The Wilson-Plame Affair (Cont'd)

Washington Post ^ | July 18, 2004 | Michael Getler

[NavySEAL F-16]

There was no ambiguity in the conclusion of the massive report released by the Senate's bipartisan Select Committee on Intelligence on July 9. "Most of the major key judgments" made by the intelligence community about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction were "either overstated, or were not supported by, the underlying intelligence reporting. A series of failures, particularly in analytic trade craft, led to the mischaracterization of the intelligence."

The Post has done a good job sifting through and reporting on this exhaustively detailed study. But only one of perhaps a score of stories has attracted criticism from readers. That story, by staff writer Susan Schmidt, appeared on Page A9 July 10. It reported on what the committee had to say about a CIA-sponsored trip to Africa by former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV in February 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq was seeking to buy uranium in Africa, and about the role of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, who was an undercover employee of the CIA at the time, in the decision to send him.

There is no room here to go into all the details, but Wilson's trip, and his subsequent public criticism of the Bush administration, became a much longer-running and high-profile story than his original secret assignment. In addition, a federal grand jury has been conducting a criminal investigation for several months now into who identified Plame by name to columnist Robert D. Novak a year ago.

[NavySEAL F-16]

Too bad that this is buried on B06

[Cableguy]

Wilson is cooked. Fighting with Wash Post proves that even the mainstream press thinks this guy is a liar and has no credibility. Now if we can only get that message out to the rest of the public.

[bikepacker67]

Actually... the British report is even MORE damning.

I wonder, given that Wilson's vehement denial of Saddam's search for yellowcake could have seriously endangered the United States (if we hadn't had a Prez with balls) - shouldn't he be charged with SOMETHING? Dereliction of Duty?

[NavySEAL F-16]

This was written by the Ombudsman at the WaPo to justify their position -- not a policy wonk paper.

I just wonder what his Security Clearance was at State.

Just because you retire doesn't mean that you aren't still bound by your security clearance which doesn't expire on the date you leave your job. What if we had everyone write a government bashing book on their experiences in the government?

[kittymyrib]

Ah, but CNN had his lying face on Wolf's show today, spinning all his anti-Bush bile as though none of this matters. CNN has not given up on this hack, which proves them to be worse than the Washington Compost.

[Maria S]

"...Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, who was an undercover employee of the CIA..."

An excerpt about Miz Wilson-Plame's undercover status:

Secrets of the Scandal
http://foi.missouri.edu/iipa/secrets.html
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
The New York Times
Oct. 11, 2003

And now a few pertinent facts:
First, the C.I.A. suspected that Aldrich Ames had given Mrs. Wilson's name (along with those of other spies) to the Russians before his espionage arrest in 1994. So her undercover security was undermined at that time, and she was brought back to Washington for safety reasons.

Second, as Mrs. Wilson rose in the agency, she was already in transition away from undercover work to management, and to liaison roles with other intelligence agencies. So this year, even before she was outed, she was moving away from "noc" — which means non-official cover, like pretending to be a business executive. After passing as an energy analyst for Brewster-Jennings & Associates, a C.I.A. front company, she was switching to a new cover as a State Department official, affording her diplomatic protection without having "C.I.A." stamped on her forehead.

Third, Mrs. Wilson's intelligence connections became known a bit in Washington as she rose in the C.I.A. and moved to State Department cover, but her job remained a closely held secret. Even her classmates in the C.I.A.'s career training program mostly knew her only as Valerie P. That way, if one spook defected, the damage would be limited.

[G.Mason]

Good post, in the continuing saga of the Joe "I'm so confused by all this" Wilson.

From the article ...

"Wilson, in his letter, refers to "the Republican-written" report. It is a bipartisan report. Wilson says "the decision to send me to Niger was not made, and could not be made, by Valerie." Neither the report, nor the story, says she made "the decision." The story says Wilson was "specifically recommended for the mission by his wife." The report says "interviews and documents provided to the Committee indicate that his wife . . . suggested his name for the trip." A reports officer in her division told the committee she "offered up his name." There are other references as well to Plame's role."

Seems the "legs" are growing. Keep feeding the little bastid, and soon it will be an 800 lb. Gorilla!

[boop]

Don't forget he is a big Kerry supporter. This little tidbit seems to be forgotten by the press. Can you IMAGINE what the press would do to a Bush supporting republican who was exposed as a liar? CNN wouldn't have them on as an "expert", for sure.

[sauropod]

read later

[G.Mason]

"Don't forget he is a big Kerry supporter. This little tidbit seems to be forgotten by the press."

Not ... forgotten ... simply ignored.

Suffice it to say that we get it. ;)

[Ole Okie]

shouldn't he be charged with SOMETHING? Dereliction of Duty?

Drinking too much tea.

Algore was afflicted with this same problem. This causes the tea drinkers to always be headed to the head when important matters are discussed..

Reading Wilson's letter to the Post filled me with a feeling of nausea. Over my lifetime, I've seen pompous SOB's like this whose senses of self-importance are unbounded. And unmerited.

To paraphrase one of G&S's patter songs, "Ah, you've no idea how great an opinion I have of meself;

And how little I deserve it!"

[maica]

The Post has done a good job sifting through and reporting on this exhaustively detailed study. But only one of perhaps a score of stories has attracted criticism from readers.

How many of the "score" of Post stories involved calling the POTUS a "liar?"

There is no room here to go into all the details, but Wilson's trip, and his subsequent public criticism of the Bush administration, became a much longer-running and high-profile story than his original secret assignment.

Excuse me Mr Ombudsman, how can a paper cover a SECRET assignment? Geesh!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Everyone needs to see this:

My Fisking Of Joseph Wilson's Letter Regarding the Senate Intelligence Report, Niger and Uranium

Shermy nails Wilson!!!

[maggief]

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0407/18/le.00.html

CNN LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER

Interview With King Abdullah of Jordan; Interview With Joseph Wilson; Interview With Carmen bin Ladin

Aired July 18, 2004 - 12:00 ET

[Rome2000]

Now if we can only get that message out to the rest of the public

Not even necessary, as only the hardcore leftist morons of the type that listen to the unlistenable "Err Amerika" care about this "story".

The real story is why anybody would consider this guy an expert on the subject to begin with.

[SpinyNorman]

Doesn't it seem that Wilson's recently released book, "The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity" might need to be rewritten with the identities of the liars reversed?

Or maybe just shift two little words, i.e. "The Politics of Lies: Inside the Truth that Led to War and How I Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity" LOL!

[NavySEAL F-16]

LOL.

If you want to see something interesting, go to the following thread and read about liberallarry defending Josh Marshall who is defending the liar, Joe Wilson.

Josh Marshall Pounds the Table (in defense of Joe Wilson)