I'm not forgetting anything. I know that the CIA knows her work status. That's part of the point. THEY (the CIA) was the first group that acknowledge her employment. They would NEVER have acknowledged her employment if she was a covert agent. Period.
Since that's the case, one has to wonder why they've asked for an investigation if Plame is nothing more than an analyst. If no laws have been broken, why waste the DOJ's time?
Why?
Because the democrats have made it a national security issue.
The CIA is (rightly) punting to the DOJ since its own people gave out the information. They can't conduct an investigation becase 1) it is a domestic issue and 2) it would be imprudent, because they are a party involved in the situation.
And if there's nothing to the case, why has the DOJ turned it over to the FBI for investigation? Why is the DOJ wasting the FBI's time, if there's nothing to the case?
As far as the investigation itself, this is the normal course of action with this type of accusation (especially considering the "hot" political nature of the accusation).
Also, the CIA refers matters like this to the DOJ over 50 times PER YEAR. The DOJ investigates each referral with whatever means is appropriate, with the FBI conducting many of these investigations.
Your implication that an investigation is smoke, so there must be some fire is simply too presumptuous.
By the way, the investigation only needs to determine if Mrs. Wilson is an undercover/covert agent. If she isn't, then the accusations are moot (see the actual law in question Title 50, Chapter 15, Section 421).
Please read the actual law in question before you respond.
And if she *isn't* actually an operative, then all the CIA has to do is say "She doesn't work for us at all", and the story dies. All Valerie Plame herself has to say is "I don't work for the CIA". Because if she's not an agent, no laws have been broken. And if she's not involved in WMD analysis, then who cares?
What difference does it make to the CIA that some columnist has screwed up and outed a non operative?
The only reason that the CIA would care, and therefore would request an investigation into the matter, is that she was indeed an operative. An operative whose cover had been effectively blown whether they admitted or not.
Because the democrats have made it a national security issue.
If the answer is 'nope', then the investigation stops dead, and the CIA looks stupid by asking for an investigation into a matter that it *knows* has no basis in fact.
The only reason for the CIA to request an investigation is if Valerie Plame actually was an operative.