On Hill, Rice Pledges Probe Of Alleged Chalabi Leak

[struggle4progress]

National security adviser Condoleezza Rice yesterday promised Congress a full investigation into allegations that an Iraqi politician supported by the Pentagon told Iran the United States had broken the code it used for secret communications, and U.S. officials said the revelation destroyed an important source of intelligence.

In a closed-door damage assessment on Capitol Hill, National Security Agency officials said the disclosure cut off a significant stream of information about Iran at a time when the United States is worried about the country's nuclear ambitions, its support for terrorist groups and its efforts to exert greater influence over Iraq.
<snip>

In a letter to Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, Chalabi's attorneys said the leaks came from "the same individuals within the U.S. government who have undermined the President's policies in Iraq . . . and are using Dr. Chalabi as a scapegoat for their own failures."
<snip>

A senior government official said yesterday that the investigation is "focusing on a person in Baghdad." Another official said "my sense is the FBI has a pretty good idea" who gave Chalabi the information.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11043-2004Jun2.html


Wimpy chimp? * says "I didn't really meet much with Chalabi" and leaves it to Rice to say "We'll investigate" ...

[SeattleDem]

1. right after they wrap up that Valerie Plame probe, and the new

and the new Halliburton/Cheney probe and the......

[struggle4progress]

2. Maybe the Bushistas could privatize all these investigations!

They could throw a few more billion dollar contracts towards their favorite contributors that way! :)

[murielm99]

3. Nah, they need to outsource them.

[Tellurian]

5. yeah, just lovin those unearned kickbacks..errr..royaltys-ahem..

[struggle4progress]

6. Have Chalabi and his Iranian friends do the work?

[Turbineguy]

10. Bill Cosby did

a great take-off on the Four Tops song "I'll Be There"

I'll be there,
as soon as I take out the trash

I'll be there,
but first I gotta walk the dog

etc.

With all the stuff in his way, he would never "be There"

[Tellurian]

4. I just know.. they'll Stay the Course...

by now, Rove's cranium is resonating with grand mal seizures.

[crossroads]

7. More Bushits the fan!

It just hasn't been a good news day for the WH! Bring it on! hee hee hahaha...
:bounce: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :bounce:

[Old and In the Way]

8. I wonder if the secret code was blown on purpose?

Just speculating, but what if they (this administration) wanted to compromise this intel channel? Cut off a valuable source of CIA intel as to what was really going on between Iraq, Chalabi, and Iran? Was this secret purposely blown to protect people in this administration regarding their dealings with Chalabi and Iraq?

[struggle4progress]

11. Well, there's an idea with fun speculative possibilities:

If the code-readers knew that Iran's nuclear program really was peaceful? If the Bushistas desperately needed a new war to distract attention from the Iraq quagmire? If the Bushistas gave up the ability to read code in the hopes that another round of bogus WMD threats could justify another preemptive attack? :bounce:

[anarchy1999]

9. Can we fire her yet?

What more do we need? Can't we fire them all!!!!!!!!!!!1

[underpants]

12. My goodness with all these investigations it might be hard to govern

Of course these are actual investigations of actual events while in office...........how does it feel now?

[struggle4progress]

14. It can't slow * down much -- he seems pretty disengaged

[John_H]

13. The WP calls Rummy's pal's spying a "leak" n/t