CHECK OUT FRONT PAGE OF THE WASHINGTON POST !!!!

[Zen Democrat]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Headline:

Plame's Identity Marked As Secret
Memo Central to Probe Of Leak Was Written By State Dept. Analyst

By Walter Pincus and Jim VandeHei
Thursday, July 21, 2005; Page A01

A classified State Department memorandum central to a federal leak investigation contained information about CIA officer Valerie Plame in a paragraph marked "(S)" for secret, a clear indication that any Bush administration official who read it should have been aware the information was classified, according to current and former government officials.

Plame -- who is referred to by her married name, Valerie Wilson, in the memo -- is mentioned in the second paragraph of the three-page document, which was written on June 10, 2003, by an analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), according to a source who described the memo to The Washington Post.

The paragraph identifying her as the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV was clearly marked to show that it contained classified material at the "secret" level, two sources said. The CIA classifies as "secret" the names of officers whose identities are covert, according to former senior agency officials.

Anyone reading that paragraph should have been aware that it contained secret information, though that designation was not specifically attached to Plame's name and did not describe her status as covert, the sources said. It is a federal crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a federal official to knowingly disclose the identity of a covert CIA official if the person knows the government is trying to keep it secret.

--SNIP--

[MinneapolisMatt]

1. FABULOUS!

and kick!

[jean]

2. OK - ay -ay - ay (echoing)

[hang a left]

3. Just read the post in GD....

Isn't it grand!

[Melodybe]

4. Ha Ha freeps your boy is a traitor and you are constantly lied to.

Also they are killing your children either in their illegal war or poisoning them with medication or pollution and mean while you don't care because they lie to you about being Christian.

Oh yeah, and they are robbing you blind.

For the love of all that is kind and good could you finally wake up and realise it, before it's too late.

[TahitiNut]

5. Behold tomorrow's WaPo front page ....

[bunny planet]

8. And its a beautiful thing to behold aint' it.

Our long national nightmare might actually be over soon. This story has legs for days.

I'm trying not to smile too much.

[Nothing Without Hope]

19. BEE-YOOOO-TI-FUL!!!!

Thanks for the graphic!

...and :kick:

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. BEE-YOOOO-TI-FUL!!!!

Thanks for the graphic!

...and :kick:

[Oreo]

71. Is it me or

is the font size just a little bigger on the plame story?

[TahitiNut]

75. Yep. It's larger and it has a subhead, too.

[napi21]

6. Well! I guess Shrub's plan to get Buddy Boy off the Front Page

didn't work very well, huh?

Drip, drip, drip, dri........

[tulsakatz]

9. haha

yeah, it didn't work as well as they thought it would!!

Also, tonight on Olbermann he was saying that it might take another controversy story to kill the Rove story. I don't know if it's true but it certainly is looking that way.

[Nothing Without Hope]

22. You mean THIS plan?

From today's AllHatNoCattle.net, this great Oliphant cartoon says it all:

http://www.allhatnocattle.net.nyud.net:8090/ol72005.jpg

[niallmac]

39. Ha Ha! I love Oliphant. n/t WP- way to go this time! n/t

[rucky]

72. that's why they make newspapers so big

there's room on the front page for more than one story.

heh.

[tulsakatz]

7. wow!!!

I'm impressed!!! They even put this story above the Supreme Court nominee story!! Nice work WP!!!

[pacalo]

41. Note, also, that it was placed on the upper righthand corner...

I've heard that this area of the front page is regarded by editors as the first section of the newspaper to be noticed by the reader. Newspaper space is precious; the WaPost gave it THE prime spot on the front page.

[LiberalVoice]

10. Kicked

Bad news for the traitor Rove.

[kestrel91316]

30. Bad news for the chief traitor Bush also.

[kentuck]

11. What does it mean ?

"Secret" memo means the person discussed within is "covert", according to "senior agnecy officials". That means whomever read the memo could not help but see that it was stamped with an "S" for Secret. So they are lying again??

[ailsagirl]

12. Zen, I was just on my way to post this... ya beat me!! :=D

Great article!!
:kick:

[Zen Democrat]

21. Great minds, Ailsa, great minds.

This is a crushing headline for Bushboy -- he just got one day off for the SCOTUS story.

And I have a feeling this is just scratching the surface of what's to come.

[ailsagirl]

33. Brilliant minds, Zen, brilliant minds

"Ay, now the plot thickens very much upon us..."
:popcorn:

[Zen Democrat]

40. There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads to ....

ROVE OUT ON HIS ASS ... FOLLOWED BY IMPEACHMENT!

(apologies, Willie)

[ailsagirl]

45. I think Will would understand...

"One may smile and smile and be a villain."
Hamlet

"Let them hang themselves in their own straps."
Twelfth Night

"For how can tyrants safely govern home,
Unless abroad they purchase great alliance?"
King Henry the Sixth

"O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason."
Julius Caesar

"O! what a fall was there, my countrymen;
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us."
Ibid.

"Lord, what fools these mortals be."
Midsummer Night's Dream

[shelley806]

58. What a delight to read...And yes, Will would not only understand,

but be proud as hell. (Also, probably be laughing his arse off)

"Lord, what fools these mortals be."
Midsummer Night's Dream

[ailsagirl]

91. Amen to that!! :=D

[choie]

84. it's amazing to me

that in all the writing about the plame investigation nobody has pointed a finger at Bush. Why do people think that Rove was a lone gunman? I've seen some theories that Cheney may have been involved, but why no mention of Bush? It seems totally in character for him - he's just as vindictive as the people around him..the idea may have come from him, and then Rove and the others orchestrated the outing.

[joemurphy]

13. Yes!

Now we just have to link Rove to the Memo.....Ah yes! Life is Good!

[Zen Democrat]

23. What if Condi leaked it to Rove? That would be most satisfying.

[joemurphy]

31. I think we get the July 7th Flight Manifest for Air Force One

and indict everyone but the pilot and the stewardesses. :-)

[Sydnie]

35. The memo on that plane was to Colon Powell

:tinfoilhat: What if - Powell "lost" the memo long enough for someone to fax it to someone at the WH or on vacation, right from the plane. And further, what if Powell was then told - "It's all your fault, so you had better play along with us now". Could explain why Powell seemed to "disappear" from public view during his last days in office. I'm just thinking out loud here, but anything is possible at this point, right?

[hootinholler]

66. Not clear who the memo was written to/for

The memo was already written before the Africa trip, Armitage asked it be sent to Powell for the trip.

Cheney would have a seperate (possibly better) idea of the big picture Wurmser -> Libby -> Cheney. It's likely that Wurmser was promoted to the VP offices as a result.

-Hoot

[Sydnie]

74. Quite right. I should have said was there for Powell

Not that it had been written for him, but that it was there for his information ... a Powell - FYI. It was there because Powell was there.

[Singular73]

46. Nah, this has got Cheney all over it.

Rice is an ideologue. Its not her style.

[Carolab]

14. Love it.

"It records that the INR analyst at the meeting opposed Wilson's trip to Niger because the State Department, through other inquiries, already had disproved the allegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger. Attached to the INR memo were the notes taken by the senior INR analyst who attended the 2002 meeting at the CIA."

So, Joe wasn't needed for this mission at all, but if he hadn't gone, the State Department would have covered it up.

OOOOHHHH, the CIA is SOOOO pissed off at this administration!

[Zen Democrat]

32. WP article on December 26, 2003 is incredible in retrospect.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A30842-2003Dec25¬Found=true

Sources said the CIA is angry about the circulation of a still-classified document to conservative news outlets suggesting Plame had a role in arranging her husband's trip to Africa for the CIA. The document, written by a State Department official who works for its Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), describes a meeting at the CIA where the Niger trip by Wilson was discussed, said a senior administration official who has seen it.

CIA officials have challenged the accuracy of the INR document, the official said, because the agency officer identified as talking about Plame's alleged role in arranging Wilson's trip could not have attended the meeting.

--snip--

On Oct. 28, Talon News, a news company tied to a group called GOP USA, posted on the Internet an interview with Wilson in which the Talon News questioner asks: "An internal government memo prepared by U.S. intelligence personnel details a meeting in early 2002 where your wife, a member of the agency for clandestine service working on Iraqi weapons issues, suggested that you could be sent to investigate the reports. Do you dispute that?"

--snip--

White House officials profess to be unconcerned about the outcome of the investigation. Some administration officials said they believe charges will eventually result, although it could be as long from now as 2005.

[joemurphy]

37. Yeah, I know. The idiots even leaked it to Jeff "Bulldog" Gannon

This is priceless!

[Zen Democrat]

44. Plame, Gannon, DSM -- All one big devastating scandal.

The end of BFEE. Will the media have the guts to go for it? You know that Rove is another J. Edgar Hoover with files of blackmail material on politicians and media types.

Damn, I hope there are a few clean ones out there who aren't afraid to stand up.

[adarling]

15. kickin!!!!!

[shraby]

16. All right people, this whole thing was planned from the get-go

Members of the WHIG cabal were on the plane with Bush. Why? To use that memo. Rove stayed home for a "vacation"..he's always with Bush. That was for plausible deniability on Rove's part. I don't believe Libby was along either.
Maybe that was part of the reason for the trip in the first place. It put Bush and the WHIG bunch far, far from the scene of action. No one was supposed to know the memo was along for the ride.

Anyone want to expand or detract?

[whatelseisnew]

38. Doubting no one waas supposed to know

or they wouldn't. There was a set up involved. The question is who set up who?

[proud patriot]

17. Wheeeeeeee !

:D

[onehandle]

18. Hope Scotty enjoyed his one day off. nt

[rodeodance]

25. love it. hope they keep the story going. hey JR--sleep well.

[rodeodance]

27. would make my day to give this paper to Jr in the morning--to read with

his morning coffee. te he.

[Sydnie]

26. ROFL We need to call him the "Timex Boy" cuz

he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. :rofl: Scotty, by the time we are done with you, there will be nothing left but a puddle on the floor and your little eyes bugging out. Helen Thomas, yet your question ready, girl, we need you!

I am mentally doing the Snoopy dance over here. Anyone care to join me? :woohoo:

[niallmac]

42. Scotty should call in sick and spend the day with the classifieds n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. ASK: WHO FORGED THE NIGER DOCUMENTS? WHO SUPPRESSED THE

FACT THAT THEY WERE OBVIOUS FORGERIES???

Sen Jay Rockefeller requested FBI probe in early 2003 -

Let's DU him and ask for a PROGRESS REPORT!!!

Much more background on this HERE in the opening post and replies:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1939214
Thread title: Yglesias: WHO FORGED THE NIGER DOCUMENTS? At the heart of the WMD lies

[Sydnie]

28. And when did you know they were wrong?

Great questions!

[Im with Rosey]

63. I absolutely agree

This is possibly the next step that not only will keep this alive, but we know we can inundate him with email so that he will have to see this is critical to follow through with. It seems that most of the time we are forced to the leg-work for everyone, let's make this easy for him to realize the significance of this part of treasongate.

[Carolab]

29. And it was still on Countdown tonight.

After Fineman and Keith agreed the WH was using Roberts as a diversion.

Plus, Keith brought up the polls saying most think Rove should go!

[rodeodance]

34. and KO said that Bush 'trust' score has dropped a lot. New PEW poll.

[Tommymac]

49. Trust is the key issue.

See post here for discussion. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4149153&mesg_id=4149153

[Zen Democrat]

36. I'm smelling Bolton -- Carl Ford, Jr. is involved. Remember him?

Carl Ford, Jr. was the "courier" of the Air Force One memo to Powell. And he's the guy who testified against Bolton in the subcommittee hearings. The "kiss up, kick down guy" thing.

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/10296

Bolton accused of abusing analysts at State Dept.

Critic calls UN nominee 'kiss-up, kick-down' guy.

Washington - A former chief of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research castigated John Bolton on Tuesday as a "kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy" who abused analysts who disagreed with his views of Cuba's weapons capabilities.

With Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Democratic attack, Carl Ford Jr. appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support accusations of harassment.

"I have never seen anyone quite like Mr. Bolton," Ford testified under oath. "He abuses his authority with little people."

[pacalo]

47. Thanks for the reminder. I couldn't place the name "Carl Ford"

but I knew he sounded familiar. Good point about Bolton, Zen - I think you're right. Damn, this is getting good.

[fooj]

43. Right on!

Peace.

[IndianaGreen]

48. This is not the way classified information is normally handled!

You don't put a security classification to a portion of a document. One either puts the security classification stamp at the top and bottom of each page, with a corresponding cover sheet, or one just redacts the sensitive information out of the document.

What this indicates is that someone who had access to such information did disclose this on a memo that should have been classified by virtue of its contents.

[Zen Democrat]

52. That's not what I've heard ...

I read here somewhere that paragraphs are marked according to the level of secrecy -- (C) for classified, (S) for secret, and (TS) for top secret. The pages are stamped according to the most secret paragraph on each page, and the entire document is classified according to the most secret page stamped in the document.

One paragraph marked (S) would, at a minimum, classify the entire document as (S).

[Vickers]

60. If any portion of a document is classified, the highest classification

is stamped at the top and bottom of each page of the document, regardless of what is on any page.

Always carried in a folder/cover sheet. Never given to someone (a) without the proper clearance, and (b) the need to know.

This is the way it was when I handled classified documents, and my clearance was way up there.

[nookiemonster]

65. Agreed.

I also carried a TS/BI while I was in the USAF. The guidelines for handling classified material are pretty straightforward, me thinks.

They're toast. Peace.

[bonzotex]

62. you are correct...

This whole document would be at least classified "Secret", and would have a cover sheet to that effect. There is absolutely no excuse.

[qanda]

50. John Kokal worked for INR

And he was found dead a week after the Wall Street Journal first mentioned this memo. I guess he knew too much.

[Zen Democrat]

53. WOW. Could Kokal have been the author of the memo?

He falls from the roof of the State Department on November 7, 2003 -- just when the investigation is getting underway.

Or was Kokal the guy at the CIA meeting with Wilson who said the report that Plame sent Wilson was FALSE?

I think we have a full-blown war going on between CIA and the Bush Administration. Now Bush has put in old BFEE buddy Negroponte as CIA overlord.

http://gratefuldread.net/archives/cat/001025.html

[cliss]

81. Yes, I remember reading about that.

There were a few threads here at the DU. Several posters wondered about Mr. Kokal's unusual fall. I was concerned back then. Waited to see if anything else would surface.

It was really strange because Mr. Kokal was not wearing shoes when he fell. Also, he fell into a small courtyard INSIDE the building (a very strange place to jump if you're considering suicide).

I believe he was a specialist in WMD's. I think the suspicion has been all along that he was assassinated. And then there's Mr. Kelly from England.

[Burried News]

82. From Google of John Kokal

http://www.usenet.com/newsgroups/misc.activism.progressive/msg06064.html
"Another INR official, weapons expert Greg Thielmann, said he and INR
were largely ignored by Under Secretary for Arms Control and
International Security John Bolton and his deputy, David Wurmser, a
pro-Likud neo-conservative who recently became Vice President Dick
Cheney's Middle East adviser. Kokal's former boss, the recently
retired chief of INR, Carl W. Ford, recently said that Bolton often
exaggerated information to steer people in the wrong directions.

A former INR employee revealed that some one-third to one-half of INR
officials are either former intelligence agents with the CIA or are
detailed from the agency. He also revealed it would have been
impossible for Kokal to have gained entry to the roof on his own. INR
occupies both a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) on
the sixth floor that has no windows and a windowless structure on the
roof that has neither windows nor access to the roof, according to the
former official. The other windows at the State Department have been
engineered to be shatter proof from terrorist bomb attacks and cannot
be opened.

INR and other State Department officials report that a "chill" has set
in at the State Department following Kokal's defenestration. A number
of employees are afraid to talk about the suspicious death. It also
unusual that The Northern Virginia Journal, a local Arlington
newspaper, has not published an obituary notice on Kokal."

[Tommymac]

51. Read Between the lines: Bush KNEW.

From the article:

"The memo was delivered to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell on July 7, 2003, as he headed to Africa for a trip with President Bush aboard Air Force One. Plame was unmasked in a syndicated column by Robert D. Novak seven days later"

Highly improbable Bush was unaware of this....

[robertpaulsen]

87. Bingo. He's either a co-conspirator or guilty of obstruction of justice.

Either way, he should be IMPEACHED!

[tmooses]

54. This is the lead story on MSNBC.msn.com now.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/. They are leading with the WP article.

[Imagevision]

77. Fitgerald has a lot to work with for future indictments - Rove won't be

alone!

[Lecky]

55. I hope the MSM starts talking about this again

[orleans]

56. ahhhh.....it's a good day already

i love the smell of the washington post in the morning!

[NVMojo]

57. excellent, now let's get something done already!

[slor]

59. I know what I am printing...

up today, and passing out!

[emulatorloo]

61. Condi REALLY REALLY wanting to leak this info -- see DU thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1944357

Check 12, Original Poster writes:

<snip>
--------------------------------------

Condi Pushed the "Wilson's wife sent him story"?

From Talking Points Memo:

Transcript of press gaggle in africa:

Q Dr. Rice, when did you all find out that the documents were forged?
DR. RICE: Sometime in March, I believe. Is that right?
MR. FLEISCHER: The IAEA reported it.
DR. RICE: The IAEA reported it I believe in March. But I will tell you that, for instance, on Ambassador Wilson's going out to Niger, I learned of that when I was sitting on whatever TV show it was, because that mission was not known to anybody in the White House. And you should ask the Agency at what level it was known in the Agency.
Q When was that TV show, when you learned about it?
DR. RICE: A month ago, about a month ago.
Q Can I ask you about something else?
DR. RICE: Yes. Are you sure you're through with this?

*** Are you sure you're through with this? ****

Look out Condi.. the tornado is going to sweep you up real soon and you had better pray for some golden slippers

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/20/16340/8649

<snip>

[emulatorloo]

64. FINEMAN - CONDI had a TV appearance briefing book marked TOP SECRET

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8600327/site/newsweek/page/3/

<snip>

Meanwhile, in transatlantic secure phone calls, the message machinery focused on a crucial topic: who should carry the freight on the following Sunday's talk shows? The message: protect Cheney by explaining that he had had nothing to do with sending Wilson to Niger, and dismiss the yellowcake issue. Powell was ruled out. He wasn't a team player, as he had proved by his dismissive comments about the "sixteen words." Donald Rumsfeld was pressed into duty, as was Condi Rice, the ultimate good soldier. She was on the Africa trip with the president, though, and wouldn't be getting back until Saturday night. To allow her to prepare on the long flight home to D.C., White House officials assembled a briefing book, which they faxed to the Bush entourage in Africa. The book was primarily prepared by her National Security Council staff. It contained classified information—perhaps including all or part of the memo from State. The entire binder was labeled TOP SECRET.

<snip>

[Tesla]

69. Talk about NEEDING THERAPY!!!!

"His dad walked out in 1969; in 1970, he learned that he and a brother had been fathered by someone other than the man he had called Dad. (Eleven years later, his mother committed suicide.)"

I'm wanting to give him therapy.

If these two aren't more than friends, I'll eat your shorts!!!

[ncteechur]

73. Condi is already guilty of perjury from the 911 commission. It...

would do my heart good for her to get charged as an accessory in this criminal case. She is incompetent.

[nickinSTL]

67. Excellent!

If this gets such high attention even with the SC nomination fresh...

Do I dare hope?

[underpants]

68. So Colin goes down for this?

That is the only name that I see directly linked to the memo.

Man Colin you should have known not to get involved with this crowd. Serves you right.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

83. I don't think so...

They may try to blame him, but I think they find out very quickly the limits of his loyalty to these thugs. Despite his faults, I think Powell at least tries to be an honorable man; I don't see him participating in this.

[WinkyDink]

70. HAHAHAHAHA!

Spin THAT one, Bushco!

[Alizaryn]

76. Its currently their most emailed story.

Maybe we can keep it that way to encourage more coverage?

[Imagevision]

78. I believe Rove and others will face indictments - just in time for 2006

elections!!

[WLKjr]

79. Common Sense Is Not Common For Bush White House

is what it should read.

[Burried News]

80. Could this put the tenure of George Shill & Charles Krautyammer

in jeopardy?
Sweet dreams are made of this.

[Burried News]

85. Google John Kokal and notice how few MSM references there are

[pgh_dem]

86. Man, I do NOT want to play poker with Jim VandenHei!!!

Saw him on MSNBC last night, and he gave every impression that the Rove story had just about run out of steam...making some little fumbly noises about 'maybe when the GJ wraps up in Oct'...

And this bombshell must've been sitting at the printer while he was pulling off that performance.

To VandenHei:
:yourock:

[Burried News]

88. From the WP article by Pincus

"It records that the INR analyst at the meeting opposed Wilson's trip to Niger because the State Department, through other inquiries, already had disproved the allegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger."

So Powell knew that Uranium from Niger had been ruled out!
Cheney must have also known? It would explain why State was getting regularly beat up by the NeoCons at that time.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

89. I think Rove's attorney leaked this memo to the Washington Post

Because within this Washington Post article we see the conveniently planted reference to the fact that Karl Rove was shown this memo by Patrick Fitzgerald and he denied ever having seen it before. Where did that tidbit come from? From Rove's mouthpiece along with this memo. Fitzgerald is not going to leak documents from his case. The logical conclusion is that the Bush Administration is trying to get ahead of the case, getting its spin out to the American public. It doesn't want this coming out in dramatic fashion on the date indictments are returned, but is doing everything it can to get their defense out in the public mind first, to have Americans pre-judge the case. The memo was going to come out ANYWAY sooner or later but Rove wants to get his slant on it before the public unopposed and as early as possible. Be expecting other leaked items from Fitzgerald's case in the days to come, along with the accompanying spin from Mr. Rove's lawyer. My guess is that the Chimp and his handlers are going to try to suggest that Colin Powell should be the defendant instead of Rove and that this leak started in the State Department. Since Powell is gone, the damage to the current White House is much lighter (unless it can be proven that Rove was complicit). If there is no other paper trail regarding the hands this secret memo went through, then it may come down to dueling testimony between State Department and White House staffers in a jury trial. If I were Patrick Fitzgerald, I would be very pissed.

[BelgianMadCow]

90. "the Bush Administration is trying to get ahead of the case"

All of the details becoming suddenly available and being reported in the corporate media makes me wonder too.

I think the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire.

How exactly do you think they could set up Colin Powell to take the blame? In this memo, at least the Plame part was marked "secret".

[snot]

92. Kick and thanks! nt

[holboz]

93. kick n/t