by emptywheel
Last week, we were treated to a number of articles sourced to former senior State department officials clarifying some of the facts in the Plame case, particularly as regards to the INR memo. Those articles undermine some of the anonymously (read, Luskin) sourced articles pinning Colin Powell with the memo on AF1.
Today, we're treated to a similar pushback article, this time from the CIA.
This is similar to a number of grand narrative articles the WaPo has published recently. It offers little that is entirely new information. One detail that is technically new, for example, is an expanded list of who has been interviewed.
Prosecutors have questioned former CIA director George J. Tenet and deputy director John E. McLaughlin, former CIA spokesman Bill Harlow, State Department officials, and even a stranger who approached columnist Robert D. Novak on the street.
While these names have never been published before, they should not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed this closely. It was rumored when Tenet quit, for example, that he did so so he could begin to testify fully to the Grand Jury. And several news reports have told stories about investigators spending a lot of time at the CIA. If they were at the CIA, then it's safe to assume they were interviewing people at the CIA.
And Wilson's friend? Well, Wilson's friend is the witness who can prove that Novak knew Plame's identity as early as July 8. And pinpointing when Novak knew of Plame's identity is a key step to learning who told him. Fitzgerald would have been remiss if, with all the publicity surrounding this detail of Wilson's story, he hadn't interviewed the friend.
(On a side note. Consider this person's probable profile. It must be a person who is easily recognizable, or I doubt Novak would have willingly walked several blocks with the person. And it's a person from whom questions about Niger and Wilson would not strike Novak as suspicious, or Novak wouldn't have blurted out the news so readily, even with his big mouth. I'm guessing it's either a moderately prominent Republican, a nationally-recognizable journalist, or someone at State. But it's almost certainly not Wilson's anonymous housekeeper.)
Two more newsworthy bits of information concern what Tenet (or some other former senior CIA people) and Harlow testified. First, there's the news that CIA wrote Tenet's mea culpa, with very little input from the White House.
On July 9, Tenet and top aides began to draft a statement over two days that ultimately said it was "a mistake" for the CIA to have permitted the 16 words about uranium to remain in Bush's speech. He said the information "did not rise to the level of certainty which should be required for presidential speeches, and the CIA should have ensured that it was removed."
A former senior CIA official said yesterday that Tenet's statement was drafted within the agency and was shown only to Hadley on July 10 to get White House input. Only a few minor changes were accepted before it was released on July 11, this former official said. He took issue with a New York Times report last week that said Rove and Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, had a role in Tenet's statement.
As this "former official" makes clear, this is a refutation of Libby's and Rove's earlier leak claiming they were involved in the drafting of Tenet's speech (and with it, presumably, the idea that he was just cooperating on policy/politics split).
Back at the White House, Mr. Rove and Mr. Libby had been at work all week, along with Ms. Rice's deputy, Stephen Hadley, helping to craft a statement that was issued on Friday by George Tenet, the C.I.A. director. Mr. Tenet did precisely what the White House needed: he took responsibility for the inclusion of the 16 words on uranium in the president's speech, and he made clear that Mr. Cheney had neither dispatched Mr. Wilson to Niger nor been briefed on what he found there.
Now so far, this CIA pushback just seems to be refuting the information that has been floated in the recent spin war. No, these CIA sources make clear, Rove and Hadley weren't being helpful speechwriters for Tenet.
But the article also refutes some more fundamental claims the White House--and everyone else spewing the GOP talking points--have been advancing for the last two years. Harlow makes clear something Wilson has asserted in numerous places, particularly his response to the GOP findings against him in the SSCI report. Harlow told Novak that Plame was not responsible for Wilson's trip and he did what he could--without revealing classified information--to discourage Novak from revealing Plame's identity.
Harlow, the former CIA spokesman, said in an interview yesterday that he testified last year before a grand jury about conversations he had with Novak at least three days before the column was published. He said he warned Novak, in the strongest terms he was permitted to use without revealing classified information, that Wilson's wife had not authorized the mission and that if he did write about it, her name should not be revealed.
Harlow said that after Novak's call, he checked Plame's status and confirmed that she was an undercover operative. He said he called Novak back to repeat that the story Novak had related to him was wrong and that Plame's name should not be used. [emphasis mine]
This demolishes the common wingnut claim that Plame was not covert and that the CIA was not taking assertive efforts to hide her identity.
This article, as I suggested, reveals a lot of things which should have been clear to anyone following this case. So why was it released today?
Well, it might be that the CIA sources for this story are not so much worried about what wingnuts say on their talk radio. They know that Fitzgerald has seen enough evidence to believe the IIPA may have been violated. All the wingnuts on all the radio shows in the world can't refute that evidence.
But what about Senator Roberts? This article, after all, responds closely on the heels not only of Rove and Libby's helpful speechwriter spin, but even more closely on the heels of Roberts' announcement that he's going to investigate Fitzgerald.
Little said the Senate committee would also review the probe of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who has been investigating the Plame case for nearly two years.
Roberts has been threatening to pressure Fitzgerald for some time. In particular, he (and Judith Miller, in her last plea before she went to jail) has said that Fitzgerald should not be able to continue to push this until he has proven a crime was committed. Roberts has reverted, over and over, to the claim that we don't even know if Plame was covert, we don't even know whether the CIA was protecting her identity.
Senator Roberts? All the questions you wanted to answer with your little investigation? They've all been answered, clear as day, in the Washington Post. Want to keep talking about investigating? Well, be prepared for former CIA officials to start leaking like a sieve, then, undermining all of Rove' s and LIbby's spin.
Touché.
Here's what caught my eye in all this:
Posted by: Kagro X | July 27, 2005 at 14:55
From 2003-06-22, days before Wlson went public, a post of mine concerning the past future of this story:
WMD -- the Mosaic Speaks
Perhaps I'll excerpt a bit for a post later.
Posted by: RonK, Seattle | July 27, 2005 at 15:20
Kagro,
Maybe that's why Novak perjured himself. He realized he was more culpable than most people realized, so he didn't have much to lose in perjuring himself.
Posted by: emptywheel | July 27, 2005 at 15:23
Emptywheel,
That may certainly explain Novak's willingness to perjure himself. Especially if he did so in league with others under suspicion. He would have a lot riding on perpetuating the notion that her identity was "well known in Washington," which could be the flip-side of the claim that Rove, et al. heard her name from journalists, and not the other way around. "Don't worry, Bob. Yes, we'll say we heard it from you, but you're OK in this, because for you, there has to be a 'pattern of activities,' and this isn't a pattern."
And while I'm here, I might also point out that I took RonK's comment from yesterday:
to be relevant to the continued threats from Sen. Roberts that you've highlighted.Posted by: Kagro X | July 27, 2005 at 15:34
Kagro,
Yup. I'm fairly sure Roberts is feeling the heat. If I'm right about my most recent post--that the SSCI deliberately buried a document that totally discredited Bush's war--then Roberts is going to have a lot to answer for. But it might explain Rockefeller's inaction as well. I always suspect Dems get suckered to go along with GOP stonewalling in the name of comity, but more importantly in the name of national unity. I mean, seriously, what would the family of active duty servicemen do if they learned that Bush not only lied to get us into this war, but the minority party let the majority party cover those lies up? How're you going to retain legitimacy for our government anymore?
This whole CIA is scary. I really thought--and hoped--they'd exact their revenge before the elections. But now things have gone so far I worry about serious constitutional problems.
"extraordinary" indeed.
Posted by: emptywheel | July 27, 2005 at 16:35
The problem for someone such as Rockefeller and many other members of congress is that once "read into" intelligence product, they can't really use any of that information to argue back in public. It is a classic problem -- being witting essentially makes you either a co-conspirator or a neuter. But if you are not witting, you are not able to think the whole story through, as you don't have the full deck of cards.
I suspect if the CIA really pushes back it will be around an issue not related to what I am now calling XYZgate. They have many ways of finding another Bush vulnerability, and going after it in a covert fashion that cannot be traced back to the Company.
Posted by: Sara | July 27, 2005 at 20:35
http://ultram.ohost.de
Posted by: greenwod | June 02, 2007 at 16:11
Maybe that's why Novak perjured himself. He realized he was more culpable than most people realized, so he didn't have much to lose in perjuring himself.
---
http://911pills.com/
Posted by: Robert Taylor | June 20, 2007 at 15:34
NIKO! Pliz buy love its sites!
http://herbalphentermine.dzite.com
Posted by: greenwodik2 | June 22, 2007 at 15:36
Hi Webmaster! It was a pleasure to look through this site! there is a lot of new and fresh ideas)!Thank You
Posted by: Designer Handbagss | June 22, 2007 at 23:15
It was Houldsworth family money that enabled the construction and dedication of St Elizabeth's Church!
http://bestinfo.gsbook.org/bmw-650gs-motorcycle.html http://bestinfo.gsbook.org/country-music-lyrics.html http://bestinfo.gsbook.org/net-call-free.html http://replica-watches-for-you.gsbook.org/louis-vuitton--replica-watches.html http://replica-watches-for-you.gsbook.org/tag-heuer--replica-watches.html http://replica-watches-for-you.gsbook.org/iwc-master-skeleton-s--replica-watches.html http://information-resource.mp3cool.org/disney-merchandise-wholesale-uk-only.html http://information-resource.mp3cool.org/copper-tube-joke-animal-caller.html http://information-resource.mp3cool.org/key-contacts-fundraising-directory-miami.html http://all-for-cars.gsbook.org/advanced-auto-parts.html http://all-for-cars.gsbook.org/stealing-a-car-consequence.html http://all-for-cars.gsbook.org/differences-jaguar-tiger-mac.html http://next-wikipedia.gsbook.org/austin-texas-vw-bug-parts.html http://next-wikipedia.gsbook.org/countries-of-the-peace-corps.html http://next-wikipedia.gsbook.org/asbestos-inspection-removal-consulting-services.html
Posted by: Kengwp | June 27, 2007 at 23:53
Hi Guys! What Your Blog Powered By? Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Replica watchesipp | July 04, 2007 at 12:06
You help me SO much I cant describe it in words. I will visit your website again. Thank you!
Posted by: Dsw Shoesu | July 14, 2007 at 02:46
Hi Guys! What Your Blog Powered By? Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Jordan Shoe | July 17, 2007 at 21:35
What a cool website!Thank you. http://maturegim.blogspot.com >nsync mature fan fiction [url=http://maturegim.blogspot.com]nsync mature fan fiction[/url]
Posted by: Mature io | July 18, 2007 at 20:32
My life's been generally boring these days. Not much on my mind. Eh. Not that it matters.
Posted by: Jordan Shoe | July 19, 2007 at 23:03
compare diet drugs cialis tadafil at discount prices from canadian online pharmacy
Posted by: genesis lyric | July 27, 2007 at 08:32
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/47-thyroid-hair-loss.htm #thyroid hair loss
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/188-alopecia-areata.htm #alopecia areata
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/26-saw-palmetto-hair-loss.htm #saw palmetto hair loss
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/32-hair-loss-help.htm #hair loss help
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/57-child-hair-loss.htm #child hair loss
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/189-alopecia-totalis.htm #alopecia totalis
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/237-alopecia-uk.htm #alopecia uk
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/177-hat-cause-baldness.htm #hat cause baldness
http://alopecia.nightmail.ru/231-alopecia-areata-in-child.htm #alopecia areata in child
Posted by: newiaizk | July 29, 2007 at 22:43
Da best!Fantastic! http://mature2.blogspot.com >mature jokes [url=http://mature2.blogspot.com]mature jokes[/url]
Posted by: Mature klm | August 04, 2007 at 01:55
Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great.
Posted by: vme | August 09, 2007 at 09:34
Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great.
Posted by: vme | August 09, 2007 at 11:30
The government should be persuaded to pay for all healthcare
Posted by: rutgers university book store | August 12, 2007 at 06:24
Not much on my mind lately, but I don't care. Eh. I've just been letting everything pass me by these days. Nothing seems worth doing. I just don't have anything to say recently. My mind is like a void, but shrug.
Posted by: Alex Taylorx | August 17, 2007 at 10:32
Children in ... fill in the nation of your choice ... are living better
Posted by: casino gambling guide | August 24, 2007 at 20:37
An integrated, segregated society is better
Posted by: dealer discount tire | August 27, 2007 at 02:27