If Rove Wasn't Initial Source of Leak, Who Was? [LATimes laments]

LATimes ^ | July 17, 2005 | By Doyle McManus

[johnny7]

Some in GOP fear more revelations, and hope naming a court nominee will overshadow case.

WASHINGTON — If Karl Rove was source No. 2, who was source No. 1? Rove, President Bush's top political advisor, has survived a bruising week of controversy over his role in the unmasking of a CIA officer. But White House officials and their Republican allies acknowledge that they may face more revelations in the weeks and months to come.

[go-ken-go]

Did you see the blood=thirsty bunch on the Chris Matthews show just now- they could hardly be any more thrilled over the possibilty of taking down Rove, etc.

[Eagles Talon IV]

If he is correct then why did Wilson himself recently claim that his wife was not under cover at the time of Novaks column?

[johnny7]

I heard it was just until the end of the inquisition... er... investigation.

[syriacus]

Who, at the CIA, instigated the criminal referral?

Perhaps, Fitzgerald thinks someone at the CIA lied about a "crime" being committed.

Is it a federal crime to falsely accuse someone of a federal crime?

[Eagles Talon IV]

"There are people who haven't come out yet. There could be indictments. And that would cast an entirely different shadow on the matter."

"He writes this as if this possibility is a BAD thing for the GOP..."

I agree. He is saying this is bad for the libs. Note he says it "would cast an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT shadow on the matter". This can only mean the facts pointing AWAY from this Administration and in another direction. You can't get more "entirely different" then that. we all seem to think that this is foreshadowing Dems in Dutch.

[BobS]

Actually, Bush should tell Rove to go fishing with Cheney for a few days. And make sure there is a picture of him holding up the smallest fish he caught!

[sirchtruth]

If he is correct then why did Wilson himself recently claim that his wife was not under cover at the time of Novaks column?

Can you find a source for that? I heard that too, but then I found the article reporting the CIA still considered her covert. Post #119

[sirchtruth]

Who, at the CIA, instigated the criminal referral?

A good question and one that needs to be answered.

But would finding that out negate Plame being covert?

[syriacus]

I think that Karl Rove did American security a favor by questioning Joe Wilson's libelous story, which essentially told the whole world [enemies included] that Americans invaded Iraq under false pretenses.

[depenzz]

No, I stoped watching Chris about a year ago. Can't stand him and he doesn't have anything to offer me.

[Cold Heart]

Actually that is close to the theory presented on FOX news. FOX news contributers had heard she was CIA on the Washington social circuit prior to the publishing of the articles. "Everybody knew it."

[syriacus]

But would finding that out negate Plame being covert?

If the complainer was lying, yes.

[Ghengis]

Members of the lamestream media and the 'Rats keep playing no-limit Texas hold 'em and keep losing. I say let's keep those morons pushing chips into the pot while GWB holds the nuts.

Its more like they're playing Omaha Hi-Low. The MSM tried for the high hand. Now they're going for the low. It seems like the White House is slowing playing a perfect Hi-Low hand and will beat them for the whole pot.

[go-ken-go]

I normally don't, but forced myself on the outside chance there might be one who was half way fair.

[tobyhill]

Washington Post 7/16/2005

"Wilson set out to discredit the charge, working largely through back channels at first to debunk it. He called friends inside the government and the media, and told the New York Times's Nicholas D. Kristof of his findings in Niger. Kristof aired them publicly for the first time in his May 6, 2003, column but did not name Wilson. This caught the attention of officials inside Cheney's office, as well as others involved in war planning, according to people who had talked with them."

[Eagles Talon IV]

"Can you find a source for that? I heard that too, but then I found the article reporting the CIA still considered her covert. Post #119

*********************************************************** "A statement by Wilson on Wolf Blitzer's July 14, 2005 CNN program that, "my wife was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity", has caused some to consider it an indication that Wilson acknowledged Plame was no longer covert at the time. However, this statement was made in response to a question about whether Plame's actions had blown her cover, and Wilson went on to continue with his assertion that Novak was responsible for his wife's exposure.

Here is where he attempts to back track, poorly imo.

"Wilson later explained that his wife was not covert on that day because that was the day her cover was blown, although the original statement matches with other statements of that nature. Former covert CIA agent Fred Rustmann, for instance, has claimed in the Washington Times on 15 July 2005 that "she made no bones about the fact that she was an agency employee and her husband was a diplomat...Her neighbors knew this, her friends knew this, his friends knew this." It was the position of the CIA, according to Rustmann, that she was a "non-official cover," or NOC, until 1997, and hadn't been out as that type of agent since then, instead having overt status. These statements are contrary to information in an older October 1, 2003 Knight Ridder report entitled "Justice Launches Probe Into CIA Leak," where an anonymous CIA official was quoted as saying, "If she was not undercover, we would have no reason to file a criminal referral," referring to the referral by the CIA to the Justice Department that a crime may have been committed." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Plame

[syriacus]

Yes she was [covert], as far as the CIA was concerned.

The same 2003 article that you reference says [in one sentence, no less] [Direct quote from the article]

1. "The Justice Department launched the investigation at the request of the CIA;"
2. "some CIA officials think the White House misrepresented intelligence information to make the case for war"

Question: Are the CIA folks who say she was covert the same lying CIA folks who say Bush misrepresented intelligence?

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

I read all of the article from post #119 and came away with the impression that back in 2003 CIA was scurrying to shift attention away from the question of why CIA allowed Val to recommend Joey for this mission in the first place. To me the article was about CYA from CIA.

I didn't see who wrote the article. It is just attributed to Knight-Ridder. Is the author listed?

If the story had actually unfolded as the article states, I don't think W and Karl Rove would be walking around with grins on their faces and Joey Wilson wouldn't be looking like his shoes and shorts are too tight.

Michael Frazier