NYSun: No Hint Seen in Memo that Plame's Role Was Secret

[sabra]

http://www.nysun.com/article/31062

No Hint Seen in Memo that Plame's Role Was Secret

Contrary to published reports, a State Department memorandum at the center of the investigation into the leak of the name of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame, appears to offer no particular indication that Ms. Plame's role at the agency was classified or covert.

The memo, drafted by the then head of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and addressed to the then secretary of state, Colin Powell, was carried aboard Air Force One as President Bush departed for Africa in July 2003. A declassified version of the document was obtained by The New York Sun on Saturday.

...

Mr. Fitzgerald's investigators have attempted to establish a precise chain of custody for the document because it is one way some White House officials might have learned that Mr. Wilson's wife was a CIA employee, working in the agency's weapons of mass destruction division.

...

"In a February 19, 2002, meeting convened by Valerie Wilson, a CIA WMD manager, and the wife of Joe Wilson, he previewed his plans and rationale for going to Niger," the memo from the State Department intelligence chief, Carl Ford Jr., said. Mr. Ford also drafted an earlier version of the memo, addressed to an undersecretary of state, Marc Grossman. Mr. Grossman apparently sought the information about Mr. Wilson's trip after receiving inquiries from the then chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, I. Lewis Libby.

[Brotherjohn]

1. But the MEMO ITSELF is marked "SECRET"! (nt)

[sabra]

2. bingo, check out this spin

http://www.nysun.com/article/31062?page_no=2

Not noted in the previous press reports was the fact that six of the seven paragraphs in the memo are marked "secret," while only one appears to mention Ms. Plame. In addition, virtually every paragraph in the attached supporting documents from the State Department about alleged Iraqi uranium procurement in Niger carries the "secret" designation.

With most, if not all, of the Niger-related documents marked "secret" in a host of places, there is no particular reason a reader would think the classification was derived from Ms. Plame's status or involvement.

An attorney representing a White House official under scrutiny in the investigation said yesterday that the broader context of the document undercuts the idea of a deliberate campaign to expose Ms. Plame.

[Igel]

3. Someone's been reading up on their

basic semiotics. Marked and unmarked, and how we infer markedness.

[Roland99]

7. And the individual paragraph mentioning "Valerie Wilson, a CIA WMD manager

[rsdsharp]

4. Hmmmm. A declassified "version" of the memo, huh?

Bush leaked a declassified "version" of the NIE, too. His "version" managed to leave out everything that didn't support him.

[peacebird]

16. bing-bing-bing! We HAVE a winner!

"Bush leaked a declassified "version" of the NIE, too. His "version" managed to leave out everything that didn't support him."

Bingo! Declassify the memo making certain the original "super-secret" stuff is still securely classified! Like the stuff that proves bushco outed a CIA operative for polical gain.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. Link to the discussion on this topic at GD.....

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x948537>

[sabra]

6. thanks.

peace

[spooky3]

8. Wouldn't the first question anyone would ask when seeing "CIA" be:

"Is this person undercover?"

Honestly, I have friends who work for security agencies in far less sensitive positions than hers and they bristle when you ask them "how was your day?"

[BuyingThyme]

9. They find a new way of lying every day. Why don't they just say,

"We were talking about a different Valerie Plame"?

[leesa]

10. Ahhh...back to the original GOP lie. She wasn't 'undercover' undercover

[DS1]

11. Fine. It's still negligent.

[Rex]

12. So the Resident Idiot declassified info to 'out' someone

married to the man they wanted revenge against. Sounds like unethical, immoral conduct to me. Definitely grounds for a criminal trial based on the actions taken alone.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

13. It's still treasoneous activity for political gains

They can play make believe with the legalities all they want, it's still a "high crime" and impeachable.

[johnfunk]

14. No Hint Seen in New York Sun That They Are Capable of Journalism

Talk about a non-story! Unless, of course, the New York Scum is providing a selectively spun "story" to fool the FReeper rubes into believing Plame and Brewster Jennings were not covert...

[wishlist]

15. Declassification would have caused removal of 'secret' notation

It only makes sense that a newly declassified copy open for viewing by reporters would no longer be marked with the 'secret' or classified designation that the original classified memo contained.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jack Rabbit]

18. Consider the source

The Sun is fishwrap. The paper once proposed proposed prosecuting peopace demonstators for treason.