Where can I find a brief summary on the exact points of this Plame case?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

ROTFLMAO! He asked for exact points... Just could not resist...

[the Real fifi]

This is the very best source..start by hitting the Timeline on the right..then go to any topic for more details-- http://justoneminute.typepad.com/

[pepperdog]

Neatly wrapped and delivered and probably closer to the truth than anyone would like to admit. It was a setup from the start, or the CIA is so inept that they truly need to be disbanded for stupidity. So CIA make your call, you're Stuck on Stupid or Stuck on Hating GW Bush.

[Enchante]

Wolfstar, freeper extraordinaire, still has one of the best overviews (from 2 years ago):


http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/993741/posts

[Enchante]

What's Joe Wilson doing on this thread???

[USS Alaska]

Rooster,

Ever hear of google?

[1066AD]

Elephant pile. A true road hazard.

[zeestephen]

rooster,

There are two essential articles to read on this.

(1) Stephen Hayes - "The White House, the CIA, and the Wilsons" - from The Weekly Standard - this will provide you a great historical overview

http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/217wnmrb.asp

(2) Victoria Toensing - "The White House's Legal Katrina" - from Human Events Online - this will provide a great legal overview

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=9742

[Air Force Brat]

Well - I'm no expert, but here's what I understand (trying to be as neutral as possible):

1. Wilson goes to Niger to look into yellowcake issue. There is much controversy over who sent him and why.

2. Apparently of the opinion the Administration hadn't been accurate in its claims about yellowcake, Wilson writes an opinion piece in a major newspaper claiming to set the record straight (I don't remember where, but I think it may have been NYT or WaPo).

3. Bob Novak writes an article revealing that Wilson's wife works for the CIA. There is much controversy about whether this already was publicly known and what her exact status at the agency was.

4. The CIA requests that the DOJ look into the background on Novak's article to see if any laws were broken.

5. Ashcroft recuses himself and some underling at DOJ (don't remember who) appoints Fitzgerald to look into it. There is much controversy over whether Fitzgerald is an honest prosecutor or a partisan hack.

6. Fitzgerald has asked numerous journalists and administration staff to testify before the grand jury. It turns out that the testimony indicates several contacts between the White House staff and various reporters. There is much controversy over who told who what and when. I suspect this is a major part of Fitzgerald's work - trying to compare stories in an attempt to ferret out what actually happened.

7. Because of her unwillingness to testify and reveal sources, Judith Miller spent a few months in prison. There is much controversy over whether her source(s) had given her clearance to testify or not, and whether that clearance was voluntary or given under duress.

8. Eventually, Judith Miller agrees to testify, provides additional notes, and this triggers a series of further questions and testimony by various people, including administration staff.

Again - trying to be as neutral as possible - the key issues seem to be:

1. Who sent Wilson and why?

2. Was Plame's revealing Plame's employment at the CIA a crime?

3. Was Plame a covert operative (this directly bears on question 2)?

4. Who, if anyone, is telling the truth about who spoke to whom and when?

5. Is anyone guilty of obstruction of justice?

6. Does any of this really rise to the level of deserving prosecution?

I have to say I don't know if anyone other than Fitzgerald (and possibly not even him) can fully answer those questions. I think we're all hoping for the best, though.

[Air Force Brat]

Ack - number 2 at the bottom should have read: 2. Was revealing Plame's employment at the CIA a crime? I know - I know - preview is my friend. Sorry about that!

[GOPPachyderm]

Or alternatively,

Valerie Plame was or was not a covert spy as she went daily to her desk job at the CIA (maybe not the most effective way to remain covert);

She suggested her husband go to Niger to scope out whether Iraq was seeking yellow cake uranium advance their weapons of mass destruction.

Joe Wilson had a nice junket at the taxpayers' expense.

Joe Wilson wanted to promote his book.

He accused the Bush administration of lying about WMD - apparently some timeline discrepancy between his claim and the date of the report.

He and his wife had a nice photo taken for Vanity Fair cover shot in a convertible.