Payback Time [Wilson/Plame CIA-WH-FBI Saga]

NewsMax ^ | September 30, 2003 | John LeBoutillier

[AntiGuv]

The burgeoning flap over the leaking to the press of the name of a CIA agent - a clear and serious violation of federal law - is a serious, serious legal and political problem for the Bush White House.

Let us explore the numerous implications:

1) The facts: In July two high level White House aides called at least six DC reporters - one of whom was Robert Novak - to 'slime' whistle-blowing former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, by revealing that she, Valeria Plame, is a CIA agent.

2) The CIA is furious over the 'politicization' of the identity of one of their agents. CIA Director George Tenet has asked the Department of Justice to investigate and bring criminal charges.

3) Former Ambassador Wilson - once appointed by the first President Bush and the last US Ambassador to meet with Saddam before the 1990 invasion of Kuwait - believes it was G.W. Bush's closest political advisor, Karl Rove, who either made or authorized the 'sliming' phone calls. Wilson is so angry over this lawbreaking that he has called for Rove to be arrested and "frog marched out of the White House in handcuffs."

4) The Bush White House was angry at Wilson for writing a July 1, 2003 op-ed piece in the New York Times explaining his Administration-authorized investigation into the 'Saddam tries to buys uranium from Niger' story. After shooting down that tale, Wilson was shocked to see the President make the same claim in this year's State of the Union speech.

5) Now, here is a key question: who in the White House was so angry with Wilson for 'blowing the whistle' that they authorized these six phone calls? Certainly no one can believe that low-level aides would even know that Plame was a CIA agent let alone feel free to have a concerted 'leaking campaign.'

6) Clearly whoever orchestrated this anti-Wilson campaign was looking for payback - payback for having the temerity to challenge the veracity of the President of the United States. But their anger took them over the edge into lawbreaking. Who in this disciplined, top-down, well oiled White House would read Wilson's op-ed and slam his fist down on the desk and proclaim, "That bastard is going to pay! What do we have on him? Let's get it out there!"

7) Whoever authorized the Plame leak could possibly go to jail for this willful act of lawbreaking. And those who actually called the six reporters could also go to jail - unless they cop a plea and rat out others.

8) Preliminary reports are that there is a great dissension inside the White House staff over this leak. Many are described as 'disgusted' at the outing of Ms. Plame.

9) There is still the question of whether or not the Ashcroft Justice Department will honestly investigate the Bush White House. Already Capitol Hill Democrats are calling for an Independent Counsel to do this investigation. But that law expired and has not been renewed.

10) Meanwhile over at the Langley HQ of the CIA, there is much disgust over the way they are always made the scapegoats by this White House. After all, CIA Director Tenet had kept the African uranium tale out of the Cincinnati speech last October that helped escalate the case for a pre-emptive war against Iraq. But if heads don't roll over the Plame leak, you can bet that CIA will leak things of their own about the Bush White House.

11) Leaking and blackmail have always been a part of governing inside the Beltway. But it has been one of this Administration's unexplained curiosities why President Bush has kept Clinton's CIA Director - especially after so many massive intelligence failures: 9/11; our failure to get Osama; our failure to prove the existence of WMD before the war; our failure to get Saddam; and our failure to find WMD in the six months since the end of the war.

12) Many have wondered if Tenet has 'something' on the Bushes. Now many more are wondering who made those six phone calls - and who authorized them?

13) We need to reverse things: if the Clinton White House had sold out an active-duty CIA agent as 'payback' for some whistle-blowing article, we would be outraged. This crime is no less serious because it was done in a Republican White House.

14) Long ago, in a piece entitled "Bush's Achilles Heel," I wrote that this Bush's weakness was the entire mystery, secrecy and sometimes-illegality of the intelligence community. This Plame leak now threatens to become a huge story - involving lawbreaking, revenge, abuse of power and the inevitable cover-up. Plus the 10 Democrats running for President and the media are going to have a field day with it.

15) Yep, 'tis true: payback is a bitch.

[Palladin]

You're an astute observer, willieroe!

[pierrem15]

I agree in the sense that the agency would not have made the recommendation if they didn't believe the law was broken.

But was it a crime in light of the fact that she might not have been working undercover on this particular mission and/or if she or her husband had already blown her cover?

[JOE6PAK]

..."he has called for Rove to be arrested and "frog marched out of the White House in handcuffs."

Just what the hell is a FROG MARCH?

[Palladin]

You make some good points.

This present brouhaha reminds me of the old "SPY VS. SPY"
cartoon in MAD magazine.

[GWfan]

Dream on pal.

[pierrem15]

over in a week

actually, I give it about a month.

But then the dems (or their moles in the bureaucracy) will come back with something new.

I hope the strategy is to let them cry wolf so often and so pathetically that the rank partisanship on this becomes obvious.

[Palladin]

It's that little dance Susan MacDougal did so often on TV when she was in that orange jumpsuit.

[Iowa Granny]

Another one.

[jimmccleod]

His own bio at the Middle east Institute names his wife: if anyone knew she worked for CIA, then she was "outed" by Wilson himself in 2002.

Be real. The problem is not that Wilsons wife exists or has a name, but that someone gave out info about what her job is with the CIA.

Novak denies anyone identified the wife to him

Untrue. Novak admitted in his statement this week that 2 administration officials gave him the info during the process of an interview he was conducting. He only refuted the idea that administration officials "called" him to supply him with the info.

More horses--- for the dem spin machine.

I admit there is spinning going on here and Rush Limbaugh is doing a lot of it by trying to change the meaning of Novaks own words this week.

[Fuzz]

Here's Larry Johnson's bio from the Foxnews website:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41773,00.html

Larry C. Johnson joined Fox News Channel as a contributor in December, 2001.

Mr. Johnson is an owner and founder of BERG Associates, LLC, which specializes in money laundering investigations, financial analysis, and counter terrorism. As one of the principals of BERG, Mr. Johnson has directed or participated in the forensic audits of banks and casinos Latin America, tested procedures and systems for detecting and preventing money laundering, and directed the forensic audit of a multi-million dollar business suspected of money laundering in the Colon Free Zone of Panama.

Mr. Johnson manages and directs BERG Associates investigations of international fraud and product counterfeiting, which has resulted in the confiscation of products worth one million dollars, fines totaling $500,000, and criminal penalties for the offenders. In addition, Mr. Johnson helps design and implement counter terrorism exercises for the US military forces with the counter terrorism mission. He is knowledgeable of conventional and unconventional threat scenarios, including chemical, biological, and nuclear threats.

As a Deputy Director of the State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism, Mr. Johnson managed crisis response operations for terrorist incidents in Lebanon, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, the Persian Gulf and Europe. He helped organize and direct the US government’s debriefing of U.S. citizens held in Kuwait and Iraq, which provided vital intelligence on Iraqi operations following that country’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Mr. Johnson’s expertise includes aviation and maritime security. He participated in the investigation of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 and directed crisis management operations that resolved several hijackings. Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership the U.S. airlines and pilots agreed to match the US Government’s two million-dollar reward. Mr. Johnson also supervised the multi-million dollar U.S. Anti-Terrorism Assistance Training Program, which provided training to more than 15,000 security officials from over 70 nations.

From 1985 through September 1989 Mr. Johnson worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. During his distinguished career, he received training in paramilitary operations, worked in the Directorate of Operations, served in the CIA’s Operation’s Center, and established himself as a prolific analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence. In his final year with the CIA he received two Exceptional Performance Awards.

Mr. Johnson routinely analyzes terrorist incidents for TV, radio, and print, including the Jim Lehrer News Hour, CNN, National Public Radio, ABC’s Nightline, NBC, the New York Times, and the BBC. Mr. Johnson has authored several articles for publications, including Security Management magazine, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Johnson received his BS from the University of Missouri in 1976, and his MS in Community Development from the University of Missouri, 1978.

[lawdude]

Number 1 is a proven lie.
Number 2 is pure posturing by the CIA
Number 3 is a lie as admitted by Wilson himself
Number 4 is speculative, at best.
Number 5 is even more speculative, probably wishful thinking.

Number 6 ??? What "anti-Wilson campaign?"
Number 7 is... D'oh
Number 8 is ?? "preliminary reports" by WHOM?
Number 9 is ?? The dems insisted the "Independent Counsel" lsw NOT be renewed. After all, it was their thorn! We all know just how fair Janet Reno was in her investigation.

Number 10 is "From the DNC's lips to your typewriter!"
Number 11 is the first comment I have been able to agree with!
Number 12 is, "OKaaay???"
Number 13 is "When it comes out that it was a Clinton holdover, will you be happy or sad?
Number 14 is "The only 'threat is the probability that dems are taking a very minor story and blowing it waaaay out of proportion, thanks to a willing liberal/communist media."

Number 15 is, REAL LIFE! And the dems know it.

This whole saga is media driven with points supplied by the DNC! The basis for it is lie upon lie. The problem is, only one person will ever know who did it because the only one who knows is Robert Novak...and he ain't never gonna talk, kiddies.

[willieroe]

Be real. The problem is not that Wilsons wife exists or has a name, but that someone gave out info about what her job is with the CIA.

The problem is also Wilson's credibility - See this thread, in which a Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial from August 10, 2003 notes, "In carefully discussing what he called the hypothetical possibility his wife is a CIA employee, Wilson noted that the use of her maiden name would compromise work done before their marriage five years ago."

[jwalsh07]

I'm serious when I say the RNC needs to look at the possibility of a Primary challenger.

Seriously demented.

[lawdude]

"The CIA would not have referred the case to Justice if Wilson's wife was only an analyst. "

The CIA would if it was marching to the orders of Bill & Hillary. After all, Tenet is their lap dog and they have enough on him to sink him to the bottom of the Ft. Marcy Park pond!

And you can bet on it!

[willieroe]

I'm serious when I say the RNC needs to look at the possibility of a Primary challenger

What if we can't find one - do you have any extra to share on the 'Rat side? :-)

[DarthVader]

Darkenmus is a candidate for ZOT!!!!!!