'Leakgate' Accuser Won't Say Whether Wife Was Undercover

NewsMax ^ | 10/7/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Joseph Wilson repeatedly dodged questions Tuesday morning about whether his wife was an undercover agent at the CIA, an issue that could determine whether the Bush administration committed a crime when it revealed her identity.

Asked to settle once and for all the mystery of whether his wife was "a covert operative for the CIA," Wilson told national radio host Don Imus, "You ought to assume that the CIA would not have referred this matter to Justice if there was not some merit to the referral."

"I don't understand that answer," Imus responded, adding, "Either she is or she isn't."

Rather than respond with a simple yes or no, Wilson dodged the question a second time, telling Imus, "If you want a more direct answer, you probably ought to call the CIA."

That's what the Washington Post did last week before it reported, "the CIA has declined to confirm whether she was undercover."

Former CIA agent Larry Johnson told PBS last week that Wilson's wife had been undercover "for three decades." But Johnson's revelation didn't settle the issue, since it suggests that the 40-year-old Mrs. Wilson became a CIA spy at the unlikely age of 10.

The full exchange between Imus and Wilson went like this:

IMUS: Is she or was she - I've never been able to figure this out and I've read every transcript [of your interviews] and talked to a number of people - is she or was she a covert operative for the CIA?

WILSON: Well, let me tell you, the way I answer that is you ought to assume that the CIA would not have referred this matter to Justice if there was not some merit to the referral.

IMUS: I'm still - I don't understand that answer. Either she is or she isn't.

WILSON: You know, then your best, your best - if you want a more direct answer you probably ought to call the CIA. I mean, all I can tell you is ...

IMUS: Has she left [for school] with the kids yet? Let me talk to her.

WILSON: I don't think so. The one thing she had authorized me to say is that she would prefer to cut off her right arm than ever talk to any member of the press. [End of Excerpt]

[Samwise]

Why not

Just seems odd to me. Why would anyone confide in the wife of someone they knew worked for the U.S. government? I guess I just see political wives as trophy wives who entertain and go to balls. As a public figure, she certainly couldn't be incognito. Or was she supposed to be catwoman and dress in black to break into buildings at night? I guess she could smuggle things in and out of a country in a diplomatic pouch, but that would have to be behind her husband's back--if he had any ethics at all.

Ethics...Clinton appointee...pouches......

Hmmmm....do the wives have diplomatic immunity too? Where was he an ambassador to?

[Grampa Dave]

What planet do you live on?

[familyofman]

"What planet do you live on?"

Third rock from the sun - why do you ask?

[MEG33]

The Planet containing the family of stealth trolls,I would guess.

[aristeides]

Bush hopes probe will plug leaks:

Mon Oct 6, 2:16 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush said he hoped that the FBI-led criminal probe into who leaked a CIA agent's identity would help plug other unauthorized disclosures to reporters.

"This is a serious charge, by the way. We're talking about a criminal action. But also hopefully we'll help send a clear signal we expect other leaks to stop as well," he said.

[familyofman]

"The Planet containing the family of stealth trolls,I would guess."

Funny - very funny. But you're wrong. I just happen to see things a bit different than you - apparently.

[Grampa Dave]

This reply of your made me wonder:

"I thought Novak outed her as an analyst...If she is undercover and her cover is "an analyst" it seems to me nothing happened "

"If there is nothing to this, someone had better tell the POTUS because he's referring to it as a criminal act.

Aristeides has pointed out this to you on his reply re your above inane reply.

[kevao]

I've thought Wilson the leaker since this began.

I think that from the very beginning, Wilson was in cahoots with Novak -- who was vehemently against the war -- in order to embarass GW.

[familyofman]

I thought Novak outed her as an analyst...If she is undercover and her cover is "an analyst" it seems to me nothing happened "

"If there is nothing to this, someone had better tell the POTUS because he's referring to it as a criminal act.

I'm sorry if my previous reply of mine confused you - I may have been too obtuse. I do think it is a serious matter - as does the POTUS & others. But, there seems to be a lot of people here who don't see it that way.
I will try to refrain from being obtuse in the future, even thou that will be difficult since that is my nature. Using reverse logic in a logical way doesn't always work.

[Naspino]

"The whole thing is puzzling. How in the world could an ambassador's wife be an undercover anything?"

You've heard the quotes. She was born a CIA agent. The CIA groomed her and raised her; eventually placing her as the wife of an ambassador for her cover.

[Grampa Dave]

This is such a serious issue.

So many factions are trying to use Yellowcake Scam II to harm our president, that many of us have a very low tolerance on this issue.

I have zero tolerance in this issue with the left wingers and their buddies the RINO/CINOs (Rinos claiming to be the true conservatives). That bs was bad before 9/11. After 9/11, we will not tolerate it.

[Sender]

I suppose it would be perfect cover to be a woman with 3-year-old twins. Maybe she did have some 'secret' assignments. But it still seems to me that the only provable undercover assignment she has done is to deliberately seek to undermine President Bush by sending her husband to not find anything in Niger.

I mean, even Wilson admits most of what he did in Niger is to sit around drinking sweet mint tea, spending our tax money on pleasant hors d'ouvres with other diplomatic types. What kind of WMD fact finding mission is that?

[familyofman]

"This is such a serious issue."

Yes & it will probably end up kile most of the other similar investigations into leaks - no source found. Then we will be in the ultr-spin zone for a long time. We'll all be dizzy before it's over & leaks will continue.

There is so much conflicting info already on this one. Enough to prove almost any point you want & still the leaks go on. Seems security clearances don't mean too much these days (or over at least the last 10 - 20 years). Mitch Ryder would love this: Ginny, Ginny.

[Grampa Dave]

Actually I think that part of the mystery has been handled.

Plame's boss Foley, resigned, retired, was asked to leave in August. Bets are that he was the one who approved the flight to Niger so good old Joe could drink mint tea while planning to spring this surprise on GW.

[Lady Heron]

No, nobody is treating this as if it is not a serious matter. All agree that the leaker needs to be found and prosecuted to the fullist extent of the law, if a law was broken (we are not sure she was an agent or just an analyst, we are not even sure if the reason the president and all feel it is a serious matter is because her name was leaked, or their focus is elswhere. We just know they see this as a serious matter).

But, the whole matter needs investigating. It is a very serious matter if the CIA has been used in some underhanded political plot against a presidential administration, no matter which party is using them. There are enough serious questions that need asking about the Wilsons and why he was sent in the first place, who sent him, and what were they wanting to accomplish by sending him. Which member of the CIA talked to the BBC. Why the CIA then allowed Wilson to talk about the trip to the press.

Your insistance that only the leaker is what is important here (which nobody is saying we should not look into) is really strange. Can you not see that there is more here?

[aristeides]

I think I'm in good company.

LEAK IS A 'CRIMINAL ACTION': BUSH :

October 7, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday said it was a "criminal action" for someone in his administration to leak the name of a CIA officer.

"This is a serious charge, by the way. We're talking about a criminal action," the president said.

[livius]

Plame's boss Foley, resigned, retired, was asked to leave in August.

That's interesting! I didn't know this juicy little fact.

[WOSG]

She is a cover DNC plant embedded in our national security apparatus.

Novak outed her and the DNC is outraged.

The Democrats got mad at Joe McCarthy when he outed Commis in the State Dept.

[Springman]

You are right, from what I was able to hear, Imus was on today!!!

His questions were much better, more pointed the when I heard this Wilson guy on NPR today. Sounded like he was getting a hummer there.

[MizSterious]

"I still don't understand how you can be a woman undercover with 3 year old twins."

I'm sure it's easy if you've been doing this work since the age of 10. ;)

Just watched a bit of John Gibson on Fox--to my dismay, he seems to be buying into this lie bigtime.