N SC member Robert Joseph pushed the niger thing into SOTU

[democrat in Tallahassee]

Durbin said that person’s identity could not be revealed because of the confidentiality of the proceedings, but sources, who spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity, said that Tenet “reluctantly” identified the official as National Security Council member Robert Joseph. Once source said that the revelation led to a series of questions about Joseph’s role.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/937524.asp?0cv=CA01

[amish_enforcer]

1. hmmmmmmm....

.....haveta see how this pans out :think:

[ObaMania]

2. Still doesn't exonerate...

.. the Administration of Evil.

[Pallas180]

3. we need to google Robert Joseph and see what we can

find out about him....like did he work for Cheney and
Rumsfeld back in Nixon and Ford days.

[Stevendsmith]

4. I knew the "un-named official" would be a no-name

The White House will likely diffuse this scandal because everyone in focused on the 16 words. There is a much bigger picture here, and Dems would be wise to expand their attack. Karl Rove will snuff this thing out like an annoying mosquito.

[nostamj]

11. "Dems would be wise to expand their attack"

aren't you watching/listening to the Dems in congress???

they are relentless House and Senate and no one has mentioned the '16 words' lately. they hitting * on everything. economy. war spending. and LIES.

[Pallas180]

5. we need to google Robert Joseph and see what we can

find out about him....like did he work for Cheney and
Rumsfeld back in Nixon and Ford days.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. A NSC member no one has even HEARD of....

bullies Condi and Dickie and Georgie to put 16 words in the SOTU speech?

Yeah, right.

I can smell that from here in California.

[DEMActivist]

7. Served during Reagan and Poppy too

Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense
ROBERT JOSEPH

National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice announced February 22 the appointment of Robert G. Joseph as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense, effective January 22, 2001.

Prior to joining the National Security Council staff, Dr. Joseph served as a Professor of National Security Studies and Director of the Center for Counterproliferation Research at the National Defense University. In the previous Bush Administration, he held the positions of U.S. Commissioner to the Standing Consultative Commission (ABM Treaty) and Ambassador to the U.S.-Russian Consultative Commission on Nuclear Testing. In the Reagan Administration, he held several positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy.

Dr. Joseph has taught at Carleton College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.

http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/nsc.htm#joseph

[trof]

8. Here's an interview he gave NPR

Oct. 15, 2001
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/npr/vol08/83/jos83.htm

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. Here's the basics...

from the official site:

Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense
ROBERT JOSEPH


National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice announced February 22 the appointment of Robert G. Joseph as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense, effective January 22, 2001.

Prior to joining the National Security Council staff, Dr. Joseph served as a Professor of National Security Studies and Director of the Center for Counterproliferation Research at the National Defense University. In the previous Bush Administration, he held the positions of U.S. Commissioner to the Standing Consultative Commission (ABM Treaty) and Ambassador to the U.S.-Russian Consultative Commission on Nuclear Testing. In the Reagan Administration, he held several positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy.

Dr. Joseph has taught at Carleton College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.

[XNASA]

10. I googled this. Seems to run contrary....

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,464424,00.html

--snip--

"NSC Special Assistant to the President Robert Joseph denied through a spokesman that he said it was O.K. to use the line {in the State of the Union about Iraq, uranium and Africa} and as long as it was sourced to British intelligence. "There was a debate about whether to cite it on our own intelligence," another official told TIME. "But once the U.K. made it public, we felt comfortable citing what they had learned." TIME writes, "And so the line went in. While some argued last week that the fight should have been kicked upstairs to {NSC adviser Condoleeza} Rice for adjudication, White House officials claim that it never was."

--snip--

This apparently leads to Condi's door, but she's being protected.

[DEMActivist]

12. Bingo! PNAC!!!!

This vision of a United States, unfettered by international agreements and acting unilaterally in its own best interests, has recently been put forward in a study, entitled "Rationale and Requirements for U.S. Nuclear Forces and Arms Control," published by the National Institute for Public Policy (NIPP) and signed by 27 senior officials from past and current administrations. The list of participants in the study includes the current Deputy National Security Advisor (Stephen Hadley), the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Study Director of the Rumsfeld Commission (Stephen Cambone), and the NSC official responsible for counter-proliferation and national missile defense (Robert Joseph).

http://www.nyu.edu/globalbeat/nuclear/LAWS0301.html

(edited because someone else had posted the same info)

[fairfaxvadem]

13. right, just like the "no name" that is in charge of looking for WMDs?

Wasn't it just during Shrub's misadventures overseas that he asked "who is in charge of the WMD hunt?" and Bremer said "not me", and Franks said "not me", and when Shrub got his answer he supposedly said "Who???" because it wasn't a high ranking official??

Th real deal is: Shrub is the "unnamed" WH Official who insisted on putting in the Niger info. Because in the world of Faith-Based Intelligence, if it FEELS right, it MUST be right....

The speaking in tongues will now commence....

[Jack Rabbit]

14. Joseph seems to be the designated Fall Guy

If nobody consulted Mr. Joseph about this, he won't make a very good one. In fact, he may make no better one than John Dean did.

Looking at XNASA's and DEMActivist's lead me to expect Joseph to point a finger at some others. He doesn't sound like the Gordon Liddy type. Fortunately, there aren't too many people out there like Gordon Liddy.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

15. From an article a month ago...

that quotes "administration officials"


http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/6076178.htm

KR Washington Bureau | 06/12/2003 | White House was warned of dubious intelligence used in speech, official says

"Three senior administration officials said Vice President Dick Cheney and some officials on the National Security Council staff and at the Pentagon ignored the CIA's reservations and argued that the president and others should include the allegation in their case against Saddam. "

snip...

"Among the most vocal proponents of publicizing the alleged Niger connection, two senior officials said, were Cheney and officials in the office of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. The effort was led by Robert G. Joseph, the top National Security Council staff official on nuclear proliferation, the officials said. "

[larryepke]

16. More on Joseph

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2002/n10162002_200210161.html

The above article includes this quote:

"We must, if necessary, act pre-emptively," he said. "We will not do so in all cases, and our use of force will be deliberate and measured to eliminate a specific threat to the United States, our friends or allies."

So he does endorse the policy of pre-emptive war.

And, yes, he is a no name; a designated fall guy to replace Tenet, who apparently has declined the position.