Letting the White House Walk? by ROBERT PARRY

[HomerRamone]

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/102905.html

Letting the White House Walk?
By Robert Parry
October 30, 2005


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Fitzgerald did leave open the possibility there might be more charges against other officials but said he had completed the “substantial bulk” of his investigation. He also discouraged speculation that major new revelations were ahead and even skirted questions about whether an underlying crime had occurred in leaking Plame’s identity.

<...>

While denouncing Libby’s alleged deceptions as a serious crime, Fitzgerald splashed cold water on the notion that his investigation might unravel a larger government conspiracy into how not only Plame was exposed but also the company that provided her cover and possibly other agents who assisted her in tracking down sources of WMD.

However, what upsets some Americans most about Fitzgerald’s narrow indictment of Libby is that it seems to have let other participants in the Plame leak off the hook.

The larger conspiracy – to punish an Iraq War critic for telling the truth about false intelligence used to take the United States to war – will go unpunished and unexplained, at least for now.

In street terms, it looks a lot like the White House got a walk.


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Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek. His latest book, Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at secrecyandprivilege.com. It's also available at Amazon.com, as is his 1999 book, Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & 'Project Truth.'

[wookie294]

1. Totally agree !

I got flamed yesterday after posting this....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5211505&mesg_id=5211505

[ClassWarrior]

2. Yeah, I'm sure the new GJ he's empaneling is just for giggles.

NGU.

[wookie294]

3. The GJ is only a formality

All prosecutions have a grand jury on "stand-by" in case new crimes are discovered during trial.

[ClassWarrior]

6. Wrong. But thanks for playing.

NGU.

[wookie294]

7. Check this out

Here's what Fitz said yesterday....

"I can tell you, the substantial bulk of the work in this investigation is concluded.

"This grand jury's term has expired by statute; it could not be extended. But it's in ordinary course to keep a grand jury open to consider other matters, and that's what we will be doing."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/28/politics/28text-fitz.html?pagewanted=all

[ClassWarrior]

8. Check this out...

Fitzgerald said Friday his job is not quite done. President Bush's top strategist, Karl Rove, escaped charges, but it is very premature to infer that he is in the clear.

The term of the grand jury Fitzgerald has been working with expired Friday -- he spent part of the morning saying goodbye to the jurors. Fitzgerald said it will be a routine matter for him to present evidence to another grand jury.

As much as he would like to wake up each day in Chicago, Fitzgerald said: "I will not end the investigation until I can look anyone in the eye and tell them that we have carried out our responsibility sufficiently to be sure that we've done what we could to make intelligent decisions about when to end the investigation."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5220464&mesg_id=5220464

NGU.

[Straight Shooter]

4. Parry has not addressed the issue of Fitz's meeting with bush's attorney

on Friday morning. I think Fitz is totally aware of the conspiracy, of the gravity of the situation. I think to disparage Fitzgerald as an outsider and therefore naive as to the workings of Washington is ridiculous.

Getting the indictments against Libby was a major effort. Obstruction of justice can probably be proved against him. Unfortunately, the other players who obstructed justice might not yield. The fault is not Fitzgerald's; the fault lies in those liars and connivers in the White House and at The New York Times.

[shugh514]

5. Fitzgerald made it very clear

that this was a step in the process and not the end. He said that he was forced to indict Libby because he was prevented from learning the truth. Fitzgerald then said that he could not complete his job until he learned the truth.

I was impressed by the press conference. He seems to have great integrity and is quick on his feet. I have to admire anyone who can handle an "anxious" crowd the way he did. What bothered me was that he spoke most passionately when he explained that he may find out who revealed the name but could not make an indictment if he could not prove intent. I think he may have accepted that as an end to this.