Ex-C.I.A. Aides Ask Inquiry by Congress Over Leak of Name

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 — A group of former intelligence officers is pressing Congressional leaders to open an immediate inquiry into the disclosure last summer of the name of an undercover C.I.A. officer, Valerie Plame.

Their request, outlined in a letter on Tuesday to Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and others, reflects discontent and unrest within the intelligence services about the affair, along with concern that a four-month-old Justice Department investigation into the matter may never identify who was behind the disclosure. The syndicated columnist Robert Novak, who first identified Ms. Plame as a C.I.A. officer in a column last July, has identified his sources only as Bush administration officials, and the Justice Department inquiry has not yet produced any public findings.

It is unusual for former intelligence officers to petition Congress on a matter like this. The unmasking of Ms. Plame is viewed within spy circles as an unforgivable breach of secrecy that must be exhaustively investigated and prosecuted, current and former intelligence officials say. Anger over the matter is especially acute because of the suspicion, under investigation by the Justice Department, that the disclosure may have been made by someone in the White House to punish Ms. Plames's husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, for opposing administration policy on Iraq.

Attorney General John Ashcroft disqualified himself last month from any involvement in the inquiry, and Justice Department officials have named Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney in Chicago, as a special prosecutor in the case. Mr. Ashcroft's decision to step aside came after months of criticism from Democrats in the Senate who complained that the attorney general could not impartially lead an investigation that focused in part on his political patrons and friends at the White House.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/22/politics/22INTE.html?hp

[kskiska]

1. Kick! Big Story!

:kick:

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. It's about time this is getting more press!

Double-kick!
:kick: :kick:

[ninkasi]

3. I was just wondering what the status of the investigation is

Looks like Dubya is going to drag this out. I wonder why?

[Virginian]

4. Will the "Leaker" ever be exposed?

Will we ever find out who sent Anthrax through the mail?
What about 9/11?

You are pretty safe from proscecution if you are a Republican these days. You can even get away with murder.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Since it was clearly Rove, all requests will fall on deaf ears

The dems will have quite a trial backlog come 2005.

[Snazzy]

6. One nice thing about all this

criminal charges or not--you ought to rest assured that the CIA, or some angels or cowbows, will make themselves even with somebody. For sure, they know who, and that person or persons should be planning a nice trust fund for the survivors.

Hope it was worth it to them, 'cause even K-k-karl or whomever knows this beast has sharp teeth. They'll find out if they forgot, maybe one November.

[papau]

7. Reuters version below :Rep. Holt introduced Wed a "resolution of inquiry"

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=5&u=/nm/20040122/ts_nm/congress_cia_dc


Ex-CIA Officers Ask Congress to Probe Plame Leak
By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - <snip>In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert dated Jan. 20 and obtained by Reuters on Wednesday, 10 former CIA analysts and operatives called the disclosure of Plame's identity a "shameful event in American history" that had damaged national security. "Congress must send an unambiguous message that the intelligence officers tasked with collecting or analyzing intelligence must never be turned into political punching bags," the letter said, saying such leaks jeopardized the work and safety of intelligence professionals and their sources. <snip>

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has stepped aside from the Justice Department investigation and Bush has said the inquiry did not involve him "in any way, shape or form."

Separately, a group of Democrats led by Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey on Wednesday introduced a "resolution of inquiry" that asks the president, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and Attorney General to give the House of Representatives all documents in their possession relating to the disclosure of Plame's identity.

The documents sought included telephone and electronic mail records, logs and calendars, personnel records, and records of internal discussions for the period May 6 through July 31 last year, a statement from Holt, who is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said. <snip>

[Native]

8. Big Kick

[papau]

9. "Big Kick" #2 :-)

:-)

[0007]

10. The rat in the spider hole at the White House

is as disgusting as Saddam Hussein.

For Robert Novak and others to protect this information is beyond the comprehension and on the same parallel as junior telling the nation that we're a safer America now that Saddam Hussein has been taken down.

The Whole truth about the Iraq war is in the video, "Uncovered" - 'Tis easy to see WHY this administration went after Joe Wilson after viewing this documentary.

[RainDog]

16. Two different issues

Robert Novak should come forward, as he when Robert Hanssen was outed as a double agent and Novak said that stories he had written had been based upon info Hanssen had given Novak.

This is an admission that Novak had been manipulated by someone, and has nothing to do with protection of sources, because the source itself was (and now is) the problem.

Both were manipulating him. It's tainted love, Novak. Sorry.

However, as a principle for the protection of real reporting and to protect whistleblowers, Novak should remain protected by the concept that the press may protect its sources.

Of course, even with that, he could go to jail for a refusal to name a source, but I believe the principle should be supported, even though Novak himself is not worth the support, and he should recitfy the way that the White House manipulated him by issuing a statement in the same way he did with his stories which were based upon the Soviet moles' manipulation of him for his own purposes.

[roguevalley]

20. This may create a special case, especially in light of the Patriot Act and

all. Plame was keeping nukes -suitcase and other- out of the USA. Now her network is toast, perhaps as many as 70 being liquidated on the other end and who knows how many backing off that might have helped. This means we have lost a window into preventing nuclear devices from being set off in Manhattan or DC or LA.

Since rights don't mean dick anymore, Novak should be squatting at Gitmo, getting a red hot poker shoved up his ass over this inexcusable treachery. You do know that this letter is unprecedented and therefore has urgency.

If a nuke goes off in our country, Bush and Novak and the punk who leaked need to be held responsible.

SOmetimes there is something greater as a need than protecting a source. I never thought I would say it but this time, its the exception and to do otherwise could make 9/11 look like child's play.

[Corgigal]

11. Aren't they sweet?

They are looking for justice within the same system that they work.
When they figure out that this won't work then we might see some revenge heading Bush's way in an election year.

[Beetwasher]

12. The Identity of the Leaker is an Open Secret In DC

EVERYONE in the press corp knows who it was, it's really just a matter of can they prove it and proesecute.

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

13. Dems in No-Lose situation

If they find the leaker, he's out (seeya rove).
If they don't find him, then bush* has a traitor working in the
WH. Elect bush* and you will be putting our national security
at risk.

[0007]

18. Excellent point!

[tom_paine]

14. LOL, do they really think they can challenge the Emperor

This will be Down the Memory Hole before you know it.

Plus, those who dared to impudently challenege our God-Sent Fuhrer will be quietly punished later.

Even if none of the above were true, the Busheviks have already disposed of the evidence and silenced any potential squealers.

[SideshowScott]

15. Placing bets on how quick the Republican Congress Kills it..

Bets anyone? How fast will bully Delay and his minions who run congress with take this inquiry into a closed dark room and beat the stuffing out it..Nothing to see here folks move along, Watch fox news, Bush is great.
Im glad to see this thing still has legs..They really work overtime to kill anything that makes Bush look like the evil dumb bastard he is

[MaineDem]

17. I was with Ambassador Wilson today

He said there are only about 10 people in the White House who could be the "leaker". He said the President is more loyal to his senior staff than they are to him and that none of them are loyal to the US citizens.

He also said he's happy...rather he's satisfied"...witht he choice of Fitzgerald as the special prosecutor. Wilson said that "Government Professional" are quite capable of doing their job without politics interferring.

He was marvelous to talk with. I hope the person who did this is found and prosecuted. I doubt if anything will ever happen in Congress, however.

[frank frankly]

19. oh baby baby baby

OH BABY!

[Toots]

21. How will Hastert deal with this ~ It ain't just "Partisan Politics"

He must acknowlege this. It is a formal request. There is No justifiable reason not to investigate Tell us why you aren't concerned Mr. Speaker.

[leesa]

22. Congress cannot be trusted to investigate anything.

Has to be an independent investigation, it's the only way. Congress has betrayed us over and over again.

[Hobarticus]

23. These ex-spooks should make Novak disappear...

That'd be a start.

Why he hasn't been dragged into the Justice department and interrogated, I have no idea.