Posted on 02/12/2007 9:37:13 AM PST by tobyhill
(CBS/AP) Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus testified at the Scooter Libby perjury trial Monday that former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, not Libby, was the first to tell him the identity of Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife in 2003, reports CBS News Justice Department reporter Deirdre Hester .
Pincus was one of the first reporters to learn the identity of Valerie Plame, the wife of former ambassador and prominent Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson. Pincus said he learned her identity July 12, 2003 but did not immediately write about it. Plame was outed by syndicated columnist Robert Novak two days later.
Pincus testified on behalf of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Libby is accused of lying and obstructing the investigation into the leak of Plame's identity.
Pincus, a veteran national security reporter, said he was talking to Fleischer for a story about weapons of mass destruction. He said Fleischer "suddenly swerved off" topic and asked why Pincus continued to write about Wilson.
"Don't you know his wife works for the CIA as an analyst?" Pincus recalled Fleischer saying.
Fleischer testified at the trial earlier that Libby had told him about Plame over lunch. Fleischer testified he leaked the information to three reporters during a presidential trip to Africa but he did not mention the Pincus conversation. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors promised not to charge Fleischer.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Ari leaked and gets a pass.
Why?
What would they charge him with? It's not like she was covert, or anything ...
It's starting to sound like what was reported a year ago is correct: that Plame's employment at the CIA was, essentially, common knowledge. Not everyone knew, but it wasn't a secret and no one thought twice of telling anyone else.
prosecutors promised not to charge Fleischer
What would they charge him with? It's not like she was covert, or anything ...
Perjury.
Good question.
Here's another source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070212/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak_trial
"Armitage outs agent in Woodward tapes"
The "Trial About Nothing", continues.
Because it wasn't a leak. She was not a covert operative , she was an analyst. That's why nobody's gone after Richard Armitage...there was no crime. This whole affair was nothing more than an elaborate exercise to embarras and humiliate the administration.
If only the MSM and 'rats would attack our enemies with only half the gusto they use againt Bush...
Pincus knew, but Russert didn't?
Give me a freakin' break.
Russet ought to be the next one tried for perjury. As well as Andrea Mitchell. She admitted to Imus that they all knew...but later recanted her story.
It is worse than a Seinfeld episode. What a waste of tax dollars.
for the 1001th time, Plame WAS NOT A COVERED CIA COVERT AGENT AT THE TIME OF HER "OUTING!"
Plame was nothing more than a CIA desk jockey at the time of her "outing" and had not been assigned overseas for over five friggin' years.
gezzzzzzzzzzzzz
Libby is being charged with perjury.
Lesson to you all, if you are EVER called before a Grand Jury, PLEAD THE FIFTH AMENDMENT!
In fact, if you are EVER questioned PLEAD THE FIFTH!
Like everyone's granddaddy in his infinite wisdom used to say,
"Prosecutors can indict a ham sandwich!"
Nice answer. It gets around the judges order to the attorneys to not state that Plame was not covert.
These people are more than willing to confabulate and dissemble and put a person in prison just because they differ in their politics. Libby has teenage children. Russert, Fitzgerald, Mitchell, Armitage, CIA....none of them give a damn about absolutely ruining the Libby familys' lives.
Libby may well be convicted for perjury on the testimony of known liars and proovable liars (russert, mitchell, armitage, wilson). This trial is an Outrage and travesty of Justice.
"Poor little Pincus".
The prosecuter had to have known fairly early on there was no "outing", nothing illegal, so then it becomes a game of how long he can drag it out and feel important.
Last night watched a program on the Salem witch trials- confess to whatever, name names, and be spared or hold your ground and be hanged.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.