Larry Johnson-The Big Lie About Valerie Plame

[LiviaOlivia]

The Big Lie About Valerie Plame
By Larry Johnson
From: TPMCafe Special Guests
Jul 13, 2005 -- 12:47:20 AM EST

The misinformation being spread in the media about the Plame affair is alarming and damaging to the longterm security interests of the United States. Republicans' talking points are trying to savage Joe Wilson and, by implication, his wife, Valerie Plame as liars. That is the truly big lie.

For starters, Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak. Novak's column was not an isolated attack. It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove.

Valerie Plame was a classmate of mine from the day she started with the CIA. I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985. All of my classmates were undercover--in other words, we told our family and friends that we were working for other overt U.S. Government agencies. We had official cover. That means we had a black passport--i.e., a diplomatic passport. If we were caught overseas engaged in espionage activity the black passport was a get out of jail free card.

~snip~

the article continues at:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/13/04720/9340

Larry Johnson is a retired CIA officer who was a classmate of Valerie Plame's when both entered the CIA in the mid-1980s....Josh Marshall

[Son of California]

1. Lets keep pushing this idea

its so important to realize
that when Rove revealed the identity of Valerie Plame, he did tremendous damage to our fight against terrorism. And whether it was intentional or not -which is a semantic argument that could go on forever fruitlessly- it was an error in judgement of amazing proportions that cannot, for the sake of our security, go unpunished.

[BonnieJW]

22. letter on Salon

Mr. Sheppard writes in his letter to Salon Magazine that there is an older law that would still convict Rove:

http://www.salon.com/news/letters/2005/07/13/rove/print.html


It appears that everyone is fixated on the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act as the law that could possibly have been broken by Karl Rove, and points to the difficulties in obtaining a conviction under that law given the circumstances of the case.

There is, however, another law that could be operative here, the 1917 Espionage Act. It states in part that "whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blue print, plan, map, model, note, or information, relating to the national defence, through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust" is guilty of a crime.

Certainly, the identity of a covert operative in the CIA is "information" under the definition of the act. This would make Rove culpable even though he did not fit the stricter requirements of the subsequent 1982 law. The last person I know of to be prosecuted under this law was Samuel Morrison, who in 1984 leaked three classified spy satellite photos of the Soviet Union's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Even though the photos were of a Soviet ship, didn't compromise any U.S. national security secrets, and were given to a publication -- Jane's Defense Weekly -- not to enemy agents, the Reagan administration prosecuted the leak.

It was argued that the leak of classified material alone, regardless of motive, was enough to trigger the statute. The Court of Appeals agreed. It held that such a leak might be prompted by "the most laudable motives, or any motive at all," and it would still be a crime. Guess what? Morrison went to jail. For giving a magazine photos of a Soviet carrier.

Plame's identity was not common knowledge and Rove disclosed it. Therefore, he could have violated the Espionage Act regardless of whether he knew she was covert, did it deliberately to compromise her, or used her exact name. Perhaps this is why the Circuit Court of Appeals judges cited the likelihood of serious underlying crimes in their decision to compel Cooper and Miller to testify. Federal judges tend to know the law a little bit.

Besides, doesn't it sound so much better to be indicted for espionage than violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act?

-- Morris Sheppard

[teach1st]

2. Kick for the article by Larry Johnson...

Here's a 9/30/03 PBS interview in which Larry Johnson particpates (along with Novak and others):

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec03/leaks_09-30.html

LARRY JOHNSON: Let's be very clear about what happened. This is not an alleged abuse. This is a confirmed abuse. I worked with this woman. She started training with me. She has been undercover for three decades, she is not as Bob Novak suggested a CIA analyst. But given that, I was a CIA analyst for four years. I was undercover. I could not divulge to my family outside of my wife that I worked for the Central Intelligence Agency until I left the agency on Sept. 30, 1989. At that point I could admit it.

So the fact that she's been undercover for three decades and that has been divulged is outrageous because she was put undercover for certain reasons. One, she works in an area where people she meets with overseas could be compromised. When you start tracing back who she met with, even people who innocently met with her, who are not involved in CIA operations, could be compromised. For these journalists to argue that this is no big deal and if I hear another Republican operative suggesting that well, this was just an analyst fine, let them go undercover. Let's put them overseas and let's out them and then see how they like it. They won't be able to stand the heat.

[Mythsaje]

3. Kicked and nominated

this is important.

[snot]

4. KICK nt

[Pachamama]

5. "I say this as a registered Republican...This is about a betrayal......"

LARRY JOHNSON: "I say this as a registered Republican. I'm on record giving contributions to the George Bush campaign. This is not about partisan politics. This is about a betrayal, a political smear of an individual with no relevance to the story. Publishing her name in that story added nothing to it. His entire intent was correctly as Ambassador Wilson noted: to intimidate, to suggest that there was some impropriety that somehow his wife was in a decision making position to influence his ability to go over and savage a stupid policy, an erroneous policy and frankly, what was a false policy of suggesting that there were nuclear material in Iraq that required this war. This was about a political attack. To pretend that it's something else and to get into this parsing of words, I tell you, it sickens me to be a Republican to see this."

[kestrel91316]

6. Larry, if it really sickens you .................

please reregister as a Democrat. We know better than to treat our people like bush treated plame and Wilson.

[fudge stripe cookays]

21. Then DO something about it!

STOP VOTING for the party that has caused so much damage to this country!

WAKE UP AMERICA!
FSC

[understandinglife]

7. I sent the following link to TPM and asked if they would be kind ...

... enough to forward it to Mr Johnson whom I do not know or know how to contact:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4084675

I think it is obvious how severely traitorous I consider the situation.


Peace.

www.missionnotaccomplished.us

[Catherine Vincent]

26. Here is Larry Johnson's contact information:

http://www.berg-associates.com/

:hi:

[understandinglife]

28. Thank you!

:hi:

Peace.

www.missionnotaccomplished.us

[snot]

8. Another thought

Re- another part of the Repub response--that Wilson only got the job at Plame's request--SO WHAT? (She apparently showed good judgment, 'cause he came up with what has proved to be the truth.)

[LiviaOlivia]

9. Exactly

Juan Cole today:

~snip~

Why would it matter that Valerie Plame suggested to the CIA that they send her husband Joe Wilson to Niger? Wilson had excellent credentials for the mission, which the CIA immediately recognized.

~snip~

http://www.juancole.com/2005/07/rove-unfit-for-public-office-whether.html

[sunnystarr]

27. It's a big "so what" because it wasn't true and

Wilson and Plame are on record saying it wasn't true. What's really incredulous is the amount of lies put forth to bury the truth. This administration wants the world to believe that:

Joe Wilson conspired with Valerie Plame to be sent on a trip to Niger so that he could issue a report that would embarrass the POTUS by stating that the 16 words in SOTU address were not true.

They did this because both are Democrats and were working for the DNC to discredit the POTUS. (Wilson even tried to work with Kerry on his campaign but Kerry rejected him according to GOP reports)

Joe Wilson lied because he reported that there wasn't any evidence that Hussein tried to purchase yellowcake from Niger when in fact his reported stated that there was evidence.

It was Rove's responsibility to protect reporters from making false reports on false premises and to protect the POTUS from these lies. By outing Plame he did the country a service since he also exposed Wilson's lies. That would effectively neutralize and purge two Dem political operatives from doing damage to our great administration.

This is the new reality that the GOP is creating. Unless all Dem leaders and bloggers fight like hell with the truth, this is what will in a short time become "reality."

[Old and In the Way]

10. I'm sure Larry can be added to the list of American haters.

The list of Republican American lovers is getting shorter by the day.

[Hissyspit]

11. kick

[Memekiller]

12. TPMcafe post by Plame's former CIA classmate

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/13/04720/9340

The misinformation being spread in the media about the Plame affair is alarming and damaging to the longterm security interests of the United States. Republicans' talking points are trying to savage Joe Wilson and, by implication, his wife, Valerie Plame as liars. That is the truly big lie.

For starters, Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak. Novak's column was not an isolated attack. It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove.

Valerie Plame was a classmate of mine from the day she started with the CIA. I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985. All of my classmates were undercover--in other words, we told our family and friends that we were working for other overt U.S. Government agencies. We had official cover. That means we had a black passport--i.e., a diplomatic passport. If we were caught overseas engaged in espionage activity the black passport was a get out of jail free card.

[jn2375]

13. Beat me to it I was just about to post it!

[aquart]

14. Valerie Plame VOLUNTEERED to risk her life for her country.

And her reward is to be ENDANGERED BY HER PRESIDENT?

So that no one would stop him from ordering other Americans to their deaths?

This president cares nothing for our lives.

[Uncle Joe]

30. As far as the neocons are concerned

it is all a chess game and we are the pawns.

[checks-n-balances]

34. I have felt this for a long time

it's like the entire world is their chess board. But the game is rigged because both parties playing are headed in the same wrong direction.

[Elidor]

15. Must-read

This is a very strong piece.

[Fridays Child]

16. kicked and nominated

:kick:

[pa28]

17. The most telling line . . .

"When Novak outed Valerie he also compromised her company and every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company and with her."

Time will tell what damage Karl has done to our national security.

[bklyncowgirl]

18. This is important

It explains the nature of the sort of job she was doing and the risks she was taking to do it.

The bottom line is that in order to discredit a whistle blower, the Bush administration blew the cover of a CIA agent, exposed her operation and put her and the people she had worked with in extreme danger.

[Im with Rosey]

19. Emailed to Keith Olberman

This is an important angle of the story that we sometimes forget, I am extremely thankful that Mr. Johnson has taken the political spin out of the issue and caused all of us to look at it in a different light. I would love to see someone in corporate media explore the implications of what damage rove has caused, not only the danger he has created for so many, but also the countless people that can no longer operate effectively to help protect our country.

[Tesla]

20. KKKarl also has made Agents a little less willing

to work for them, knowing at anytime, all their career might be jeopardized by the wrong report. The Truth!!

That just blows the who idea of "Intelligence" out the door!!

Afraid to report what they found out for fear of being "Outed" and retaliated against!!

[HootieMcBoob]

24. Olberman needs to have Larry Johnson on his show

In fact Larry Johnson should be on every TV screen in the country.
It wasn't too much for them to plaster the news shows with the swift boat liars but God forbid we put on someone with integrity who can clear away the spin and distortions in one short paragraph. No...it's better to fill our time with Whitehouse shills and GOP hacks and no-nothing "journalists" talking out of their asses.

[Im with Rosey]

32. I hoped that when KO read the email

he would realize the importance of the story, Mr. Johnson should be telling every "journalist" that has facetime. I think the fact that Mr. Johnson has a different perspective from the same old B.S. should speak for itself about the value of giving him a forum. KO sometimes has enough forethought to realize there are other angles to view a story. I hoped it would pique his interest. Maybe others could also push it with Keith, [e-mail], come'on DU this and maybe it will happen.

23. rove and bush

Isn't this like the outlaws taking over the town and intimidating everyone. They have the levers of power in their hands, and who will be able to strong-hand it away from them? Even the CIA agents are speaking out that this was a dangerous outing. And I don't understand how Bush's mother or wife for that matter doesn't care about his morality. :shrug:

[Uncle Joe]

31. I read somewhere years ago

that when they first informed Barbara Bush that one of her sons would be running for President, she asked which one and when they told her it would be George W., she rolled her eyes. I think she knew what was coming.

[Catherine Vincent]

25. I was waiting on Larry Johnson's take on this.

Thanks.

[Vincardog]

29. At the end of the day, Joe Wilson was right.

There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was the Bush Administration that pushed that lie and because of that lie Americans are dying. Shame on those who continue to slander Joe Wilson while giving Bush and his pack of liars a pass. That's the true outrage.

[WillyT]

33. Recommended And Kicked !!!

Thank you Larry!

:kick:

[Roland99]

35. Kick

[Synnical]

36. Kick n/t

:kick: