Former State Dept. official acknowledges CIA leak ~ expresses regrets and apologies

Reuters ^ | Thu Sep 7, 2006 9:28pm ET139 | Reuters

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Thursday acknowledged being the original source in the leak of a CIA official's identity and expressed regrets and apologies in media interviews.

"It was a terrible error on my part," Armitage told The New York Times. "There wasn't a day when I didn't feel like I had let down the president, the secretary of state, my colleagues, my family and the Wilsons. I value my ability to keep state secrets. This was bad and I really felt badly about this."

Armitage was the first person to discuss the identity of former CIA official Valerie Plame with reporters after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized the Bush administration's Iraq policy in a New York Times opinion piece.

Knowingly disclosing the identity of a covert CIA agent is against the law, but no officials have been charged with leaking Plame's identity to the news media in 2003.

Former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been charged with lying to investigators as they sought to find out who leaked Plame's identity. Armitage is expected to be a witness at his perjury trial, according to a court motion by the defense.

Armitage said he wanted to disclose his role in the leak as soon as he realized he was the main source for a Robert Novak column which named Plame as a CIA intelligence officer, the Times reported.

But he told the newspaper he kept quiet at the request of Patrick Fitzgerald, the prosecutor investigating the leak.

Armitage also confirmed he was the anonymous government official who told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward about Plame's identity before other Bush administration officials mentioned her name to reporters, the newspaper reported.

[X-FID]

They should know better than to mess with a guy called turd blossom.

[Free ThinkerNY]

It's too complicated for someone of his intellect. Maybe he could consult with someone smarter than him. Like a flea or a maggot.

[lesser_satan]

This f-ing Fitzgerald moron should be executed for the amount of time and money he wasted on this nothing story. And what have we learned?

1)Joe Wilson is a pathological liar
2)His wife was never a "covert operative",but a desk-jockey careerist bureaucrat in Langley
3)The MSM and Dems are disingenuous sacks of sh!t
4)Patrick Fitzgerald is a f-ing assclown
5)Saddam was most likely trying to purchase uranium from Niger after all, as there's no question meetings took place, and their only other major exports are livestock, cowpeas, and onions

[Suzy Quzy]

Where is FITZ's STATEMENT???? Why hasn't he come out??/Why hasn't anyone asked him why he SUPPOSEDLY said to Armitage "don't talk about it."?????

[TexasCajun]

Powell & Armitage were not supportive of the Iraq war and seriously doubt they did anything to bolster support for it or discredit critics like them?

I do know they intentionally did not inform The President before Fitz was appointed?

I'm sure someone is working up a new detailed time-line.

[OldFriend]

APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED

[Stingray51]

Powell went to the UN Security Council just before the invasion and put his credibility on the line that Iraq's WMD program had to be stopped. He reportedly had long talks with Tenet beforehand; Tenet told him that the WMD intel was a "slam dunk".

After the invasion, when the WMDs were not found (overstatement, I know), Powell had egg on his face (he had portrayed himself as the restraining influence in contrast to the Cheney / Rummy crowd). That summer, post-invasion, is when Wilson started mouthing off; and if Wilson were to be believed (he turned out to be a huge liar), Powell had been fooled. So I do see a motive (back then) for Armitage to have sought to discredit Wilson.

For Armitage to have been such an amateur to have made the same leak three times and then forget to tell Fitzgerald the whole story is very hard for me to believe of a very smart guy.

[Dolphy]

Comey set Fitzgerald up so that he wan't accountable to anyone. He set him up to go after whomever he pleased without ever having to answer or explain to the public with a written report. Imagine, he had the power to subpoena and grant immunity without having to answer or explain to anyone, apparently, but his own agenda. And who, besides the President, could fire Fitzgerald?

[R.W.Ratikal]

And the fearless prosecutor Fitzgerald knew it all the time. Maybe Fitzgerald should be investigated to find out if he broke any laws by prosecuting a case in which he already knew the answers.

The scariest thing about the whole episode is that someone like Plame and her husband, Joe Wilson were so high up in the CIA and had so much influence. If Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson are typical of a CIA agent, no wonder our intelligence service get it wrong so often.

[3niner]

But he told the newspaper he kept quiet at the request of Patrick Fitzgerald, the prosecutor investigating the leak.

The real scandal here is Fitzgerald's behavior. He should be required to appear before Congress and testify about why he continued a sham investigation (costing millions of dollars, and forwarding a false story line in the media), when he knew the following, from almost the very beginning.

A: There was no crime.

B: The "leaker" was on the same side as Wilson (and Saddaam).

C: The "leak" was just a stupid accident.

[TexasCajun]

For Armitage to have been such an amateur to have made the same leak three times and then forget to tell Fitzgerald the whole story is very hard for me to believe of a very smart guy.

I agree it's hard to imagine Armitage as a big dumb girly-man, gossiping to who will listen just to impress someone, especially a reporter.

[Arm_Bears]

Really?

You mean the Washington Post got it all wrong?

I guess I won't be re-newing my subscription then. </sarc>

[beyond the sea]

At a minimum. Frankly, Fitz needs to face charges.

(imo) -- At a minimum, frankly Fitz needs to face a firing squad.

****

Ernest................Sharapova and Mauresmo/ Semis-U.S. Open --- coming up very soon on SeeBS.

[demkicker]

Is there a law that you have to keep quiet about being guilty of a non-crime while the prosecutor invents crimes to convict other people?

That's the $64,000.00 question.

[demkicker]

I've got a different take and think you are being far too easy on Armitage (and Powell). It's no secret they were bitter about the Bush administration not going along with the U.N. and going to war with Iraq.

Armitage's leak may not have been intentional as he is known to be a gossip. The trouble is that HE knew all along that he was the leaker, but cowardly stood by for many months as the dems and DBM accused Karl Rove & Dick Cheney, naturally. It became a media obsession equal to that of Deep Throat!

Fitzgerald let the phony dog & pony show continue, resulting in harming the Bush administration immeasurably (while we are at war). And Armitage stood by while Scooter Libby got indicted because he couldn't remember some dates in this sham of an investigation.

Unless he was threatened by Fitzgerald to keep quiet, Armitage should have "ask for permission" to step up and take the blame for being the leaker LONG, LONG AGO!!! Because of his big mouth and an out of control prosecutor, Scooter Libby's life has been ruined and the Bush administration has been the victim of grossly unfair and relentless attacks by democrats and the media which can never be excused.

[demkicker]

He should be required to appear before Congress and testify about why he continued a sham investigation (costing millions of dollars, and forwarding a false story line in the media), when he knew the following, from almost the very beginning.

Please refresh my memory, but did't Ken Starr have to go before Congress and explain his reasons for prosecuting?

[Stingray51]

Yes, I agree with all that as well; I just also think that the leaks by Armitage were probably intentional. That's not contradictory, I don't think.

Powell continually gets a free pass from the major media; what was a capital offense when supposedly done by the Bush insiders is considered a mere triviality, not worthy of discussion, when committed by Armitage / Powell.

[Gondring]

ping!

[Revolutionary]

After the smoke has been cleared, don't forget to look for the real fire. The real fire is that Plame and by extension Wilson were part of a CIA faction that was actively trying to undermine the Bush administration, the War on Terror and at the time the potential war with Iraq. A very bright light needs to shined on this CIA faction. The anti-American and anti-Bush group in the State Department need a flame thrower pointed in their direction. The State Department has been the real cause for the slower than expected transformation in Iraq. Yes, there are a lot of other inputs, but none more insidious than the State Department's intentional "incompetence". Giving Powell and the State Department the lead in reconstructing Iraq was a major mistake.