White House Outted CIA Agent

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Mordoch

Frankly that's only assuming you're talking about countries with incompetent intel agencies

We are talking about the George Tenet's CIA, correct?

[chequita guevara]

The CIA, despite how politicians would like to protray it, is not incompetent.

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
We are talking about the George Tenet's CIA, correct?

No we're talking about the intel agencies of foreign countries so your point doesn't apply.

[realpolitic]

Just goes to show that the administration is only interested in pushing their own agenda, regardless of the consequences. I sure hope the selfinterest results in one knowledgable conspirator outing many of Bush's "secrets". There have been plenty discussed at 'Poly and over the net, it would be nice to get them in the "Corporate Media", err I mean the "Legitimate Media".

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
The CIA, despite how politicians would like to protray it,

I'm not even going by what politicians say. Just by thier very public failiures ranging back to at least the nuke tests by India.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Just by thier very public failiures ranging back to at least the nuke tests by India.

I think that has more to do with who makes the decisions, given that they get conflicting reports. The fact that a certain course of action is more likely doesn't mean it's what will happen.

Don't get me wrong, I think they've done some really evil ****, and some really stupid boneheaded things.

[Mordoch]

Looks like the pressure's going up on Bush.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe a special prosecutor should be named to investigate allegations that Bush administration officials illegally leaked the name of a covert CIA operative to journalists, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll...

The results of The Post-ABC poll found a high degree of suspicion directed toward the administration over the allegations. Seventy-two percent thought it likely that someone in the White House leaked the operative's name. And, in what could be a politically significant finding, only 29 percent said the investigation should be handled by the Justice Department, while 69 percent favored a special counsel with autonomy from the administration...

In addition, 56 percent of Republicans found it likely that White House officials leaked the name, and Republicans, by 52 percent to 42 percent, favored a special counsel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29560-2003Oct1.html

[chequita guevara]

Looks like some mud has finally stuck. Guess we're gonna have another war soon.

[uh Clem]

This has not become a major issue in the past week because of anything that Joe Wilson said. He's been saying the same things (more or less) since July.

And it certainly hasn't become an issue because of Democratic candidates hammering on the matter.

It became a major issue last week because George Tenet got fed up and decided to turn the matter over to a collection agency.

Look back in any news archive. How many were even aware of this story 2 weeks ago? It made the front pages when Tenet asked the Department of Justice to get involved last week.

Now, somewhow I doubt that Tenet just up and decided to do this after keeping silent for 2 months. How many calls to the WH has he made? How many requests for updates? Has he been repeatedly told, "Oh, we're looking into it, George, honest"?

At the very least, the Bush WH (the Mayberry Macchiavellis, in John DiIulio's words) did not regard:

• the exposure of an intelligence person,
  
• for partisan reasons,
  
• presumably by someone highly placed in the administration

even to be worth investigating!


To the Director of Central Intelligence, this was clearly unacceptable.

And believe that Tenet knew exactly what he was doing last week.

The agency has been bullied by the likes of Rumsfeld and Penis Cheney for the past 2-1/2 years, which I'm sure they haven't liked, but they could put up with. But when an anal cyst like Karl Rove thinks he can give you grief whenever he feels like it, it's time to start taking people down.

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by Caligastia
It's mainly Democrats who are hyping this because they want to smear Bush.

At least in general it appears that plenty of Republicans feel this is a big deal too.

The view that this is a serious matter transcended party lines. Seventy-two percent of Republicans and 83 percent of independents joined the 90 percent of Democrats who said it was at least somewhat serious.

In addition, 56 percent of Republicans found it likely that White House officials leaked the name, and Republicans, by 52 percent to 42 percent, favored a special counsel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29560-2003Oct1.html

[Ramo]

There are plenty better impeachable offences Shrub ought to be hammered for, but this'll do.

[Berzerker]

Ned -

the facts are that Novak was calling sources in the admin to find out why Wilson, a Clinton admin official, was used in Niger. The response was that his wife, a CIA analyst, suggested his name. Novak apparently confirmed this from the CIA who gave him her name and did not ask him not to publish the name.

According to Novak, the CIA did ask him not to publish her name but that no harm would come of it if he did (rather strange in itself). But there were a total of ~6 reporters told her name. So, did all these reporters call people in the administration to find out why Wilson was named to head the investigation in Niger and they all got the same response? It's certainly possible. But did someone in the administration call these other reporters first? I've heard they were called by someone in the administration, not that they called asking for information as to why Wilson was sent. Of course, maybe once the explanation was given to Novak, other reporters were called for some reason.

When I thought through Novak's explanation, it did sound like someone just messed up and gave him the name as part of their response to his question. His version does sound innocent enough inspite of all the hoopla. And if Novak was told by the CIA using her name would cause no harm, it's possible the administration contact had the same information - that revealing her name wouldn't compromise anything. The only kink in the armor I can see at this point is why other reporters were called and given her name, it sounds like someone wanted the name made public. Perhaps it's just favorable payback to reporters in the good graces of the administration, perhaps there was some nefarious reason. But does anyone really think George W Bush thought up this plan to get Wilson?

Fool me once... ...shame on...you. Fool me twice... ... ... ... won't get fooled again.

Btw, it will be interesting to see how Bob "law and order" Novak
deals with this; he knows who gave him the name. And if this is a crime, he knows the criminal.

[DinoDoc]

Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe a special prosecutor should be named ...

Out of curiosity on what basis would a special prosecutor be named now that the independent council law has expired?

Btw, it will be interesting to see how Bob "law and order" Novak deals with this;

He's "hiding" behind the 1st amendment.

[mindseye]

I keep flashing back to the campaign trail days when Bush was pledging again and again ad nauseum that he was going to bring "integrity" to the White House. Bringing Rove (not to mention Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, et al) to the White House was a helluva strange way to bring "integrity" to it.

I don't hold Bush personally responsible for this, any more than I would hold a small child responsible for committing a crime.

[mindseye]

A post that needs repeating:

Originally posted by Rev
Several of the six remaining reporters have reportedly been saying Rove is one of the two. Rove has a history of jumping the gun and anonymously pushing questionable stories in times of trouble -- he got fired from Bush Sr.'s campaign for doing it.

Keep in mind that this leak also came during a short period of time in which the White House leaked several other ridiculous smears -- including telling reporters (and Drudge) that a reporter who wrote a damaging article about the White House was a "gay Canadian".

Let's face it -- whoever leaked this information didn't want their names on it for some reason: either they knew it was illegal or it was intended as a smear.