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The Wilson War Continues [CIA/FBI investigate White House]
Time Magazine ^ | September 27, 2003 | Timothy J. Burger

Posted on 09/27/2003 4:07:19 PM PDT by AntiGuv

The DOJ opens a preliminary probe into whether the White House illegally unmasked a CIA operative

The Justice Department has opened a preliminary inquiry into whether a Bush Administration official illegally revealed the identity of a CIA employee whose husband criticized the Administration's handling of intelligence on Iraq, TIME has learned. The probe will determine whether to order a full-fledged FBI investigation.

The CIA triggered the Justice inquiry with a memo saying that there may have been an unauthorized disclosure about the wife of Joe Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador. Columnist Robert Novak wrote in July that Wilson's wife was a CIA "operative" who suggested that he be sent to Niger to investigate intelligence that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy a large volume of Niger's yellowcake uranium to build a nuclear weapon.

Wilson found no evidence that Saddam was seeking yellowcake — the International Atomic Energy Agency later determined this was probably untrue — but the CIA and National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice failed to fully vet the intelligence and President Bush used it in his State of the Union Address this year. After Wilson wrote an op-ed over the summer criticizing the Administration's handling of the intelligence about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction progam, Novak wrote that "two administration officials" told him Wilson's wife had suggested sending him to Niger to investigate.

The CIA is required to notify Justice if it believes there may have been an unauthorized disclosure. The notification was first reported Friday by MSNBC. The White House has denied being a source of any story about Wilson's wife.

CIA and Justice spokespersons declined comment, but an Administration official told TIME that the Justice is conducting a preliminary inquiry to "determine whether or not there should be an investigation" by the FBI.

Wilson would not discuss his wife and said he knew nothing about any investigation. But, he said, "It was clear to me from the beginning that this was really done as a signal to others who might step forward,” to criticize the Administration's handling of intelligence on Iraq.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cia; fbi; josephwilson; plamegate; robertnovak; valerieplame; whitehouse; wilson
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To: MJY1288
Amazing how so many people are willing to think that the innocent parties are Wilson and his wife. This bodes well for suckering in the leftist papers, which will follow this story in breathless anticipation until the truth is revealed.

Tenet is not going to file some damaging charges against the White House, which has given him just about everything he has asked for. Nope.

However, this is a handy way to hoist Wilson on his own petard. I am pleased to see it.

61 posted on 09/27/2003 6:33:10 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: arasina
Yes, it is. And it is going to end up the exact same way, with those who are bringing the charges (Wilson et al) revealed to be the double-dealers that they are.
62 posted on 09/27/2003 6:34:23 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: dogbyte12
Washington Post now running with it: Leak of CIA Name Being Investigated.
63 posted on 09/27/2003 7:53:44 PM PDT by AntiGuv (When the countdown hits zero, something's gonna happen..)
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To: sinkspur
Rove didn't do this, but you'll pile on nonetheless.

My first reaction was that Rove did this. Then again, I watched Wolfowitz tonight on C-SPAN from last Sunday, and he qualifies as a snake too.

64 posted on 09/27/2003 7:55:36 PM PDT by Fred Mertz
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To: dogbyte12
"two administration officials"

Hmmmm? How many Clinton holdovers are there in the current admin .. lots .. how many of them would love to create this kind of whoop-tee-doo!! ALL OF THEM!!

If the dems are expecting Bush to cover this up - they are sadly mistaken. He will fire their behinds; so fast they won't know what hit them.
65 posted on 09/27/2003 7:58:42 PM PDT by CyberAnt (America - The Greatest Nation on the Face of the Earth)
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To: dogbyte12; ambrose; seamole; Asclepius; Miss Marple; writmeister
Excerpts from the Washington Post article:

A senior administration official said two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and revealed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife.

Sources familiar with the conversations said the leakers' allegation was that Wilson had benefited from nepotism because the Niger mission had been his wife's idea.

The official would not name the leakers for the record and would not name the journalists. The official said he had no indication that Bush knew about the calls. Columnist Robert Novak published the agent's name in a July column about Wilson's mission.

It is rare for one Bush administration official to turn on another. Asked about the motive for describing the leaks, the senior official said the leaks were "wrong and a huge miscalculation, because they were irrelevant and did nothing to diminish Wilson's credibility."

66 posted on 09/27/2003 8:00:18 PM PDT by AntiGuv (When the countdown hits zero, something's gonna happen..)
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To: Fred Mertz
I'll just bet that Ashley Clark is your kinda military guy.

Two-faced, will say anything to appease an audience, and a Clinton-lover.

67 posted on 09/27/2003 8:01:41 PM PDT by sinkspur (Adopt a dog or a cat from a shelter! You'll save at least one life, maybe two!)
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To: AntiGuv
Yeah, and why do you suppose no one at the Agency has ever or will ever be fired for its politicized ineptitude?
Because they work for the government, dude. Just like department of motor vehicles clerks, only they're not as professional or effective. Just as the Chinese.
68 posted on 09/27/2003 8:10:49 PM PDT by Asclepius (karma vigilante)
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Comment #69 Removed by Moderator

To: ambrose
Are you *ACCUSING* President Bush's *CLOSEST* advisor of being a *CRIMINAL*?

Sounds like you should go *BACK* to DU!

70 posted on 09/27/2003 8:11:12 PM PDT by Sir Valentino
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Comment #71 Removed by Moderator

To: AntiGuv
Asked about the motive for describing the leaks, the senior official said the leaks were "wrong and a huge miscalculation, because they were irrelevant and did nothing to diminish Wilson's credibility."
What an odd thing to say. Because the leaks really did diminish Wilson's so-called "credibiblity," as Novak et al reported.

The Wilsons will fade away, as will this story.
72 posted on 09/27/2003 8:14:03 PM PDT by Asclepius (karma vigilante)
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: Asclepius
I'll repeat myself:

There is a fundamental principle at stake here that the CIA will not compromise. Their very lives depend on it and if you think this is just gonna go away, you are wrong.

74 posted on 09/27/2003 8:25:29 PM PDT by AntiGuv (When the countdown hits zero, something's gonna happen..)
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To: seamole
All 3 are heavy players from what I am gathering from the Post. It makes sense that the people leaking on Wilson had to be high up, to have access to data. The third person is a higher up. I wouldn't be surprised if the three of them are all people we see on tv regularly. The source for the Post seems to be directing it on the White House in particular, not State, CIA, or Defense. That doesn't mean though that the Post's source isn't from those agencies.
80 posted on 09/27/2003 8:37:21 PM PDT by dogbyte12
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