Wash. Note: Dana Priest's multiple sources on CIA prisons (in Europe?)

[Roland99]

Bush Should Polygraph Staff on Plame Outing: Dana Priest's Sources were Multiple and Were Most Likely in Europe
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001365.php

One other thing. I was surprised when the news of Mary McCarthy's firing happened that so many immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was Dana Priest's source on the secret CIA prisons.

I kept my powder dry on that one and did not post or link to any of these stories because they conflicted with something I had written about Priest's work and sources some time ago:

...

Immediately, after Priest's story, Senate Republicans began attacking each other -- thinking that one or more of them had spilled classified information to Dana Priest as the revelation of such detention centers was allegedly made by Vice President Cheney at a Republican caucus meeting in the Senate. Bill Frist and Dennis Hastert actually called for an investigation of who leaked the information to Priest rather than calling for an investigation of the secret detention facilities.

...

My hunches are that her source(s), are in Europe -- not the United States. Dana Priest made two long trips through Europe and Eastern Europe these last couple of years and developed much of her material on the secret prisons there.

There's obviously much more to this story than meets the eye. And, yeah, why not give the entire administration the polygraph?? :D

[ThomCat]

1. Because this was an excuse to purge a democrat

from the CIA, apparently. Finding the real leaker is secondary, and probably being done much more secretly.

[Roland99]

2. Of course, and consider these points >>>>>>>

House Poised To Grant Arrest (Domestic Police) Powers To CIA, NSA
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1020302

Goss was 'given instructions' to purge Democrats from the CIA
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1021473

[Zen Democrat]

3. Not purge, but scapegoat.

Ms. McCarthy had already retired from the CIA in February. Her last day was supposed to be April 30. They fired her a week before she was already leaving.

This smells of scapegoat. I suspect that leaker was one the Republican Senators briefed by Dick Cheney -- maybe Specter or McCain or Hagel. They "fire" a CIA person already retiring and she gets the rap for the leak. That's my scenario.

[ThomCat]

4. By firing her, do they deny her retirement benefits?

That seems like a vicious form of retribution for not being a "team player."

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Beats getting killed

or suicided which is the preferred method now a days.

[Roland99]

6. Good question. But, doesn't Bugman keep his even if convicted?

[Zen Democrat]

7. Doubt it. The government has the most liberal health & pension benefits.

And that would include the CIA. If congressmen are "fired", they still get their big benefit package.

[librechik]

11. she won't lose her pension

heard it somewhere-was worried about that! especially after seeing they want to use loss of pension benefits as punishment for leakers--apparently not this time.

[riderinthestorm]

8. Yup, I think she's been set up as an example to others at the CIA

I think Goss needed to hold up a body like some kind of bizarre voodoo sacrifice to everyone else at the agency and this woman was a convenient scapegoat.

It's very chilling.

As for her retirement $$ and perks, if she's been cut off, I suspect that there are some excellent lawyers out there sniffing blood in the water on this one, salivating at getting this wrongful termination lawsuit.

[AlCzervik]

9. Something useful i once heard Bob Woodward say, he said that when an

article contains named and unnamed sources that the unnamed source is usually one of the named sources but wants whatever juicy tidbit that is the bombshell to not be attributed to he/she. Maybe the unnamed source's name is actually in her article.

[Roland99]

10. Interesting...