Was Valerie Plame Walter Pincus' Senior CIA Analyst Source?

Washington Post ^ | August 3, 2005 | Walter Pincus

[Sam Hill]

As those of us who have been following this saga know, Walter Pincus (husband of Clinton appointee, Ann, and close pal of both Clintons) cited two unnamed sources for his "news" story in the Washington Post back on June 12, 2003.

We know of course that the first source was none other than "Admiral" Joe Wilson. But who was the second source? A "senior" CIA analyst who was so willing to risk his job to get out these "truths" about Bush lying to get us into war with Iraq?

CIA Did Not Share Doubt on Iraq Data

Bush Used Report Of Uranium Bid

By Walter Pincus

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 12, 2003; Page A01

A senior intelligence official said the CIA's action was the result of "extremely sloppy" handling of a central piece of evidence in the administration's case against then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. But, the official added, "It is only one fact and not the reason we went to war. There was a lot more."

Excerpted

[Steve_Seattle]

"And the idea that this woman was just working overtly at CIA in a mid-level desk job, but somehow the publication of that status justifies a criminal referral by the Agency and a GJ investigation is absurd."

I don't think it's that absurd. The media jumped on this and pretty much demanded a special prosecutor, so Ashcroft/Bush gave it to them. The purpose of the investigation was to ascertain IF a crime was committed, not to investigate a proven crime.

I have no idea where this investigation has taken Fitzgerald, but I think much of the speculation derives from the fact that this investigation is taking so long. After all, only a handful of White House employees have been mentioned as "suspects," and only a few journalists are involved. How long can it possibly take to requisition emails, memos, and phone records, interview the thirty key players, and evaluate their stories? The 9/11 commission held hearings and issued it's report in less time than it's taken to investigate this one goddamned leak.

Possibly one reason for the delay is that, given the high-profile nature of this case, perhaps Fitzgerald feels an obligation to come up with an indictment - any indictment - to justify the past two years of his life, and is poring over testimony to come up with some secondary violation such as perjury, even if the original leak did not involve a crime. Maybe he's desperately wandering further and further afield hoping to find something to send back home. Or perhaps, as some here hope, the investigation has turned back onto Wilson, Plame, and the CIA, exposing some nefarious plot to undermine the President.

As for your denunciations of Sam Hill for "speculating," I thought that was one of the purposes of this forum. The media have certainly done their fair share of it, and I think you should be writing letters to them rather than denouncing Sam Hill for his private speculations in FR.

And I don't think it's unreasonable to think the Wilson or Plame themselves had a role in compromising her identity; there is very little doubt that her identity was known beyond CIA circles prior to the Novak story. Given Wilson's penchant for publicity and braggadocio, it wouldn't surprise me.

[littlelilac]

imagine even inept Kerry knew to distance himself from Wilson after he was exposed as a liar........good thing Wilson's book was out the year before huh......

[ravingnutter]

I also believe at least one more columnist, based in Washington, agreed with May and Novak that Plame's "secret" was no "secret"

That was Andrea Mitchell who stated it on MSNBC.

[lugsoul]

As I said in my initial post, before Sammy felt the need to start the name-calling, I'm open to a wager on the issue. I think that a necessary subtext of this entire line of discussion is 'Fitzgerald is an idiot' - and based on what I know of the guy, I don't buy that.

[nuffsenuff]

And I don't think it's unreasonable to think the Wilson or Plame themselves had a role in compromising her identity; there is very little doubt that her identity was known beyond CIA circles prior to the Novak story. Given Wilson's penchant for publicity and braggadocio, it wouldn't surprise me.

Exactly. It would fit Wilson's profile to a tee. Egomaniac with a big mouth.

[nuffsenuff]

WRONG. The subtext is that we are looking at this story from a non-MSM perspective.

Fitzgerald is NOT an idiot. No one I've seen here has said that. EVER.

[lugsoul]

Sarcasm. Something you may understand when you get past the action figure stage.

[Steve_Seattle]

“I wasn’t aware of any directive from senior Kerry staff to ‘discard’ Joe Wilson or do anything to Joe Wilson for that matter,” said Daou, who now publishes the “Daou Report” at Salon.com. “It just got lost in the redesign of the Web site, as did dozens and dozens of other pages.”

Perhaps that's true, but you seem to accept it without question. Do you think they'd admit it if they WERE trying to hide something? After all, what do you expect them to say?

[Sam Hill]

The reason Fitzgerald has given for the delay is simply Miller's refusal to talk (obstruction of justice).

He has said that he could wrap up the investigation if she would just testify. I don't know if that has changed, but that was what he was saying when she was sent to jail.

[lugsoul]

Right. But only citing MSM sources. Keep spinning.

[nuffsenuff]

Yeah. Okay. Sarcasm. Right.

[lugsoul]

You can't cite to me defending Wilson at all. So why do you keep saying it? Cause ya got nothing else?

[nuffsenuff]

"Keep spinning"

Another favorite DU phrase.

[littlelilac]

and as I noted Steve, the biggest irony in all this is that the NY Times and Times Magazine, in trying to keep Cooper and Miller out of jail all stated the same things, that
Plame's employment was no secret to most of the press and Washington circles and that she hadn't been covert for 7 years - so heck if you can't believe the lawyers for NY Times and Times Magazine, gosh darn, who can you trust?

remember the main thrust of their arguments is that there is no proof any crime has been committed so why should Cooper and Miller be compelled to testify

so lugsoul are you saying the Times and NY Times are, uh, lying?

I also heard a former CIA guy who said even when she was covert, she was a one woman operation, basically a phone number under a phoney company name, so all the screaming by Wilson that others had been endangered by this leak, the guy laughed......

[Sam Hill]

Daou is a nobody. If Wilson was not axed from the Kerry camp, we would have heard Wilson himself say so. And top Kerry people. Not this guy who was in charge of feeding propaganda to the nitwit bloggers.

Daou Report

ABOUT

WHO The Daou Report is published by Peter Daou, a political consultant specializing in online communications whose clients include the United Nations Foundation, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation. During the 2004 presidential election, Peter headed online rapid response and blog outreach for the Kerry-Edwards campaign. In addition to the Daou Report, Peter guest blogs at Truthout’s Town Meeting and administers the UN Foundation-sponsored UN Dispatch.

[lugsoul]

One could ask why you think it is a slam on Santorum? But I'm sure that's a level or two past you.

[littlelilac]

thanks ravingnutter!!!!

[lugsoul]

In the future, if you want to ask someone a question, it is helpful to actually direct the post to them.

"so lugsoul are you saying the Times and NY Times are, uh, lying?"

In a word, yes.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Valerie's ex boss at CIA when she was undercover claims her cover started to unravel the minute she met Joe Wilson.

[nuffsenuff]

You simply reek of elitist liberal, man.

The inferioriy complex, the "sarcasm", the defense of Valerie Plame...

It's oozing from you.