The CIA leak (CNN - Novak statement)

[UpInArms]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/01/column.novak.opinion.leak/

My role and the role of the Bush White House have been distorted and need explanation.

The leak now under Justice Department investigation is described by former Ambassador Wilson and critics of President Bush's Iraq policy as a reprehensible effort to silence them. To protect my own integrity and credibility, I would like to stress three points. First, I did not receive a planned leak. Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else. Third, it was not much of a secret.

<snip>

A big question is her duties at Langley. I regret that I referred to her in my column as an "operative," a word I have lavished on hack politicians for more than 40 years. While the CIA refuses to publicly define her status, the official contact says she is "covered" -- working under the guise of another agency. However, an unofficial source at the Agency says she has been an analyst, not in covert operations.

The Justice Department investigation was not requested by CIA Director George Tenet. Any leak of classified information is routinely passed by the Agency to Justice, averaging one a week. This investigative request was made in July shortly after the column was published. Reported only last weekend, the request ignited anti-Bush furor.

...

this piece of flotsam has no shame :mad:

[lindashaw]

1. And Kay Bailey Hutchinson, just about read this verbatim from...

the floor of the Senate.

[Beetwasher]

2. He's a liar or incompetent

He's been in the business for how long and doesn't know the difference between and operative and an analyst??? Puhleeeze! Lying sack of shit...

[DeathvadeR]

16. Maybe he was offered alittle incentive to play dumb??? N/T

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

30. Novak was hawking "analyst" yesterday

until he found out everybody had a copy of his piece of traitorous writing.

Then he blamed it on partisan politics.

Now he's saying that Palme's 30 years as a CIA spy was common knowledge.

I fear for the US.

[Gunit_Sangh]

3. more fair and balanced reporting

<I was curious why a high-ranking official in President Bill Clinton's National Security Council (NSC) was given this assignment. Wilson had become a vocal opponent of President Bush's policies in Iraq after contributing to Al Gore in the last election cycle and John Kerry in this one. >

In setting the record straight, nofacts seems to not think it relevant that poppa bush praised Joe Wilson for his actions prior to the first gulf war and that he was considered a hero for saving hundreds of American lives (along with citizens of other countries) and that he gave more money to jr than Gore.

I also notice they fail to mention that the current ambassador to Nigeria and a retired marine general backed up Wilson's assessment that it was impossible for Iraq to purchase 500 tons of yellowcake.

[pw]

10. Fair and balanced lie

It's been fairly widely documented that he contributed to the Twit campaign in the last cycle.

[robbedvoter]

11. Wilson donated to bush, not Gore - so his reasoning/research stink!

Someone posted here on what Wilson said:

n CNBC Capitol Report they just pushed Wilson on the $1000 Kerry
donation
and he came back with, 'No, it was $2000, in two $1000 payments'; then
he went on to say that what Ed Gillespie also knew but didn't tell
anybody, was that Wilson also donated $2000 to Bush/Cheney in 2000! But
that he would not be supporting aWol this time because of their war and
peace blunder!

[salin]

19. or that Wilson was Bushsr's ambassador to Iraq in 1991

which is why we call him "Ambassador Wilson" in the first place?

[TAH6988]

21. Actually, we call him Ambassador because

of his real Ambassador jobs, not his "acting ambassador" job during Desert Storm.

[zbdent]

4. Somebody else here said it best - "If it's no big deal, and the knowledge

was public, then name the leakers."

For somebody who was one of the co-ordinated attackers on the legality of Clinton/Gore's actions, he suddenly became stupid about whether or not something could be illegal. Plus, naming a CIA operative has been pretty stupid, right?

AND, the White House said in its memo that the person revealed was "undercover". Isn't that proof?

[JitterbugPerfume]

6. lying sack of

dung

[damnraddem]

24. 'the White House said in its memo that the person revealed was "undercover

By revealing that the 'undercover' designation was correct, did the WH memo itself breach the law? Did it need to reveal this, or could it have just referred to 'allegations'? Isn't it common practice to state that no public comment can be made on whether a person claimed to be a spy actually is a spy? Or, if the WH memo was itself a classified communication, then why isn't its release an issue?

[rocktivity]

5. A tale of three points

To protect my own integrity and credibility, I would like to stress three points.

• First, I did not receive a planned leak.
  
• Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else.
  
• Third, it was not much of a secret.

To show that you are a lying, conspiring, treasonus sack of shit, I would like to stress three points.

• Unless you're psychic or was in on it, you have no way of knowing if the leak was planned.
  
  
• Assuming that you're telling the truth when you say you called the CIA for confirmation and they asked you not to use her name, it should have occured to you that they had a REASON for doing so which MIGHT have nothing to with getting in the way of your story.
  
  
• IF IT WASN'T THAT MUCH OF A SECRET, WHY DID YOU CALL THE CIA FOR CONFIRMATION IN THE FIRST PLACE?

rocknation

[screembloodymurder]

29. Your post deserves an answer.

You should Email CNN.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

33. What's their address?

I have some things to say myself.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

31. Meanwhile, what were the CNN editors doing?

Or does Novak get a carte blanche from CNN to undermine national security whenever he pleases?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. I would have thought that Novak was smart enough not....

...to get on the bad side of the CIA. Evidently, he's even more afraid of the people he's trying to protect.

[damnraddem]

25. A smart person can act awfully dumb ...

when he's on an arrogant crusade. And even more so when he realizes that he's in hot water because of what he did on his arrogant crusade.

[TahitiNut]

8. "While the CIA refuses to publicly define her status"???

Climb on the cluetrain, Nofacts. No ethical DC journalist would need a bigger clue.

[NNN0LHI]

9. He knows why they can't publicly define her status. He is playing dumb

I used to think this guy had some ethics.

Don

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

32. "I used to think this guy had some ethics."

Based on what evidence?

I never thought that.

[robbedvoter]

12. The "common knowledge" BS is refuted by Marshall:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/oct0301.html#100103952am
Wilson was not some kind of celebrity and to friends the wife was saying she was working for some company...

[iam]

13. What?

There is an official investigation going on with Novak named as a player and he publicly defends the White House, the subject of the investigation? What ever happened to "It would be inappropriate to comment on an on-going investigation".
If you are a conservative, laws are made to be broken.

[Snellius]

14. Email CNN demanded they fire his treasonous ass

CNN has as much to explain as the WH.

[TacticalPeek]

15. At least demand that Lou Dobbs ban him from his show.

:silly:

[truthisfreedom]

17. HAHAHA. IRRELEVANT he's pretending to be an expert on the CIA and a mind-

reader as well. WAY too many CIA, WH, and Justice Department reports have come out in the past few days using the words operative, undercover, and criminal investigation, for his statements to have any relevance now.

schmuck. reading more rove text. novak has been obviated by this story... he is now officially irrelevant.

[wabeewoman]

18. This is typical bush politics

dirty the messenger, muddy the waters, make it look like everybody does it so its no big deal, "we didn't do it but if we did it they deserved it and everybody does it". No surprises here. Novak is a bush whore and will write whatever helps bush. And since they think they are above the law, they will lie and plan to get away with it.

[Rex]

20. To little, to late Bob.

Nice try though. I think Bob & Rove are gonna have a lot in common in the near future.

[damnraddem]

26. Who is covered by the do-not-reveal law?

Those in official positions to know? Those in official positions with no right to know but who nevertheless may learn the info? Or any person who is in receipt of the info?

[Nottingham]

22. WHere is the Apology for putting this woman in danger!

I have NO Respect for Novak! :bounce:

[LeftIsBest]

23. you're right

Novak should apologize. I hope both BUSH and Novak suffer permanant damage.

Since the Dems on capitol hill don't think it's worth it to actually get an independent counsel so much as it to look like they want one in front of the cameras there will never be a fair investigation. Justice department will take forever until the story gets buried and then no one will get burned for it. However, I trust that once you piss off the CIA they got many ways of getting back.

I will be honest, I am going to enjoy watching this administration suffer.

Dean 04'

[damnraddem]

27. Or for putting her contacts into danger.

And because the CIA cannot say, we don't know whether any of them have in fact suffered or died because of it.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

34. 30 years worth of contacts

If Novak gets away with this, it's open season on CIA agents.

[TAH6988]

37. Not thirty years

the woman is only in her 40's as I understand it. This was brought up in another post.

[dave29]

28. Novak blames partisan politics

on the part of Dems - as a direct result of is hack partisan politics attempt to smear Wilson and wife.

You screwed up Bob, just admit it.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

36. The issue is our national security, post 9-11, which Novak jeopardized

It's a testament to the divisiveness of the Bush administration and its media minions that they must resort to "partisan politics" to cover up the fact that they are unwilling to unify with democrats even when the security of the country is at stake.

[NicoleM]

35. my email to Crossfire

I keep hearing people say that "everybody knew" that Mr. Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, and since nothing bad has happened to her as a result of the leak, it's no big deal that Mr. Novak released her name. If that is the case, why doesn't Mr. Novak just reveal the names of his sources? Or better yet, why don't they come forward?

Nicole in Minnesota