobs this "story" never would have been printed or broadcast.
"You are right; she was not covert. I believe her cover had been blown during the Clinton administration (make up your own joke here....) and she had been working behind a desk (insert second joke here) ever since. She did not qualify for the status of "covert".
That's the Master Rovian stroke we've been waiting for! During the election season the Whitehouse will actually release the truth about this matter to the American people.
So right from the beginning, we had two liars in bed and that's the way it is/was!! You can't believe either one of them.
Bullsh*t! It was ole Joe and Val herself that announced it to the world at the DC party circuit. Who's kidding whom?
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