Just In: NYTIMES/Plame Finally some serious journalism! A memo, even!

[Donailin]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/politics/16memo.html?ei=5094&en=6d88216f8e1a7671&hp=&ex=1121572800&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

State Dept. Memo Gets Scrutiny in Leak Inquiry on C.I.A. Officer
By RICHARD STEVENSON

This article was reported by Douglas Jehl, David Johnston and Richard W. Stevenson and was written by Mr. Stevenson.


WASHINGTON, July 15 - Prosecutors in the C.I.A. leak case have shown intense interest in a 2003 State Department memorandum that explained how a former diplomat came to be dispatched on an intelligence-gathering mission and the role of his wife, a C.I.A. officer, in the trip, people who have been officially briefed on the case said.

Investigators in the case have been trying to learn whether officials at the White House and elsewhere in the administration learned of the C.I.A. officer's identity from the memorandum. They are seeking to determine if any officials then passed the name along to journalists and if officials were truthful in testifying about whether they had read the memo, the people who have been briefed said, asking not to be named because the special prosecutor heading the investigation had requested that no one discuss the case.

The memorandum was sent to Colin L. Powell, then the secretary of state, just before or as he traveled with President Bush and other senior officials to Africa starting on July 7, 2003, when the White House was scrambling to defend itself from a blast of criticism a few days earlier from the former diplomat, Joseph C. Wilson IV, current and former government officials said.

Mr. Powell was seen walking around Air Force One during the trip with the memorandum in hand, said a person involved in the case who also requested anonymity because of the prosecutor's admonitions about talking about the investigation.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether the gist of the information in the document, including the name of the C.I.A. officer, Valerie Wilson, Mr. Wilson's wife, had been provided to the White House even earlier, said another person who has been involved in the case. Investigators have been looking at whether the State Department provided the information to the White House before July 6, 2003, when Mr. Wilson publicly criticized the way the administration used intelligence to justify the war in Iraq, the person said.<<

there's much more. . . !

[Donailin]

1. People People wake the fuck up! Daily Kos is all over this right now

a timeline in progress:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/16/22536/4169

Revised Plame timeline
by MarkC
Fri Jul 15th, 2005 at 23:25:36 PDT
In light of the latest leak and the almost latest leak, I wanted to go over all this once more with an eye to what was going on with Rove's conspiracy buddies. Here, Texas Democrat and I and a few others have been working on Hadley, and I wanted to give an overview with the new info -- hopefully it will trigger some connections. This builds on Volvo Liberal's diary, and I also want to note the comments of drsmith131 there, and pollyusa on terri's thread, who are way perceptive.



Diaries :: MarkC's diary :: ::
Below is a timeline of reporting about Hadley and the implosion of the SOTU claims about Yellowcake. There are several new things to watch for:


There is a leak war going on between elements in the WH and the CIA. The major battles in that war are Wilson's article, Tenet taking responsibility for the SOTU, Hadley taking responsbility for the SOTU, and Tenet requesting the DOJ investigate Novak's leak.


By not looking at the Plame "outing" in isolation, but instead in its political context, the motive behind it (and who may have done it) is potentially clearer. In particular, in the context of the battle against the CIA, the leak was likely part of a strike at the CIA itself.


Judith Miller actually does co-write an article that deals with these issues. She may still have spread the information, of course, but contrary to what I've always read, there is some reporting that she might be refusing to reveal sources about.


The State Department memo seems to have been background on Wilson developed after Kristoff's May 2003 column. It gets circulated at the WH and then shopped to reporters when WHIG needed to answer the Wilson piece.


2/2002 Joseph Wilson's trip to Niger

10/7/2002 Tenet gets Hadley to remove reference in a Bush speech to Hussein trying to buy uranium in Africa

1/28/03 Bush gives SOTU with the 16 words: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

5/6/03 Kristof vaguely mentions Niger mission in New York Times column

6/10/03 State Department memo written for under secretary of state for political affairs that identifies Plame as CIA

6/12/03 First public report on Wilson's trip, Wilson later identified as source


Walter Pincus, "CIA Did Not Share Doubt on Iraq Data; Bush Used Report Of Uranium Bid"
The Washington Post

"...the CIA in early February 2002 dispatched a retired U.S. ambassador to the country to investigate the claims, according to the senior U.S. officials and the former government official, who is familiar with the event. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity and on condition that the name of the former ambassador not be disclosed."

snip, cont in link

[Hissyspit]

3. Recent gutting of the C.I.A. is part of the context, so that's worth...

looking at closer, too.

But I'm exhausted. I have to go to bed. Good job, Donailin.

[writes2000]

6. OH MY GOD!!! This is much, MUCH Bigger than Rove...

If you track the timeline they've laid out, they make a compelling, compelling case for that this administration CONSPIRED to manipulate and deceive the American people into supporting this war.

The new Rove email actually helps cement the case.

Yes, Rove told Hadley about his conversation with Cooper. But if you reread the email, his big headline...."I didn't take the bait."

Rove is basically saying "Our secret remains safe." In other words, "I didn't let on that there is truth in Wilson's claims."

HOLY SHIT!!!

[Griffy]

12. yup.. now add the Downing Street Memos to the mix...

we have a chance to getthe truth about the war runup out there! go to www.afterdowningstreet.org and find a local event next weekend to attend.. GET OUT THERE ! better yet.. come to DC! So much happening next weekend..

www.truthemergency.us

I'm going to see Ray Mcgovern that day.. you can too.. in DC

[SharonRB]

20. Anyone who can come to Detroit --

Try to come to John Conyers' town hall. It's been held at the Wayne State University Law School auditorium. See the Michigan forum for details.

If you can't get to Detroit, go to afterdowningstreet.org to find a house party near you or to sign up to hold one. Even if you can get to Detroit, go out to the site to register to attend.

We have a number of DUers from this area already planning to attend.

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. I have long thought that this is part of a morass of connections that

will ultimately reveal a rather sophisticated web of deceit. And it goes back decades.

[electron_blue]

35. yes, and this has been in the NYT before

I don't mean p. 13 or even below the fold. This has been top story, many times at the NYT. I've posted about this on other boards, as long as a year ago. It's finally being picked up and run with.

finally

finally

finally

[mandomom]

24. We've come full circle.

First the Medal of Freedom for Tenet (took the blame) and Powell (did not disclose the blameworthy) and now cries for Rove to get a medal (fingers in every blame-Plame pie I know of). Just speculating, y'all. When is a medal more than a medal?

I did not out the very name.
I did not say the name of Plame.
I did not blame namers of the name.
I did not name blamers of Plame.
So the name of Plame is just a game,
A game of who blames the naming of Plame
On non-namers of the name.

[Maraya1969]

37. Dowing Street memo dated 7/23 2002

Fits like a glove.

[oxbow]

2. Hot off the presses! Nice find

The spider has become the fly, Rover. Leaks and memos are coming out everyday, and when the investigator is through, there'll be hell to pay.

nominated

[MinneapolisMatt]

4. Holy Crap.

This administration, built upon lie after lie after lie, finally seems to crumbling. It is so inter-woven NOBODY can claim they didn't know what was going on without being laughed out of court. Nobody!

Maybe they SHOULD have actually read the bible once in a while and realized that a "house built upon sand" shall fall.

You know, I've tried to warn my repub-fundie parents about this for years now, and it has fallen upon deaf ears. They are sure going to have their reality burst when the shit hits the fan "officially".

I hope they ALL rot in jail. TRAITORS. I'm disgusted.

- Matt

[BamaBecky]

17. me too! I've tried to warn my repub-fundie parents about this for years

>>I've tried to warn my repub-fundie parents about this for years now, and it has fallen upon deaf ears.<<

I can really relate to that sentiment.

Bama

[kster]

5. I can tell you

I'm getting more and more mad about this sh*t, you got the DSM, you got the OUTING OF A cia agent,you got the stolen election of 2004 and 2000, you got the MSM spewing lies day in day out.

Where the hell is the CIA and the FBI we pay them to protect us from this kind of sh*t. Come on guys do your f*ck*ng job already!

If you wait for Fitzgerald it may be to late, you are paid to KNOW this kind of sh*t, and do something about it. Get some BALLS.

[MinneapolisMatt]

7. Oh do I hear ya!

It's 2:30 am here and I am FUMING!!!!!!!

[shraby]

8. Welcome to DU Minneapolis Matt

:hi:
We do have us a White House that needs a pressure washer.

[kster]

11. Welcome to the DU MinneapolisMatt

I'm fuming to because all this looks good on paper, but I have yet to see arrests made, well one reporter, because of Fitzgerald, but the CIA (who had one of their very own outed) and FBI are A.W.O.L ,in all of this. Either they are a bunch of COWARDS and they are not doing their JOBS (PERIOD)

[blm]

29. Don't be too sure. Alot of agents have spoken out about the White House

interference. You just haven't seen any broadcast news channels reporting it.

Why do you think Bush had Goss do a massive purge last November?

These people are fighting back on the sly and in public when possible, like Larry Johnson and Jack Rice.

[BamaBecky]

18. Matt....Welcome to DU!

[Donailin]

9. ok, its late kicking for the red-eye shift

I have to get back up in four and half hours -- tomorrow will be a new day! <---can't remember the last time I said that with a smile.

This may be the one folks, this plamegate may be the straw . . well you know. . :bounce:

[writes2000]

10. My eyes have been opened., Donalin. Thank you.

The Plame leak is just the thread.

The bigger fish is EVERYTHING that the Bush administration did to bury the real Niger info.

There are REPEATED attempts to bury or ignore the info. And not only that, the Bush administration actually sought to discredit Wilson when he tried to speak the truth. Amazing.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

13. Two unanswered questions in the story

The story clearly states that Valerie Wilson was called Valerie Wilson in the memo. Novak referred to her by her maidenname Plame.
Someone needs to ask Novak where he got her maiden name from. Also, who told him the name of the cover-company she worked for.

I don't think this memo could be the single original source for the leak.

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Better than a smoking gun! Exhibit A: The smoking memo! n/t

[carolinayellowdog]

16. State was pointing the finger of blame at CIA

to placate Bush and Rove who were ballistic after the Wilson article?

[BamaBecky]

19. What was it that Gannon said to Wilson about a memo?

Wonder if this was THAT memo?

[Tesla]

21. Good Morning!!!

Just woke up to this and now I'm fuming!!!

EEwww, Rove is the slimiest little......

I hope Frist knows something also, I would hate to see all the Fristians take over.....

[BamaBecky]

22. Good morning! back at cha! Lots of stuff coming loose! n/t

:hi:

[Donailin]

25. The reason I am so psyched about this:

because it is now week TWO of this story and it is still front page.
I am so accustomed to the crucial stories getting buried or barely covered that I am in shock and awe, but mostly???

There's an INDEPENDANT prosecutor that the press can't dismiss and since that is the case, they are going to do some digging. Plus, Rove has lost credibility, so no matter how much he spins, he no longer has control or influence of his own story. AND I think this is going to take down more than one person.

I'm still smiling. :-)

[powergirl]

23. THIS IS PUBLISHED IN MY PAPER - THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

It was on the 2nd page - but it must have legs if it showed up in the paper for the Mother of all Red States. :patriot: :puke: :argh: :banghead: :rofl: :woohoo:

[cestpaspossible]

26. The Washington Post reported on this in 2003

Way to go NY Times :eyes:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A30842-2003Dec25

[Tamarin]

27. *Talon News* is mentioned

discussing the Memo, did you see that?

[maddezmom]

28. wonder who the private citizen is?

FBI agents showed up unannounced last week at the home of a private citizen who was believed to have some knowledge of White House handling of Plame's identity, according to a source involved in the investigation. The source refused to identify the person who was interviewed, but said it was a man who had only peripheral knowledge of the case and had discussed it with officials in the White House.

:shrug:

[grasswire]

30. wouldn't that be Gannon?

That would be sweet.

[Tamarin]

31. I think it is Gannon. There is another thread where the

messages he posted to FR have him bragging about being questioned about the Memo.

[grasswire]

32. remember....

....we here discussed Plame and Gannon quite a long time ago! http://webdems.blogspot.com

[AuntiBush]

33. Oh, Rove is just the first layer... and those layers are comin' unraveled

Now, Bubble-Boy is pulling a Saturday night Supreme Court pick (betcha) right out of Watergate's history. When this all unravels, as I see it doing as much Rove will be but a minion on the long laundry list.

More then Rove. More then Ari (no wonder he opted out early). Keep heading upwards on the chain of deceit. I'm thinking really big.

[central scrutinizer]

34. Maybe Colin Powell will finally be exposed for the scumbag he is

even here at DU people have bought into his press persona - he has lied his way right to the top - My Lai, Iran-Contra, now Turdgate - I would love to see him go down in flames

[burythehatchet]

36. all i needed to convince me was to look at his pos son michael.