Novak: Real story behind Armitage story

For 2 years Armitage had refused Novak's attempts to talk with him. Yet, right at the time Wilson emerges, right at the time the reasons for war are being attacked in both the US and UK, Armitage thinks of talking to Novak, a man with his own reputation in the world of unnamed sources?

I don't trust Armitage (or the ridiculous defense that he was scared, the man didn't even hire an attorney). And I don't trust Powell, who said this on October 3, knowing full well at that point who was the source of the leak was.

Promising to cooperate fully, Powell added, “We are doing our searches in response to the letter we received yesterday, and make ourselves available. I’m not sure what they will be looking for or what they wish to contact us about, but we are anxious to be of all assistance to the inquiry.” Link

Barely a month into the investigation Comey, who had made it clear in the appointment, responded to Fitzgerald's need for clarification of his authority.

...includes the authority to investigate and prosecute violations of any federal criminal laws related to the underlying alleged unauthorized disclosure, as well as federal crimes committed in the course of, and with intent to interfere with, your investigation, such as perjury, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and intimidation of witnesses; to conduct appeals arising out of the matter being investigated andlor prosecuted; and to pursue administrative remedies.... Link

There is far more to this than we know.

It was a setup from the outset. The name gets out. Joe Wilson goes into high dudgeon over this attack on the family of someone who dared to tell the truth about the evil Administration. Then the press, e.g., Matt Cooper, husband of Clinton assistant, Mandy Gruenwald, calls Rove, ostensibly to discuss welfare reform and, at the end of the conversation says something about hearing that Wilson's wife works at the CIA. Rove acknowledges he has heard that too. Trap set and sprung.

Bingo, Bahbah!

too complicated

Too complicated for me too.

The implication seems to be that Armitage knew that the Administration would be blamed for the leak and chose Novak because of a shared anti-war belief.

Very Machiavelian, far too prescient, hardly credible.

and I wonder just how many people besides Novak, Fitz-dork, Armitage, Powell, Grossman, et al knew about this and allowed the scandal-mongering to go forward against the WH???

At least one other person was told about it (on the record). I remember reading the original Newsweek article and it mentioning that Carl Ford said that Armitage told him he was the source after Armitage gave his Grand Jury testimony (maybe Fitz gave him a list of people he could and could not tell). When I went back to Newsweek to get the quote, that part is no longer in the story. However, it is still on David Corn's blog. Here is the passage:

Carl Ford Jr., who was head of the State Department's intelligence branch at the time, told us--on the record--that after Armitage testified before the grand jury investigating the leak case, he told Ford, "I'm afraid I may be the guy that caused the whole thing." Ford recalls Armitage said he had "slipped up" and had told Novak more that he should have. According to Ford, Armitage was upset that "he was the guy that ****** up."

Truth in advertising, I did edit the "f" word out of the passage. Click Here

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