CIA Leak Path: Cheney, Libby, Woodward

[helderheid]

CIA Leak Path: Cheney, Libby, Woodward
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Report

Monday 06 March 2006

In mid-June 2003, when former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's criticism against the White House's use of pre-war Iraq intelligence started to make national headlines, Vice President Dick Cheney told his former chief of staff and close confidant I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to leak classified intelligence data on Iraq's nuclear ambitions to a legendary Washington journalist in order to undercut the charges made against the Bush administration by the former ambassador.

On June 27, 2003, Bob Woodward, the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, became the first journalist to whom Libby leaked a portion of the classified National Intelligence Estimate that purportedly showed how Iraq tried to acquire yellowcake uranium from Niger.

This story is based on interviews with current and former administration officials who work or worked at the CIA, the State Department and the National Security Council. All of the individuals are familiar with the events that took place in the days that led up to Libby's meeting with Woodward and other journalists in which the NIE was discussed.

More

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030606Z.shtml

[H2O Man]

1. For those interested

in more on the case, including Mr. Woodward's finding out about Plame, here is a link to Fitzgerald's most recently filed court document. Note the last sentence on page 14, section 39, regarding Mr. Rove.
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/files/fitz_response.pdf

[Me.]

8. # 39

"Beyond that, most of the reporters have published accounts of what they learned and how Mr. Cooper published articles twice about his conversations with Mr. Libby and Mr. Rove. Ms.Miller published her account of her conversation with Mr. Libby. Mr. Novak has published a brief description of how he learned the information, albeit declining to name his sources (redacted). Mr. Libby indisputably knows at least one of Mr. Novak’s sources (redacted). Mr.Libby testified in the grand jury that Rove told Libby that Novak was publishing a column about Wilson’s wife before it was ever published."

[Stephanie]

2. So I guess the lesson about conspiracies is that -

- no, you can't keep them secret when too many are involved. This sounds like insurrection in the ranks. Cheney pushed them too far. Which is interesting because John Dean in the seminar the other night said that the turning point for the Nixon WH came from within, when the staff could no longer stomach the lies.

[H2O Man]

3. As a rule,

a good criminal can think of about 20 ways to cover their crimes; a very bright one may come up with 50 or 60 ways. But a good detective has 100 ways to catch you. Add more criminals to the mix, both good and bright, and the math always comes to favor that good detective. Always.

[Stephanie]

4. you know, they always argue with us that such a conspiracy couldn't happen

because too many people would be in on it and how could that many people keep a secret - and the fact is that they cannot keep the secret, at least the honest and troubled ones among them cannot. Once again we rely on the permanent government of honest and hard-working people to stymie the neocons.

[H2O Man]

5. A sad thing

is that the truth is being kept captive, too often hidden from public view. One example should do: there are still "journalists" and expert talking heads (Sean Hannity) who insist that Valerie Plame Wilson was not covert. Older DUers will recall that I assured readers numerous times that the first witness called before the original grand jury was from the Agency, and documented her status. Now, of course, that was never reported anywhere,because it was secret. Thus, in January, Team Libby filed motions that ranged from serious to nonsense, including a demand of proof of Plame's status.

While Mr. Hannity continues to deny reality, DUers should have noted that the Feb. 13 Newsweek had a two paragraph article that was headlined "The CIA Leak: Plame Was Still Covert." It read, in part, "Newly released court papers could put holes in the defense of Dick Cheney's former Chief of Staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby ..... Patrick Fitzgerald found that Plame had indeed done 'covert work overseas' on counterproliferation matters in the past five years, and the CIA 'was making specific efforts to conceal' her identity...."

Of course, the reckless actions of the WHIG, under the directions of VP Cheney, ended the option of having her continue in the work being done to protect American cities from possible attacks. Thanks, Dick.

We are seeing the beginnings of a very negative trend. The previous attacks on the media are going to increase dramatically in the upcoming months. It will not only be the attacks on CBS and Dan Rather; it will include sly attacks on progressive sources such as our friends at Raw Story.

[HereSince1628]

6. Link to the other (minutes later) thread on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x585921

[helderheid]

7. thanks! Looks like I needed more !!! :)