Replies

From Woodward:

"I testified that after the mid-June 2003 interview, I told Walter Pincus, a reporter at The Post, without naming my source, that I understood Wilson's wife worked at the CIA as a WMD analyst. Pincus does not recall that I passed this information on."

From Pincus June 12, 2003 article:

"Armed with information purportedly showing that Iraqi officials had been seeking to buy uranium in Niger...the CIA in early February 2002 dispatched a retired U.S. ambassador to the country to investigate the claims, according to the senior U.S. officials and the former government official...The sources spoke on condition of anonymity and on condition that the name of the former ambassador not be disclosed." (June 12, 2003)

Hmm...

Woodward says that he told Pincus about Wilson's wife working at CIA in mid-June.
Pincus does recall that Woodward gave him these details
Yet, Pincus publishes a story on June 12 where the starring, albeit unnamed, source is Joe Wilson
Pincus has additional details about this source (provided by Woodward) that are INCREDIBLY related to what was being report (i.e., that the CIA had dispatched a "former ambassador" to Niger about yellowcake), but he doesn't recall being told about that.
At no point after June 12th does Pincus do a follow up whereby he includes this additional detail that Woodward told him: that the "former U.S. ambassador 's" wife worked at CIA. He doesn't report that at all...neither that she was an analyst, a covert operative, the head CIA cafeteria lunch lady, or a janitor at CIA

So, Pincus, either before June 12 or after June 12 was told by Woodward that "the former ambassador's" wife worked at CIA. That the wife (i.e., Plame) was an analyst on WMD. Yet, he doesn't do a follow up story, post on the web, nothing.

Pincus has critical and revealing details about a high profile story that he JUST wrote about, but he does no follow up?

That's a little more than odd.

It isn't until a month later when Novak uses the term "CIA operative" that this whole bruhaha gets going.

Q: Are the operating members of the left (the dems and ABCNBCCBSCNNWASHPOSTNYTIMESLATIMESETC) that focused on 1 word? Is it possible that they are seizing on 1 word --a word which Novak explained was mudanely used and was not used to indicate any kind of covert or undercover status-- to fabricate a story to make an anti-war argument?

You tell me. I guess it depends on what the meaning of "is" is. Right?

Also...I wonder if "mid-June" means before or after June 12?

If "mid-June" is before June 12, then it might be possible to believe that Pincus learned of "the ambassador" from Woodward, did some investigating, found additional "sources" and wrote his June 12 piece.

" Going back to Woodward's statement, the administration officials he spoke with only said that "Wilson's wife worked as an analyst on WMDs". There would be no way that the official (whether Rove, Libby, or other) could be accused of knowing that Wilson's wife was either an undercover or covert CIA operative, because all they referred to Wilson's wife was an analyst on WMD. An analyst is hardly a covert (or undercover) field operative.

If "mid June" means after June 12, then Pincus already knew (or was told) about Wilson. Course, it turns out that the source for the June 12th Pincus piece was none other than Wilson himself. However, given the level of detail in the June 12 piece AND the quotes from the unnamed sources (i.e., Wilson), it is hard to believe that Woodwards "mid-June" revelation would have mattered to Pincus. He had already written/published or was already writing the June 12 piece.

Another words, the fix was already in.

The only thing that Pincus didn't do, was to use Google and figure out that Joe Wilson 1) had a wife and 2) her name was Valarie Plame. And, that is something that anyone could have done on June 12, 2003. And, it is probably what Bob Novak (or an assistant) did in his lead up to the now-famous July 14 article. And, that Novak contacted CIA and asked the status of Plame and the CIA didn't request that the name not be used, only makes this situation more curious. It also seems to lend a fair share of credibility that, indeed, the CIA was in on this thing (Investigate the CIA OR Was the Joe Wilson Valerie Plame Affair a CIA Plot?).

All roads lead back to CIA.

Who provided the intelligence on WMDs? A: CIA
Who sent Wilson to Niger to investigate claims about uranium? A: CIA (specifically Wilson's wife)
Who was it that told Bush "it's a slam dunk"? A: George Tenet (CIA)
Who was it that let Plame's name go public by not telling Novak, "Hey that's too sensitive. Please do not publish" (a request that Novak said he was have obliged)? A: CIA
WHo did President Bush demand more accountability from after 9/11? A: CIA

Would would/should be forgiven for believing that the CIA, itself, is not interested in U.S. interests, but in only CIA interests.

All I can say is, FREEPER Wolfstar deserves a Pulitzer for writing the piece "Set up? Anatomy of the contrived Wilson 'scandal'" in October of 2003. Any FREEPER who wants to know how this was all planned, whether you believe the CIA angle or not, should read that post.

All I can say is, FREEPER Wolfstar deserves a Pulitzer for writing the piece "Set up? Anatomy of the contrived Wilson 'scandal'" in October of 2003.

Thank you, mattdono. That's very kind of you to say. The real tragedy in all of this is that Fitzgerald has shown himself to be totally uninterested in what we "pajamadeen" were able to figure out on our own. Fitzgerald continues the witch hunt into Libby, Rove, etc., but lets the real crime go without so much as a shrug.

"I testified that after the mid-June 2003 interview, I told Walter Pincus, a reporter at The Post, without naming my source, that I understood Wilson's wife worked at the CIA as a WMD analyst. Pincus does not recall that I passed this information on."

So, did Pincus testify to the Grand Jury that Woodward had revealed Plame's identity to him? "Oh, what a tangled web we weave..."

So, Pincus, either before June 12 or after June 12 was told by Woodward that "the former ambassador's" wife worked at CIA. That the wife (i.e., Plame) was an analyst on WMD. Yet, he doesn't do a follow up story, post on the web, nothing.

Add that Pincus and his wife spent the July 4 holiday in Joe & Valerie Wilson's backyard, barbecueing steaks with his buddy, Joe.

This would be a week after the Ambassador's "coming out party" in the NY Times...and tend days before Miss Valerie was "outed" by Robert Novak.

A good working assumption is that Pincus, when he testified before Fitzgerald's GJ, claimed he had "no idea" (at the time) that Miss Valerie was a CIA employee and was "shocked, shocked" at Novak's revelations.

This from a reporter, it should be pointed out, with reputedly "fabulous connections" inside the CIA...

Bob Woodward has just blown Pincus' story into smithereens...