NOVAK: 'NOBODY IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CALLED ME TO LEAK THIS'

Drudge Report ^ | 09/29/03

[Pokey78]

In July I was interviewing a senior administration official on Ambassador Wilson's report when he told the trip was inspired by his wife, a CIA employee working on weapons of mass destruction. Another senior official told me the same thing. As a professional journalist with 46 years experience in Washington I do not reveal confidential sources. When I called the CIA in July to confirm Mrs. Wilson's involvement in the mission for her husband -- he is a former Clitnon administration official -- they asked me not to use her name, but never indicated it would endanger her or anybody else. According to a confidential source at the CIA, Mrs. Wilson was an analyst, not a spy, not a covert operator, and not in charge of an undercover operatives...

[cyncooper]

How does the public get a special investigator to investigate the media? Now that would be fun!

That is exactly what happened in England with the Kelly affair and what led to Kelly's role being revealed and the BBC's lies being revealed. Still didn't stop the media from trying to keep their original storyline going, but facts are triumphing over the lies.

I do honor the First Amendment, but the dissemination of lies under the guise of journalism is a travesty.

[ontos-on]

Thanks, I had finally figured it out, but gee, it was confusing at first.

[cyncooper]

But Novak never said she was an "undercover" agent; the CIA didn't say she was, either. The only source for that claim is from The Nation, which said she was an "unofficial undercover" operative and ironically, the Nation implied the info came from Novak, who hadn't wrote it in the first place. Since Novak didn't write it, then where did The Nation get it?

Hmmmmm

Who has written for The Nation before....thinking....thinking.....

I know!

Why Joseph Wilson has been published in none other than The Nation.

You don't suppose...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Says also Wilson's wife is NOT an operative for the CIA, but rather a more garden variety sort of analyst.

About as significant as revealing the name of an elevator operator at Langley. LOL!

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

But Sean, good-hearted though he is, reminds me of a high school student who didn't read the book but is trying to BS his way through the oral report.

Hahahahaaa! I concur! He's a good soul to be sure, but not big on details. If I had a dollar for every time I listened to Sean miss an opportunity for a blockbuster follow-up question of a hostile witness, I could buy another SUV!

[Dolphy]

I think the situation in Pakistan is complicated and there are many who argue that the "dissidents" are protected if not represented in the government. Karzei was just here accusing Musharraf of not being willing to do enough and in as diplomatic a way as possible suggested he was complicit in protecting and growing terrorist elements.

Don't get me wrong, I find the whole comment fascinating. I don't know if Putin was using it to somehow restore his image after Iraq, if he was demonstrating that Russia's relationship with Iran was not coming at the expense of the US or if he was sending a message.

[cyncooper]

OH, CARTER!!! Who ALSO asked the Soviet Union to help him defeat Reagan!! I forgot about that little weasel!

This sounds JUST LIKE Carter (and Clinton as well).

Just wanted to point out the Wilson began his diplomatic career under Carter.

AMBASSADOR JOSEPH C. WILSON, IV

Excerpt:

Ambassador Wilson was a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Service from 1976 until 1998. His early assignments included Niamey, Niger, 1976-1978; Lome, Togo, 1978-79; the State Department Bureau of African Affairs, 1979-1981; and Pretoria, South Africa, 1981-1982.

In 1982, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission in Bujumbura, Burundi. In 1985-1986, he served in the offices of Senator Albert Gore and the House Majority Whip, Representative Thomas Foley, as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brazzaville, Congo, 1986-88, prior to his assignment to Baghdad.

[Sacajaweau]

THIS IS THE REAL NEWS!!

The connection to Hitlery is pretty strong here...real strong....damning strong!!

[piasa]

... has anyone heard from Mr. Moldea lately?

[tioga]

I love that this is in the dems faces......wonderful!!!

What a bunch of two bit losers running their mouths to show how important they are -- I just love seeing this in print and Drudge has it first? Love it...

Now if this would just stick to the chuckmeister, maybe my fellow NYers will run him out of the senate on a rail....

[Miss Marple]

Yes, indeedy! A Carter guy!

I find it interesting that Jimmy has been real quiet for the last week. After mouthing off about North Korea, he has holed up in a peanut barn, I guess.

I wish we had a way to plot a map with dates as to where Carter and Clinton were during this fiasco.

[smoothsailing]

Click hereJoes Bio

Her name is there and the copyright date is 2002.

So Joe leaked her name back then or his biographer did.

[cyncooper]

Give up the junior staffers who did this. Say that Novak did a disservice to his country for manipulating young go getters, and he should be ashamed of himself.

The White House does not want/need to be linked to Novak here. Novak is running his own agenda.

The WH had nothing to do with this, 28 year old junior staffer there or senior, they had nothing to do with it. Even Novak said today it did not come from the WH.

[cyncooper]

And I see you still believe the fairytale about six journalists being called and shopped this information.

You do know that didn't happen either, right?

[FreeAtlanta]

DU'ers are going Chernobyl over this.

Why do we bother with what those nuts are doing? I know, amusing, but they get more hits from us and our referrals than they legitimately get. The whole batch should be institutionalized and I am growing weary of hearing what they are doing. They have become so unpredictable as to be predictable.

[cyncooper]

When you say they said "guess her identity" I presume you mean as a CIA "operative", not Wilson's wife, which was widely known.

We'll see, but Cliff May said today the question is "who didn't know" she worked for the CIA.

I wouldn't be so quick to swallow MSNBC's representations. They are already reforming their initial reports (Andrea Mitchell).

[dr_lew]

"I coulda been a contenda."

[cyncooper]

Oh, Miss M., obviously I was replying as I read and posted the link to Wilson's autobiography before I got to this post where you mention and link it.

Well, it underscores the point!

[anymouse]

Exactly! The Rats extrapolated this lie big time!

Hope DoJ does investigate and route out the real story of which x42 holdover hatched this plot. Bet the lamestream drops interest in this story ASAP when the Rat is discovered.

Bush needs to use this opportunity to purge all x42 holdovers out of his Administration. There are too many loyal Republicans available to fill those jobs. Put all the appointees up for Congressional review at once. Tell the Rats that it is a all or nothing deal. Don't bother making the appointees PC, just find the best.

[Minnesota Lady]

I did a simple search on MS Explorer, and this must be he:

Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, IV
Ambassador Wilson served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council from June 1997 until July 1998. In that capacity he was responsible for the coordination of U.S. policy to the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, He was one of the principal architecs of President Clinton's historic trip to Africa in March 1998.

Ambassador Wilson was the Political Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of United States Armed Forces, Europe, 1995-1997. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe from 1992 to 1995. From 1998 to 1991, Ambassador Wilson served in Baghdad, Iraq as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy. During ''Desert Shield'' he was the acting Ambassador and was responsible for the negotiations that resulted in the release of several hundred American hostages. He was the last official American to meet with Saddam Hussein before the launching of ''Desert Storm.''

Ambassador Wilson was a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Service from 1976 until 1998. His early assignments included Niamey, Niger, 1976-1978; Lome, Togo, 1978-79; the State Department Brueau of African Affairs, 1979-1981; and Pretoria, South Africa, 1981-1982.

In 1982, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission in Bujumbura, Burundi. In 1985-1986, he served in the offices of Senator Albert Gore and the House Majority Whip, Representative Thomas Foley, as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brazzaville, Congo, 1986-88, prior to his assignment to Baghdad.

Ambassador Wilson was raised in California and graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1972. He is a graduate of the Senior Seminar (1972), the most advanced International Affairs training offered by the U.S. Government. He speaks fluent French.

Ambassador Wilson holds the Department of Distinguished Service Award, the Department of State Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, the University of California, Santa Barbara Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the American Foreign Service Association William R. Rivkin Award. Additionally, he has been decorated as a Commander in the Order of the Equatorial Star by the Government of Gabon and as an Admiral in the El Paso Navy by the El Paso County Commissioners.

He is married to the former Valerie Plame and has two sons and two daughters.