Intel Officers: Bush Needs to Punish Rove for Plame Outing

AP ^ | 22 July 05 | Unkown

[LSUfan]

Former U.S. intelligence officers criticized President Bush on Friday for not disciplining Karl Rove in connection with the leak of the name of a CIA officer, saying Bush's lack of action has jeopardized national security.

In a hearing held by Senate and House Democrats examining the implications of exposing Valerie Plame's identity, the former intelligence officers said Bush's silence has hampered efforts to recruit informants to help the United States fight the War on Terror. Federal law forbids government officials from revealing the identity of an undercover intelligence officer.

"I wouldn't be here this morning if President Bush had done the one thing required of him as commander in chief — protect and defend the Constitution," said Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst. "The minute that Valerie Plame's identity was outed, he should have delivered a strict and strong message to his employees."

[concerned about politics]

Why is it okay for John Kerry to publicly and irrefutably "out" a true covert CIA agent, while the mere allegation that Karl Rove might have told a reporter that the wife of a Democrat operative was a clerical CIA employee is grounds for dismissal?

Because that's the way the press wants it. There's nothing to Roves involvement, but it makes a good pro-democrat story for the summer.

[alnick]

What more does this guy want? Torture?

Of course. It's terrorists they want to protect from torture, not Republicans.

[roses of sharon]

Johnson is a Chrissy Matthews boy.

[ken21]

these guys are obviously anti-bush.

---

is this forum slow?

i just pinged and my service is normal.

[AndyJackson]

Without the net, many more liberal crimes would go unpunished and many more conservative ones would be manufactured without challenge.

And just how long do these idiots think that the internet has been in existence to check out their _hits. I mean, it is not exactly like the Switft Boat Vets, or Blather's forgeries didn't happen.

OTOH given how clueless this guy is about the internet it is entirely possible he failed to get a clue on terrorism as well. Just another useful idiot.

[Don_Ret_USAF]

WOW - Everyone who works for the CIA is an under cover agent officer. GOBBLEDGOOK to the fullest.

[sarasmom]

Ask Jimmy Carter, former POTUS.
Better yet, wait until the final "resting place" of the former POTUS has a specially designated EPA approved urination facility to handle the anticipated popular demand.

[Sender]

Rep Henry 'alien hominid' Waxman: "This administration...doesn't care about the lives of covert agents around the world...they only care about their political connections..."

Col. Patrick Lang (retired, former intel officer) "It's the thought...the nobility of what you are asking this person to do...you will protect this person as one of your beloved sons...very very profound trust, empathic relationship...this person's fate depends on whether he/she was covered in this way or that way...otherwise you've lost them. If you start messing around with the essential humanity of the identities of these agents...it's a very very serious thing.

Davod McMichael (former agent): This trust was abused by those in power...agents around the world...these are human beings...abusers have agendas of their own.

Jim Marcinkowski (former CIA case officer): It's a very personal...goings on between that person and the CIA case officer...abuse...don't care...agents could be killed...

Rep Louise Slaughter (D) NY: Have you ever had a case like this, where someone from the White House has outed someone from one of your agencies? My anger...I can't really express it...

All the stooges in unison: ROVE BAD, BUSH BAD, ALL AGENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD IN MORTAL JEOPARDY DUE TO EVIL BUSHCO...

[sgtbono2002]

You are exactly right. The people making these statements are the ones responsible for 911. Clinton cronies.

[Sender]

And for GOD'S SAKE, we aren't talking about recruited foreign intelligence agents here!!! We are talking about the suburban wife of a Democratic Party operative!!! Jeez!!! What an utter farce!!!

[gaspar]

Remember, Johnson trained with Plame in the CIA. Thus you have a personal friendship clouding the issue -- aside from the fact that Johnson is a born-again dipstick.

[ThePythonicCow]

So totally unreal.

A day or two after Wilson states in public that his wife wasn't undercover, acknowledging what was clear to all who had the slightest connection with reality, a fired CIA employee, who had a NYTimes article published Aug 2001 claiming the war on terror was overblown, blames Bush for not firing Rove for the purported crime of exposing Wilson's "undercover" wife.

As Rush says, you couldn't make this stuff up.

[Always Right]

Funny, I was lurking at DU today and they were all saying how our CIA is just a terrorist organization, but they are just pretending to be concerned about the CIA so they can get Bush.

[Chode]

might wait till he's ACTUALLY convicted of something first, yeah???

[Sender]

Rep Rush Holt (D) NJ: It's a terrible thing, almost an unthinkable thing...when an operative is placed in jeopardy by someone in a position of trust...someone in the WH...we asked them to take things at risk in order to save American lives...how unusual is this?

Patrick Lang (alzheimers patient): I've always treated such outbursts with extreme hostility...here we have an example of someone in responsibility...breakdown...deliberate disclosure...bleeechhhhh...

Jim Marcinkowski (fired by Porter Goss): I can't debate a senior official in the WH, for example...I may be good but not that good...when you look at where the disclosure is coming from, someone as senior as Karl Rove, that's huge...

David Mac Michael (doddering fool): Breeakdown here, Watergate...certainly careless, thoughtless use of an intelligence operation for non-intel purposes...very serious consequences...

Larry Johnson, TV personality: I say this as a currently registered Republican...I wish someone had the courage to stand up and call the ugly dog what it is...where are these men and women who have the courage to stand up??? I expect better behavior out of Republicans.

[reasonisfaith]

Larry Johnson’s problem is that he was so excited about his role as Leftist Infiltrator of the Central Intelligence Agency that he forgot how intelligence was in fact not central to the agency of his person.

[japaneseghost]

This story was trash a week ago, when we found out Rove got the info from whats-his-face conservative reporter.

What are you going to do when a REAL CIA covert op gets outed?

People here are making such a production out of nothing.

Please save your energy for the real thing.

[Uncle Miltie]

We're fighting a world-war, and the libs are worried that Rove repeated what every reporter already knew.

Have they cement betwixt their ears?

[Big Giant Head]

--Larry C. Johnson, "The Declining Terrorist Threat," New York Times, July 10, 2001. Johnson, a former CIA officer, was deputy director of the U.S. State Department's Office of Counterterrorism from 1989 to 1993. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Judging from news reports and the portrayal of villains in our popular entertainment, Americans are bedeviled by fantasies about terrorism. They seem to believe that terrorism is the greatest threat to the United States and that it is becoming more widespread and lethal. They are likely to think that the United States is the most popular target of terrorists. And they almost certainly have the impression that extremist Islamic groups cause most terrorism. "None of these beliefs are based in fact. ... While terrorism is not vanquished, in a world where thousands of nuclear warheads are still aimed across the continents, terrorism is not the biggest security challenge confronting the United States, and it should not be portrayed that way."

Self-ping

[bt_dooftlook]

That is a thought - does OpenSecrets have a listing of Larry's political contributions over the last two election cycles?