Re Plame: Who automatically gets to know IDs of spies?

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

Is the president, just by virtue of his position, entitled to know the names of our undercover operatives? What about presidential underlings?

If not, then how did the info cross over from CIA?

[maggrwaggr]

1. I read somewhere yesterday that it was the president,

Karl Rove, Condi Rice, Cheney, and Scooter Libby were the only ones who have this information. I might be leaving one person out, but no more.

I read this in a news article yesterday. Maybe I can find it.

[Warpy]

2. It was petty, mean-spirited, and incredibly stupid

My money has always been on Rove. That Bush knew and did nothing about it is completely in character.

[maggrwaggr]

3. the assumption that one of them would do it without the others knowing

is just delusional.

[htuttle]

4. No way does Rove have appropriate clearance for that information

That's the same thing as the 'NOC list' spy books talk about. Totally need-to-know stuff. No way would a political advisor be cleared to know that information, since he obviously doesn't need it.

Rove himself, after admitting to the grand jury he 'shopped the Plame story around' to other journalists, stated that HE found out from Novak's article, ergo, he thinks he would be off the hook.

[Trajan]

5. The two rules I recall for classified ...

1> Cleared for classified at the specific level
2> NEED TO KNOW in order to execute one's work ....

Rove may be cleared for Top Secret or above: but he CERTAINLY hasnt a 'need to know' about every damned spy in the network in order to perform his job ....

He needs to take a government paid vacation ....

[antigop]

6. Be sure to read John Dean's article

Posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=600420

[Jane Austin]

7. It's not just who has clearance . . . .

It's also who would have OCCASION to know about Valerie Plame. It's been troubling me, because Bush and Cheney couldn't possibly know who every spy is.

Here's my speculation, and it ties in with Tenet's resignation:

In the daily briefing, after Wilson's oped piece in the NYT, Bush asks Tenet, "Who the F*** is this Wilson character?"

Tenet answers, "Well, for one thing, his wife is covert CIA, and he's a former ambassador to the Middle East."

Cheney, of course, is sitting on the sofa like a vulture on a power line. (Bob Woodward said in "Plan of Attack" that he was always there, on the sofa, but the word picture is my own.)

So, now Bush and Cheney know who Plame is.

Meanwhile, Tenet is called to the Plame Grand Jury. ( I don't know if he was, but surely he was.) Under oath, he has to testify that he told the Pres who Plame is and her connection to Wilson.

Then, he has to tell Bush what he testified, Bush blows his stack, Tenet tenders his resignation in relief, and Bush hires a lawyer. Cheney, too.

Oh, and about the weird timing of the announcement? Tenet tells Bush his letter of resignation will be on Bush's desk the next morning. Bush holds joint press conference with Howard of Australia, and returns to Oval Office.

Next thing you know, he's back outside and announces Tenet's resignation. Maybe when he went back inside, Tenet's resignation had shown up on his desk.

This all seems plausible to me, especially since I've long thought Bush was a mean, vindictive and nasty little man, and this is just what somebody like him would do.