Posted on 07/12/2005 3:31:58 PM PDT by Crackingham
That clearly was the intent of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove in leaking to a reporter that former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV's wife, Valerie Plame, was a CIA agent. To try to conceal the fact that the president had lied to the American public about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program, Rove attempted to destroy the credibility of two national security veterans and send an intimidating message to any other government officials preparing to publicly tell the truth.
Rove's lawyer now says that Rove didn't break the law against naming covert agents because he didn't know Plame's name and therefore couldn't have revealed it. Perhaps he can use such a technicality in court, but in the meantime he should resign immediately — or be fired by the president — for leaking classified information, trying to smear Wilson and possibly endangering Plame's life.
"The White House promised if anyone was involved in the Valerie Plame affair, they would no longer be in this administration," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "I trust they will follow through on this pledge."
The background on this story is crucial. Ambassador Wilson had been honored as a patriot by President George H.W. Bush for standing up to Saddam Hussein in a face-to-face confrontation in Baghdad on the eve of the Persian Gulf War. But in 2003, Wilson committed an unpardonable crime in the eyes of the second Bush White House. He exposed its lies about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Prove it.
Rove's lawyer now says that Rove didn't break the law against naming covert agents because he didn't know Plame's name and therefore couldn't have revealed it.
It doesn't matter anyway. Her status had been lowered so much, the law didn't cover for her. She was no longer "covert." I could have screamed her name and CIA status from a roof top and there would be nothing anyone could do about it.
This story will die like all the others. It's another left wing hate fest and non-event.
This is the new "Demogate" scandal. They just can't help themselves.
Where's the barf alert?
This guy should get a new career in fiction, It's obvious he doesn't know the facts of this case
translation: "If you're a reporter whose wife is a DemoncRAT operative (Mandy "Moustache" Grunwald) and you're determined to do all you can to damage the Bush Administration, seek cover from your fellow journalists and LIE, LIE, LIE!"
The background on this story is crucial. Ambassador Wilson had been honored as a patriot by President George H.W. Bush for standing up to Saddam Hussein in a face-to-face confrontation in Baghdad on the eve of the Persian Gulf War. But in 2003, Wilson committed an unpardonable crime in the eyes of the second Bush White House. He exposed its lies about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. In 16 now infamous words in Bush's 2003 State of the Union speech, the president — desperate to gain support for an invasion he was dead set on initiating — tried to scare Americans into believing Iraq was close to making nuclear weapons. "The British government," he told the nation, "has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." But the key documents that the claim was based on had already been proved to be fakes, and other intelligence reports along these lines were extremely speculative. In fact, it was a CIA-organized mission by Wilson to the African country of Niger (where he had served as ambassador) that determined the reports were false. Wilson was therefore shocked to hear the uranium claims in the president's speech. When he exposed the chicanery in a New York Times commentary, Wilson became a prime target for a White House smear job.
The FACTS, as told by the Washington Post, from the Senate Intelligence Committee Report:
Wilson's assertions -- both about what he found in Niger and what the Bush administration did with the information -- were undermined yesterday in a bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report.
The panel found that Wilson's report, rather than debunking intelligence about purported uranium sales to Iraq, as he has said, bolstered the case for most intelligence analysts. And contrary to Wilson's assertions and even the government's previous statements, the CIA did not tell the White House it had qualms about the reliability of the Africa intelligence that made its way into 16 fateful words in President Bush's January 2003 State of the Union address.
Yesterday's report said that whether Iraq sought to buy lightly enriched "yellowcake" uranium from Niger is one of the few bits of prewar intelligence that remains an open question. Much of the rest of the intelligence suggesting a buildup of weapons of mass destruction was unfounded, the report said.
The report turns a harsh spotlight on what Wilson has said about his role in gathering prewar intelligence, most pointedly by asserting that his wife, CIA employee Valerie Plame, recommended him.
This is absolutely amazing just for it's blatant lies.
LOL. Kucinich, Dennis.
This hit piece author leans so far to the left, he probably falls out of his chair every time he sits down to make up a news story!
The Libs conspiracy theories (i.e. Son's of Watergate) always sound great...until the actual facts come out!!!
I read this stuff and I wonder how this crap gets past the Editor. This article isn't worthy of DU, much less a national newspaper
Question is, why in the world did Dick Cheney send this Wilson guy to Niger in the first place? Why did they need anything HE would come up with?
Thank you! I just didn't have the patience!
It was only sex,....er, talk...every Chief of Staff did it, even Lincoln's COS....it's not impeachable....
If you don't believe it, I have over 400 historians ready, willing and able to take out an add in NYT to convince you.
W should tell everyone to STFU and if they don't like it, they don't have to vote for him in '08. Better yet, W can pre-pardon him (ala Slick Willie) in case the next administration gets vengeful....
He's donated twice to Kucinich? The guy is a retard squared....
Bump.
You know what, that info is a great idea. Just like CNBC requires any guests to disclose if they have a relationship with the company in question, each Reporter should be required to list their donations to political parties at the beginning of each article.
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