Bush aide in riddle of CIA leak: The Times

[emad]

July 08, 2005

Bush aide in riddle of CIA leak
By Tim Reid
As a journalist is jailed, a top adviser is caught up in the controversy over the naming of an agent



KARL ROVE, President Bush’s chief political adviser, was at the centre of the controversy yesterday over who leaked a CIA agent’s identity to the press, hours after a reporter for The New York Times was jailed for her role in the affair.

Judith Miller was jailed on Wednesday after defying a court order to reveal her source to prosecutors who are investigating how the identity of the agent, Valerie Plame, was leaked to the press two years ago.

A second reporter, Matthew Cooper, of Time magazine, avoided jail when he said in court on Wednesday that he had just received a phone call from his government source releasing him from their confidentiality agreement, so he could give evidence before a grand jury investigating the leak of Ms Plame’s name.

Mr Cooper did not name the source, but The New York Times reported yesterday that his announcement followed discussions on Wednesday morning between lawyers representing Mr Rove and Time. The newspaper reported that “a person who has been officially briefed in the case” said that Mr Cooper was referring to Mr Rove as the source for his story about Ms Plame.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1684718,00.html

[unhappycamper]

1. tinfoilhat time: If it is Rove, why would he call Cooper to release him

from confidentiality? What's the angle? What are they hiding / obfuscating? These scumbags never give up anything for nothing.

[Lerkfish]

2. the fix is already in, would be my guess.

consistent with their hubris: "yeah, so what, we did it, whatchu gonna do about it? I've already paid off everyone to let me go free"

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Maybe Cooper sent word that his resolve wasn't strong?

This is a linear process which the Bush Administration hopes to truncate, and if not truncate, then stall until he's done his damage with the Supreme Court and out of office. (Hell, he made it through an election without the public knowing about it.) If Cooper sent word that he was going to give testimony, they might have figured they rode him as far as they could. Release him and on to Judith Miller which in all probability is a plant. At least it's looking that way since no one can come up with anything that identifies her as a real reporter.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. I heard yesterday that Rove's lawyers and Cooper said that it

was not Rove who made the last minute call to Rove to release him.

[yellowcanine]

4. What's the riddle? How about,"Rove in Middle of CIA Leak"

Ane to refer to Rove as a "Bush Aide" seems to be underplaying the story a trifle, no? An aide could be someone who carries your luggage. Advisor - or better yet, confidante, would be more appropriate.