VIDEO: Valerie Plame Confirms Her Covert Status Prior To Novak Leak

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/16/plame-covert-testimony/

VIDEO: Valerie Plame Confirms Her Covert Status Prior To Novak Leak

This morning, in her testimony under oath before the House Government and Oversight Committee, Valerie Plame Wilson asserted that she was in fact a covert officer at the time that columnist Robert Novak revealed her employment at the CIA. “In the run-up to the war with Iraq, I worked in the Counterproliferation Division of the CIA, still as a covert officer whose affiliation with the CIA was classified,” Plame sad in her opening testimony.

She added, “While I helped to manage and run secret worldwide operations against this WMD target from CIA headquarters in Washington, I also traveled to foreign countries on secret missions to find vital intelligence.” Watch it AT LINK:

The right-wing, aided by the mainstream media, have engaged in an unhalting effort to spread false claims that Plame was not covert, despite the fact that the CIA, Plame’s former colleagues, and Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald have all previously reported that she was covert. The conviction of Scooter Libby only intensified conservatives’ efforts to further propagate their lie:

Washington Post editorial: “The trial has provided…no evidence that she was, in fact, covert.”

Mort Kondracke: “I frankly don’t think since Valerie Plame was not a covert officer that there was a crime here.”

Sean Hannity: “She did not meet the criteria, in any way, shape, matter or form as a covert agent.”

Robert Novak: “No evidence that she was a covert agent was ever presented to the jury.”

Brit Hume: “Whether the woman was covert, Valerie Plame was covert within the meaning of the law, remains at this point, still unclear. Unlikely she was.”

Victoria Toensing: “Plame was not covert. She worked at CIA headquarters and had not been stationed abroad within five years of the date of Novak’s column.”

UPDATE: On September 30, 2003, National Review editor Jonah Goldberg claimed, “Wilson’s wife is a desk jockey and much of the Washington cocktail circuit knew that already.” But today Plame rebutted Goldberg, stating, “It was not common knowledge on the Georgetown cocktail circuit that everyone knew where I worked.”

Digg It!

Transcript:

My name is Valerie Plame Wilson, and I am honored to have been invited to testify under oath before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the critical issue of safeguarding classified information.

I am grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight.

I’ve served the United States loyally and to the best of my ability as a covert operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. I worked on behalf of the national security of our country, on behalf of the people of the United States, until my name and true affiliation were exposed in the national media on July 14th, 2003, after a leak by an administration official.

Today I can tell this committee even more.

In the run-up to the war with Iraq, I worked in the Counterproliferation Division of the CIA, still as a covert officer whose affiliation with the CIA was classified. I raced to discover solid intelligence for senior policymakers on Iraq’s presumed weapons of mass destruction program.

While I helped to manage and run secret worldwide operations against this WMD target from CIA headquarters in Washington, I also traveled to foreign countries on secret missions to find vital intelligence.

I loved my career, because I love my country. I was proud of the serious responsibilities entrusted to me as a CIA covert operations officer. And I was dedicated to this work.

It was not common knowledge on the Georgetown cocktail circuit that everyone knew where I worked. But all of my efforts on behalf of the national security of the United States, all of my training, all the value of my years of service, were abruptly ended when my name and identity were exposed irresponsibly.

[Atman]

1. When is Novakula going to be hauled before the panel?

And then promptly sent to jail?

How does that asshole remain free? What will it take, a wooden stake through his heart and a necklace of garlic?

:wtf:

.

[Igel]

4. For what?

The problem is that the law doesn't provide a reason for sending Novak to jail. Lots of people think the law says things it doesn't say, or that it can be re-interpreted to suit present needs and wants ... alas, not all of them are in the WH, by any means.

[MUAD_DIB]

12. Is it a crime to expose a CIA agent: covert or otherwise?

[sobanos]

18. I'm no expert, but I suppose it depends upon the context.

Now that we are FINALLY having some oversight hearings though, we may actually find out whether a crime was committed or not.

And, whether a crime was committed or not---- there are clear widespread ethical violations in this case.

So, the GOP will pay politically for their guys’ actions regardless............ and that is as it should be.

[ms liberty]

39. Welcome to DU, sobanos! n/t

[The Wizard]

26. logic

If all the non covert agents are exposed, the remaining ones are covert and thus compromised.

[ProudDad]

28. They can argue that the shrub

"declassified" her in the middle of the night before novak did his job and "leaked" the news.

This is probably a case where "when the president does it, it's legal" (R.M.Nixon)

[Lord Balto]

30. Yes, Bunky

It is a crime under a law initiated by George H W Bush and
passed by the Congress, in a speech about which he called the
outing of an agent treasonous.

[ms liberty]

38. Welcome to DU, Lord Balto....

I checked your profile (gotta be on the lookout for trolls, ya know!) and after going to your website I saw that you're into Genealogy, among other things. Thought I'd let you know that we do have a forum for Genealogy, although it doesn't get as much traffic as the GD or the Lounge!

[MUAD_DIB]

43. Thanks, but I was writing rhetorically...kind of.

I was hoping that it would be pointed out to igil that it is a crime.

[Atman]

6. What law prevents him from being called? Why was Plame called?

Testifying under oath doesn't require a charge, does it? Just haul is ass up there and make him talk. Why the fuck has this most central figure in the whole scandal not had to tell what he knows? And he knows a lot. Except how to get dentures fitted properly.

.

[Lord Balto]

31. Why Plame Was Called

Waxman is building a case for impeachment.

[caledesi]

46. Agree LB. This is only the beginning and the republics know this

and that is why they are so flummoxed. The freeper comments on this hearing were unreal. They were so angry and vile. They know what's coming.

We are driving the bus now and it ain't no short one!

[chknltl]

53. Another welcome to DU Lord Balto

...did you just utter the dreaded "I" word??? Careful where you point that thing around here!
This has been one of the top 10 most divisive words used in the DU since last November for some reason. Passion runs high on all five* sides of this issue. I for one SINCERELY hope that you are right.

*the five sides are:

#1 Impeach NOW because: .....

#2 Its a waste of time because: .....

#3 (Shhh... You need to quiet down/STFU because they are "secretly" working on it!)

#4 Waaa!!! Our newly elected leaders have sold us out!!11!!! :cry:

#5 One word: Dick Cheney/Prezident Cheney (although according to my understanding of the new math this amounts to more than ONE word...possible freeper posts...freepers are not strong on counting or spelling but they ALWAYS manage to capitalize the C in cheney for some reason)

:toast:

[Up2Late]

2. OMG! The worlds DUMBEST Congressman Lynn Westmoreland is asking a question.

Same guy who pushes for the 10 Commandments in Public buildings, then goes on The Colbert Report and can name even 1 (ONE) Commandment!

God, if anyone ever needed proof as to if Georgia's elections are actually rigged (via Diebold), he's it.

[MUAD_DIB]

13. That was a great moment.

[CottonBear]

16. I am a Georgian who is appalled by Lynn. He isa dumb as a box of rocks

and he can't even speak correctly. He uses the wrong verb tenses. Either he is stupid or does it to appeal to his ignorant base of RW morans or both.

[ms liberty]

42. Wasn't it him who asked her if she was a Democrat or a Replican?

That SOOOO pissed me off - like it really matters.

But she very obviously collected herself before answering, and after trying to say that it wasn't germaine, she answered that she was a Democrat.

IMHO, it's the only thing about her testimony that I disagreed with. I think she should have showed some anger and/or disgust, and said something to the effect of "Sir, I am an AMERICAN. I have served my country and risked my life for my country without regard to political affiliation for XX years, and my political registration has had no bearing on my devotion to my job or my country, although it may have influenced those who betrayed me, my colleagues, and my country."

[pberq]

3. Kick & Nominated!

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Another right wing talking point bites the dust

Valerie Plame was covert.

There was an underlying crime to the Libby perjury.

Bush, Cheney, Rove, etc. lied to everybody through Ken Mehlman, Victoria Toensing, Fred Hyatt, etc.

[Ganja Ninja]

8. That won't stop them from clinging to it like it was Clinton's unit.

The freepers have a live thread on the hearing and even though she has testified to her covert status, even though the members of the committee have stated that the CIA confirms it, they refuse to accept it.

They refuse because to do so means you can only conclude that the dear leader and his cohorts have committed a felony that amounts to an act of treason. Make no mistake about it, if this were a Democratic President they wouldn't hesitate to start impeachment.

[Jack Rabbit]

17. Even if this were a Democratic president, I would hope they would impeach

Facts are very stibborn things, Freepers.

There must be at least a few of them over there who have their inner voices telling them, "You know, this is steer manure" as they dutifully tap out the talking points.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

25. The allegiance of the authoritarian mind is to the group, not principles

That's why it really doesn't matter to 25% of America that Bush has been violating his oath of office and abusing his power for six years. He's still their guy.

That's why they were frothing at the mouth to impeach Clinton over a personal matter and are able to ignore the current administration acting like an incompetent mafia family.

They just howled about "the rule of law" while Clinton was under siege because he was a Democrat. They were just following orders.

As you can see today, they have no real interest in the "rule of law" or they would be howling for the impeachment of half the executive branch. When their guy cheats, it's not really cheating.

[Jack Rabbit]

27. The parallels with Monicagate are interesting

I just finished watching Victoria Toensing give her definition of "is",

OK, she's a good defense lawyer. Dhe arguing that under the statute Ms. Plame was not covert. She could argue that, just as Mr. Clinton could argue that he could tell the court he did not have sex with that woman without committing perjury becuase the definition of sex used for that purpose did not emcompass a blow job.

However, when Mr. Clinton said the said thing in a press conference, he was speaking to me and should have had the courtesy to tailor his remarks to my definition of sex, which emcompasses a blow job. His statement was misleading. I felt at the time that he lied to me, and I still do. I was very disappointed.

And, when Ms. Toensing wrote in The Washington Post that Ms. Plame was not covert, I feel she was being misleading and that she lied to me, even if perhaps she did not lie to the committee today. In writing an editorial for my consumption, she should have used a definition of covert that I would use. Ms. Toensing, sweetie, when for years if one asked Valerie Plame what she did for a living, she answered that she was an energy consultant for Brewster-Jennings when in fact she was a counterproliferation officer at the CIA, that's being covert.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

33. BushCo's criminal activity harmed the US. Bill Clinton's sex life did not

I would have preferred that he said in the press conference, "That is none of your business."

[Jack Rabbit]

37. My preferred answer would have been

. . . an attorney advises me to say nothing about that matter.

Unfortunately, IIRC, he was not answering a question, he was making extemporaneous remarks. He should have just shut up.

[ms liberty]

40. If she would have split those hairs any finer...

it would have been impossible to identify them even with the strongest microscope on the planet. She made me want to retch - what a tool.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

49. I didn't read thoroughly enough the first time

My point was not the lying, but the completely different reactions based on who lied.

If The Rule of Law actually mattered to these shit heads, the reaction to BushCo lying would be the same as the reaction to Clinton lying. However it is not. BushCo can lie from now til 3007 and the 25% who support Bush no matter what, will still support him. It's the mindset of loyalty to the leader, not a set of principles.

[GOTV]

7. This will have no effect on right wing talking points.

They can easily say she's lying to prop up the vendetta she and her husband have for the Bush admin.

[MUAD_DIB]

14. The onus is on the Government to show documentation when and where

she was no longer considered "covert."


Just saying no she isn't won't help their case.


The adults are really in charge now.

[GOTV]

20. There is no onus in RW talking points or in the court of public opinion....

... I'm just saying, Valery Plame saying she was covert will not change anyone's mind. They EXPECT her to say she was covert.

When you see that her testimony made no dent in the talking points, well, you heard it here first.

Obviously the RW talking points will not hold up in an actual court - should one get involved at this point.

[MUAD_DIB]

44. Hopefully Waxman presses the WH for the documentation as to

where and when Plame was decommissioned. Make em do it under oath. FRY EM!

[GOTV]

45. Good idea n/t

[tofurkey]

52. Exactly

Make the WH prove it.

[benld74]

9. I can recal reading Novaks column that day and could only think of one word - TREASON!

[yorgatron]

10. they used to hang people for treason.

Novak should be swinging from the end of a rope. :grr::mad:

[Lord Balto]

32. It's Not Actually Treason

George H W Bush *called* it treason, but the law actually calls for imprisonment rather than execution, which is a shame, because I really would like to see Old W get the Saddam treatment. After being properly tried and convicted, of course. We don't want George's poodle Gonzales to get the wrong idea here.

[OwnedByFerrets]

11. Yeah, I want to see Novak under oath.........

saying the same things he was saying on the fauxnews comedy channel.

[CottonBear]

15. I just heard Rush Limbaugh dispute her claim that she was a covert CIA agent.

Will the RW media not give up on this now discredited talking point? Frankly, I don't think so. To do so would reveal the truth that Iraq had no WMDs and that Bush's reason for going to war was wrong. Amazingly, very few of the cable TV news outlets are mentioning her work in the anti-WMD proliferation area.

[babylonsister]

19. So Rush is saying she lied? How can he convince anyone of that now?

There's some really dumb bunnies out there.

[GOTV]

21. It's as easy as ever for him - considering his listeners n/t

[Lord Balto]

34. Sad

He also thinks the CIA itself lied when they verified Waxman's opening statement?

The Flying Monkey Right at its worst.

[GOTV]

22. As I predicted n/t

[Morgana LaFey]

23. Here's how it works

Limbaugh et. al. have their audiences who may or may not get ANY news and analysis elsewhere. If they do get news elsewhere, it's likely to be Fox.

Thus, if Limbaugh (or whoever) tells a lie, that's all loyal listeners will hear, and sometimes (if they're loyal enough), that's all they'll believe even if they DO hear conflicting information (aka: the truth) elsewhere.

Plus, remember that they're being told constantly that liberals lie, that they're evil, that they spin things to death, and so on and on and on. The loyal listeneres are PREDISPOSED not to believe the truth if it comes from "liberal" mouths, or even MSM that has been discredited as "liberal."

[EVDebs]

24. A legal entity, the company Brewster Jennings, is also a "Person" per se

The outing of a CIA front company or proprietary and the results (deaths perhaps ?) shows the loose lips in the White House caused ships to sink.

The Bush policy, of treasonous outing of nuclear non-proliferation ops by the CIA, is the background story. Ms Toensing needs to explain.

[ManWroteTheBible]

29. WTF?

"It's not our job to determine criminal culpability, but it is our job to determine what went wrong and insist on accountability," Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-California, said at the outset of the hearing. ~ from CNN.com

Well, Hank, whose job is it "to determine criminal culpability" in this case, if not Congress? Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that was EXACTLY your job with regard to a criminal Executive Branch.

Can anyone explain this to me?

[karlrschneider]

35. I believe he meant today's hearing, specifically.

If sufficient evidence can be extracted, impeachment becomes an actual possibility.

[Lord Balto]

36. OK

It's a kabuki dance.

They are slowly and methodically building a case for impeachment, but they can't come right out and say so because it would then look like they started out with an agenda, whereas the script has them "discovering" an impeachable offense which they then have no cloice but to act upon.

Just keep your eye on the guy with the samurai sword.

[ms liberty]

41. An excellent metaphor - a kabuki dance is correct...n/t

[proud patriot]

47. Thank you I missed all this while at work

:hi:

[swimmernsecretsea]

48. I'm happy this definitively disputes Anncoulter.com

One of her recent rants states:

"Lewis Libby has now been found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice for lies that had absolutely no legal consequence.

It was not a crime to reveal Valerie Plame's name because she was not a covert agent. If it had been a crime, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald could have wrapped up his investigation with an indictment of the State Department's Richard Armitage on the first day of his investigation since it was Armitage who revealed her name and Fitzgerald knew it."

And closes with...

"Bush has got to pardon Libby."

Whatever, Ann.

[jamesinca]

50. Victoria Toensing was to also testify today

Does anybody have her transcripts? I would like to see her under oath testify that Mrs. Plame was not covert and why. This will bring about one of 3 things a) Mrs. Plame committed perjury b)the right wing LIES or c) nobody knows what they are talking about. I bet it is choice "b".

[durtee librul]

51. And yet again

folks, I still feel that Novak should be placed on trial for treason. All the talk around DC about Ms Wilson and her 'status' was just that....talk. Until Robert Novak PUBLISHED an article officially 'outing' her.

He is a traitor to this country and should be treated accordingly imho.

[melissinha]

54. Waxman read official CIA statement to that regard

which completely dispells Faus News credibility attacks on Plame....

Thats all we have to say.