NYT: White House Tries to Quell Anger Over Leak Claim

[leftchick]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/washington/07cnd-leak.html?ei=5094&en=a43af062d1a708ac&hp=&ex=1144468800&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1144440045-2ZBSikmaL44uedjKiSHh+A

WASHINGTON, April 7 — The White House tried today to quell the furor over the leaking of sensitive prewar intelligence on Iraq, as President Bush's spokesman insisted that any release of information was "in the public interest" rather than for political reasons.

The spokesman, Scott McClellan, said a decision was made to declassify and release some information to rebut "irresponsible and unfounded accusations" that the administration had manipulated or misused prewar intelligence to buttress its case for war.

"That was flat-out false," Mr. McClellan said.

Mr. McClellan was barraged at a news briefing by questions over assertions by I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, that President Bush authorized him, through Mr. Cheney, in July 2003 to disclose key parts of what was until then a classified prewar intelligence estimate on Iraq.

At the time, the Pentagon had hardly finished basking in the easy military victory when it was caught up in questions over the failure to find deadly unconventional weapons in Iraq — the main rationale for going to war.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. The only public they are concerned about

is themselves.

[wordpix]

2. "irresponsible and unfounded accusations" -- nice try, snotty McLyin

He meant the accusations are totally responsible and have been proven totally true. He just had a slip of the tongue because BushCo's paying him a high salary to spew their bullshit.

[Beetwasher]

3. Sucks For Them That Everyone Believes Chimpy Misled The Country On Iraq

Keep digging douchebags.

[MagickMuffin]

4. They only declassified what they would us to hear,

that would prop up their claims to go to war. There was also info about the aluminum tubes that they didn't want us to know about. Wilson claimed that he was getting a work up back in March 03, even before he went public. They were ready to smear him because they couldn't afford someone to call them out for their trumped up charges in making a case to go to war.

They knew what they were doing. By outing Plame, they were able to use the excuse that Wilson's wife sent him to Niger. In all of the research I've done on this subject, that is the main reason they went after Wilson. Plame-Wilson was just a casualty. They couldn't let someone throw a monkey wrench in their plan.

As National Journal recently disclosed, the one-page summary of the NIE told Bush that although "most agencies judge" that an Iraqi procurement of aluminum tubes was "related to a uranium enrichment effort", the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Energy Department's branch "believe that the tubes more likely are intended for conventional weapons."

Despite receiving that assessment, the president stated without qualification in his January 28, 2003, State of the Union address: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production."

The former senior official said in an interview that he believed that the attempt to conceal the contents of the one-page summary were intertwined with the efforts to declassify portions of the NIE and to leak information to the media regarding Plame: "It was part and parcel of the same effort, but people don't see it in that context yet."

http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/0406nj1.htm

[jamesinca]

5. This reminds me of something on here a few days ago

Karl sent around the memo to stay on message about the war during the '04 vote rigging. He stated that anybody letting out that there was disagreement in the administration would damage the '04 vote rigging process. Everybody needed to have the same message, the CIA screwed up and there was no disagreement in the administration. In light of the events that have happened in the past two days, that memo is very telling.

[MagickMuffin]

6. I read the same article,

they knew that to "save Face" they would have to pull no punches. It's unbelievable how these thugs work.

From 2000 and the thugs flown in to Miami Dade to stop the vote count, to the energy lobbyist meeting in secret with Dick, to 9-11, Iraq war, etc, etc.

Now BugBoy DeLay is sending his goons to interfere with press conferences, and assaulting 69 year old women.

Check out my blog for more details about this MisAdministration, and the event that happened yesterday.

Sheesh, when will the masses finally wake up from this NIGHTMARE!

[NYC]

7. So why didn't they admit to it at the time?

If it was in the public interest, why hide that they had done it?

Why did Bush hire a criminal lawyer:

chill_wind Donating Member (132 posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Apr-06-06 01:50 PM
Response to Reply #17
23. James E. Sharp - John Dean 2004- in Findlaw

Edited on Thu Apr-06-06 01:53 PM by chill_wind
on the significance of private counsel


This action by Bush is a rather stunning and extraordinary development. The President of the United States is potentially hiring a private criminal defense lawyer. Unsurprisingly, the White House is doing all it can to bury the story, providing precious little detail or context for the President's action.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Bush explained his action by saying, "This is a criminal matter. It's a serious matter," but he gave no further specifics. White House officials, too, would not say exactly what prompted Bush to seek the outside advice, or whether he had been asked to appear before the grand jury.

Nonetheless, Bush's action, in itself, says a great deal. In this column, I will analyze what its implications may be.

analysis at: http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20040604.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=860958&mesg_id=861438

Related issue:
napi21 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Apr-06-06 11:14 PM
Response to Original message
9. Lying to a Fed officer is still a crime.

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_se...

1001. Statements or entries generally


Release date: 2005-08-03

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully—
(1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;
(2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
(3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(I'm getting a lot of mileage out of Chill Wind's post.)

[MagickMuffin]

8. You asked, Why did Bush hire a criminal lawyer:

My answer: Because he has always been a criminal. Only now he is a WAR CRIMINAL!

If it was in the public interest, why hide that they had done it?

I don't think they thought it was in the publics interest. Only the criminals interest was all that mattered. They don't think the masses are part of america.

Have you listened when they speak about America? They always phrase it as "MY america", rarely do they think of anyone that isn't in their club, their clique, their inner circle, their Billionaire Inner Circle.

Why else would they have to resort to private Town hall Meetings? Because they don't care about anyone but themselves!

[remfan]

9. Release of information? WTF?

You gave Judy Miller access to classified information, and you gave it to her in September 2002 BEFORE the NIE was done.

Spin your way out of that, assholes.