White House Outted CIA Agent

[chequita guevara]

I haven't seen anythng about this here. Yesterady the Post reported that at least six journalists were contacted by two White House staffers telling them the identity of a CIA field agent. I myself heard it yesterday on the ABC Sunday morning show.

White House denies leaking CIA agent's identity

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By Deb Riechmann


Sept. 29, 2003 | WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House on Monday emphatically denied that President Bush's chief political strategist was involved in revealing the identity of a CIA operative, in possible violation of the law. A Democratic senator has asked the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to probe the matter.

The naming of the intelligence officer's identity by syndicated columnist Robert Novak came shortly after her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, had undermined Bush's claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium in Africa.

Wilson has publicly blamed Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser, for the leak, although Wilson did say Monday he did not know whether Rove personally was the source of Novak's information.

"He wasn't involved," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said of Rove. "The president knows he wasn't involved. ... It's simply not true."

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has confirmed that the Justice Department has received a letter from CIA Director George Tenet to look into the matter. The department and the FBI are trying to determine whether there was a violation of the law and, if so, then whether a full-blown criminal investigation is warranted, the official said.

"It's a serious matter and it should be looked into," McClellan said.

Asked whether Bush should fire any official found to have leaked the information, McClellan said: "They should be pursued to the fullest extent by the Department of Justice. The president expects everyone in his administration to adhere to the highest standards of conduct -- and that would not be."

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said the matter should be investigated from someone outside the Bush administration.

"If there was ever a case that demanded a special counsel, this is it," he said. "This is a very serious national security matter where there is a clear conflict of interest for the attorney general because it could involve high-level White House officials."

The Justice Department had no immediate comment on Schumer's request.

On Sunday, Bush national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said she was unaware of any White House involvement in the matter.

"I know nothing of any such White House effort to reveal any of this, and it certainly would not be the way that the president would expect his White House to operate," she told "Fox News Sunday."

Secretary of State Colin Powell also denied knowledge of the matter.

The flap began in January when Bush said in his State of the Union address that British intelligence officials had learned that Iraq had tried to purchase yellowcake uranium in Africa.

In an opinion piece published in July by The New York Times, Wilson said he told the CIA long before Bush's address that the British reports were suspect and the administration has since said the assertion should not have been in Bush's speech.

A week after Wilson went public with his criticism Novak, quoting anonymous government sources, said Wilson's wife was a CIA operative working on the issue of weapons of mass destruction.

The Washington Post on Sunday quoted an unidentified senior administration official as saying two top White House officials called at least a half-dozen journalists and revealed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. Disclosing the name of an undercover CIA agent could violate federal law.

"I know nothing about any such calls and I do know that the president of the United States would not expect his White House to behave in that way," Rice said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Wilson said Monday he believes the White House leaked his wife's name "to intimidate others and to scare them and to keep them from coming forward and speaking."

Wilson had said in a late August speech in Seattle that he suspected senior Bush adviser Karl Rove. But on ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday, he backtracked somewhat from that assertion.

"In one speech I gave out in Seattle not too long ago, I mentioned the name Karl Rove," he said. "I think I was probably carried away by the spirit of the moment. I don't have any knowledge that Karl Rove himself was either the leaker or the authorizer of the leak. But I have great confidence that, at a minimum, he condoned it and certainly did nothing to shut it down."

The White House has denied that accusation.

Powell told ABC's "This Week" that he thought that if the CIA believed the identity of one of its covert employees have been revealed, it had an obligation to ask the Justice Department to look into the matter. But he added: "Other than that, I don't know anything about the matter."

Rice said the matter has been referred to the Justice Department and "I think that's the appropriate place. ... Let's just see what the Justice Department does."

Pressed whether anyone at the White House raised concerns that the Wilson matter posed a problem for the administration, she replied: "I don't remember any such conversation."

Wilson said Monday that if the administration actually took an intelligence asset "off the table," that would have been "a dastardly deed ... coming from an administration that came to office promising to restore dignity and honor to the White House. It was contemptible."


Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[DinoDoc]

Out of curiosity how did the husband expect to keep the wife's identity a secret with him going public?

[chequita guevara]

Apparently no one knew she was working for the CIA.

[DRoseDARs]

EDIT: See kids, this is why we should get MORE than 2 hours sleep before posting...

[The Mad Monk]

A lot of fingers are pointing at Rove right now. Matt Drudge had it headlining his site over the weekend, and when he had his Sunday night radio broadcast, you could practically hear the steam coming out of his ears.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
And naturally they're denying it...

Can I ask why you posted the exact same article che did?

[chequita guevara]

It's not exactly the same. It's got subtle differences.

[The Mad Monk]

Who can be bothered to actually read Che's article?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
It's not exactly the same. It's got subtle differences.

Sorry. I just saw that it had the same title and was written by the same person.

[DRoseDARs]

Two words: Sleep Deprivation

Sorry...

[The Mad Monk]

...and now its gone.

[Ned]

Yeah, I agree. We need a strong special prosecutor with experience on how such leaking is conducted to squelch public criticism. I suggest we appoint Janet Reno post haste.

[chequita guevara]

Washington Post articles
Bush Administration Is Focus of Inquiry
Bush Aides Say They'll Cooperate With Probe Into Intelligence Leak
Media Review Conduct After Leak
Bush Aides Promise to Cooperate With Justice Inquiry

From the first story:

The intentional disclosure of a covert operative's identity is a violation of federal law.

The officer's name was disclosed on July 14 in a syndicated column by Robert D. Novak, who said his sources were two senior administration officials.

What the hell is wrong with this administration? Why are they deliberately antagonizing the intelligence community? First they disregard what they're being told, then when caught, they try and blame intelligence for getting it wrong. Now they're outting undercover agents? Are they just that arrogant that they think that intelligence will put up with it?

[Q Classic]

isn't this old news?

[DinoDoc]

Back on topic:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Apparently no one knew she was working for the CIA.

I find that hard to believe after the husband went public. Even if it was true though, it would be stupid for the White House to spill the beans because it would serve to strengthen Wilson's allegations.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
isn't this old news?

I'd heard it before but I didn't have a credible source until now.

[DanS]

Him going public was bad news, but it's not fair game to go after his wife, and it's highly illegal too. This should be investigated fully and I expect that it will be. If somebody in the administration broke the law then they should go to the slammer.

[Ned]

Didn't Janet Reno kill the special prosecutor law?

[Jack_www]

If someone from Bush admin leaked this, it will be impossible to find out who did it. Reporters never give up their sources. Only way is if they have it written down that Bush ordered it or have it on tape, but if you are smart you would not leave such records behind, or if you did you would be destroying them before an investigation is started.

I doubt anything will come of this in the end.

[Berzerker]

Didn't Janet Reno kill the special prosecutor law?

Only time and Congress can kill it, I believe it has a sunset provision so that it dies unless Congress extends it.

As for the incident, let's see how "law and order" these Repubs are now. Let's see if Ashcroft goes after the leaker(s) with the same enthusiasm he goes after medical pot people out in California.

[mindseye]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Out of curiosity how did the husband expect to keep the wife's identity a secret with him going public?

Well, apparently he expected the Bush administration to respect federal law concerning blowing the cover of agents.

Bad bet.

[Alexander's Horse]

Revealing the identity of one of your own intelligence officers is just despicable, a hanging offence in my book.

[Dis]

this is just horrible.

I already knew I wasn't going to vote for Bush. But this event really forces me to not vote for Bush even if a gun is held to my head (which might actually happen)

[Alexander's Horse]

There's usually heavy penalties for this kind of thing i.e. of the treason variety.

[Verto]

Originally posted by Dissident
this is just horrible.

I already knew I wasn't going to vote for Bush. But this event really forces me to not vote for Bush even if a gun is held to my head (which might actually happen)

[GePap]

The husband was a public figure..why would him making public comments in any way bring his wife closer to being fond out? That line of arguement makes no sense to me.

It also mystifies me that anyone would think that revealing this info would in any way hinder the man's case..why would it, the fact that his wife worked for the CIA? And if the possibility oif making the info known was used to intimidate, then you may also have blackmail.

Someone in the White House screwed up royally..lets hope the biggest, fattest possible head rolls.

[MrFun]

Chegitz is at it again . . .

[Nubclear]

Isn't that back hammer and sickle from Red Alert 2?!

Nerd!!!!

[Berzerker]

There's usually heavy penalties for this kind of thing i.e. of the treason variety.

10 year max, treason would have to be aiding and abetting the enemy and this is more ambiguous since it was about internal politics and not a specific enemy. Besides, there has to be an ongoing declared war for treason to apply (not that pols let the Constutition get in the way).

Gepap -

It also mystifies me that anyone would think that revealing this info would in any way hinder the man's case..why would it, the fact that his wife worked for the CIA?

It doesn't hinder Wilson's position, but it does send a warning to others who might go public. In this case, Wilson was punished by hurting his wife's career. If she was in the covert arm of the CIA, her career in that area has been compromised. I've heard this has happened before in congressional meetings when congressmen had a grudge against someone in the CIA so the agent was called to testify before Congress thereby "outing" them - ending their career in the covert arena.
It remains to be seen if she was a covert op, according to Novak she was an analyst and there may not have been some malicious attempt to punish Wilson. Novak's version of events, and he was the commentator involved here, paints a different picture.

[Alexander's Horse]

hmm, this would be covered in Australia by the Crimes Act and the Official Secrets Act.

From memory you'd be looking at up 7 years an/or a heavy fine. Its unlikely to attract jail time but you would lose your job and get a qualified security clearance which would make it difficult for you ever to be employed by the government again. The fact its a criminal offence would affect your future employment prospects elsewhere, ability to practice as a lawyer etc.

I imagine the situation wouldn't be much different in the US. These laws were coordinated across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US during the cold war.