David Ensor on CNN: Sources say Wilson's Wife was an Operative

[Cush]

CNN's National Security Reporter says: "My sources says she isn't an analyst, but an operative"

[eileen_d]

1. Definitions?

I don't know the difference between the two.

[Cush]

2. Operative

she would be out in the field collect info, working with other agents, etc

[Mari333]

4. She was a CIA Operative not an analyst

That means she was in a precarious situation and was put into grave danger by the leak from the White House....
Just confirmed on CNN..
She WAS a CIA Operative.

[patdem]

8. Exactly,.,...WAS an operative...not IS ...she's been outted...no longer

fit for duty?

[eileen_d]

6. Thank you both for the quick answers! n/t

[Khephra]

3. Yep...I'll back you up on that

Ensor seemed pretty damn sure on that.

[MoonAndSun]

5. This is very important, Cush

Novakula is saying she is just a analyst, David Ensor says his sources say she is an operative with agents under her. That is why this is so important. He agents, undercover contacts, etc are put in danger because of this.

Novakula is lying!

[rolodomo]

14. I think security is threatened either way

The WP reports today that she was a case officer, a WMD analyst, and had travelled overseas. However, even if she did not do cloak and dagger stuff, the revelation of her name would allow foreign intelligence to key in on her business transactions and acquaintances many of which are also probably CIA agents.

Can you believe Novak was demanding proof of harm to national security even though a law designed to preclude threats to national security had been violated? This is like inviting criminals to harm national security if the actual harm can't be proved which is very likely in the murky world of intelligence. This is probably of of the many reasons that those who violate this law are held criminally liable per se without a requirement to prove harm.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi rolodomo!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rolodomo]

20. Thanks for the warm welcome newyawker99 !

:D

[Dudley_DUright]

17. Ironically, this may come down to the meaning of the word "is"

My understanding is that she currently is an analyst (since she is the mother of 2 year old twins), but not very long ago she was a field operative. However, just because she is now an analyst does not mean it is legal to reveal her identity since the assets she "ran" may still be in place and would be vulnerable if others knew her identity. I believe there is a whole process, done over a period of years, to make sure a field operative can "come back in from the cold" so to speak and not endanger his/her former network. Someone (Matcom/Dadcom) can correct me if I am wrong here.

[proud patriot]

7. Yep I saw that too

Very Serious ...

[Mari333]

10. Even Wolfie said..

"Then that makes this more serious"
hah!

[Unknown Known]

9. This makes it more egregious

as any contacts she had would also have their lives in danger or they possibly already have been killed. Her expertise was WMDs - so this leak has also compromised our national security.

This is damned treasonous!

[RainDog]

19. Yes. And Novak just lied on national tv

of course, he wasn't under oath...

but this is, no doubt, disinformation planted for those who don't hear the rebuttal.

Whether she is currently an operative or not is unimportant.

The contacts and infrastructure she built as an operative would be passed on to something else, I would think.

So again, the white house has endangered the lives of other agents and their contacts with the info, it would seem.

[annagull]

11. Novak just lied on TV about his own column:

Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is a Agency Operative on Weapons of Mass Destruction. Two senior administration officials told me Wilson's wife...
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20030714.shtml

I hate being lied to, especially so blatantly.

[matcom]

12. he is 1000% correct

and i CANNOT say anymore

[Justice]

13. Andrea Mitchell Aware of the Story

Don Imus asked Andrea Mitchell of NBC this morning -

Don- Did you get a call from the White House telling you Wilson's wife was a CIA operative...

Andrea - Snippy answer - I never reveal my sources.

Don- I am not asking you to reveal sources, I am asking you did you get a call?

Andrea - I was "aware of the story" We opted not to publish it because it wasn't central to the Niger story. My standard is not to reveal a CIA agent/government person unless there is a compelling journalistic reason to do so. Based on the facts given to me, there was no reason to do so. I don't know what Novak was told, the facts given to him might have been different.

Andrea did not say, but seemed to suggest in answering Don's question that she had been called/a colleague had been called.

[Nottingham]

21. Well all its going to take is what time the Snitch called and the

telephone Logs are gonna reveal it! :bounce:

[KharmaTrain]

15. Novak Added Legs To This Story

With this flimsy parsing and passing the buck, Novak's opened up more questions than he answered.

I was hoping the Prince of Darkness would come out this afternoon and slime both Wilson and his wife, and he did one better...he added even more questions to be investigated.

Novak knows he's bulletproof...as are most Right Wing "journalists" and that this regime has the ability to just let a story blow out, and they're firmly expecting this one to be that way as well.

Face it, without Democrats in control of any investigative forum, these bastards know they can get away with anything. Thus, the real need not only to take the Executive that was stolen from the people, but work double-hard to capture one if not both houses next year to put a silver spike in these Right Wing for the next decade.

[tjdee]

16. By Novak's own admission, the CIA said NOT to use her name!

Why on earth would the CIA tell a reporter that she was an operative, being that that is CONFIDENTIAL, and the reporter (Novak) has NO CLEARANCE?

Even if he were to understand that she were an analyst, something should have told him "gee, maybe I oughtn't use her name, since the CIA TOLD ME NOT TO."

But no. He names her--for no discernable reason other than to screw her and Wilson.

Novaks screwed up, and I hope whomever clued him in bears the brunt of this.