Larry Johnson: Gee, Valerie was Undercover

[cal04]

The latest revelations from David Corn and Michael Isikoff confirm what me and my CIA colleagues (Jim Marcinkowski, Michael Grimaldi, and Brent Cavan) have said for the last three years--Valerie Plame Wilson was an undercover security officer when her relationship with the CIA was exposed by Rober Novak. Prior to today's news, Raw Story and MSNBC reported that Val was working on Iran. Corn and Isikoff's scoop says it was Iraq and provides some pretty meaty details to back it up. This much is certain:

Valerie Plame was working undercover as a senior CIA operations officer.
Valerie Plame was working on issues related to Weapons of Mass Destruction in order to keep America safe.
Valerie Plame traveled overseas as part of her undercover work and was protected under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
Valerie Plame was betrayed by President Bush and his political appointees.



Anyone who claims Valerie and Joe are the cause of this are goddamn morons and beyond the reach of reason. Joe and Valerie Wilson did not write Robert Novak's op-ed. Bob Novak did and he knew better (CIA asked him not to put out the information). Joe and Valerie Wilson were not sources for Bob Novak. That falls on the shoulders of Karl Rove and Richard Armitage (at least). Thinking Republicans should be horrified at this news. With their silence and acquiesence to the lies and calumny directed at Joe and Valerie, they are setting a troubling precedent.

Republicans are endorsing the exposure of a CIA operations officer. If Republicans can do it, then maybe, someday, Democrats in hot water may decide to engage in the same shameful behavior. That's an action that shouldn't be in anyone's playbook.

more
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/sep/05/gee_valerie_was_undercover