WP editorial savages Joe Wilson: he is responsible for Valerie's outing.

[DeepModem Mom]

End of an Affair
It turns out that the person who exposed CIA agent Valerie Plame was not out to punish her husband.
Friday, September 1, 2006; Page A20

WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years. But all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame's cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.

Mr. Armitage was one of the Bush administration officials who supported the invasion of Iraq only reluctantly. He was a political rival of the White House and Pentagon officials who championed the war and whom Mr. Wilson accused of twisting intelligence about Iraq and then plotting to destroy him. Unaware that Ms. Plame's identity was classified information, Mr. Armitage reportedly passed it along to columnist Robert D. Novak "in an offhand manner, virtually as gossip," according to a story this week by the Post's R. Jeffrey.

It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue. The partisan clamor that followed the raising of that allegation by Mr. Wilson in the summer of 2003 led to the appointment of a special prosecutor, a costly and prolonged investigation, and the indictment of Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, on charges of perjury. All of that might have been avoided had Mr. Armitage's identity been known three years ago.

That's not to say that Mr. Libby and other White House officials are blameless....

***

Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083101460.html

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Probably written by one of those "Iraq has WMD let's go get 'em"

nitwits who are still looking north, east, wast and south.

[Richard Steele]

46. But surely...

[truedelphi]

51. Thank you for a wonderful Bizarro

[mike_c]

2. holy shit, that's deliberate character assassination....

OMFG. :wow:

[blm]

33. THIS is our battle, the media MUST BE EXPOSED. We waste time engaged in

any other issue, when every other issue depends on a fair hearing in the NEWSMEDIA.

Newsmedia and voting machines are under the control of the GOP fascists - they need to be dealt with.

[marmar]

3. Thanks for this...

I'm completely finished with the Washington Post. I'll never spend a dime on that rag when I'm in DC, and will set fire to it if it's left at my hotel room door.

[lonestarnot]

10. Just make sure you do it outside.

:rofl:

[marmar]

13. True...

Wouldn't want the sprinklers to go off! :)

[Garbo 2004]

4. Sounds like they're channeling Clifford May from years ago. Can't

the WP do better than recycle old talking points and falsehoods. Apparently not.

(On edit, it's late and I initially mistook the WP editorial for a WSJ editorial. WSJ had its role in the RW noise machine against Wilson. Obviously the WP is no better.)

[Straight Shooter]

5. Yoo-hoo. WaPo? Two words for you.

Brewster Jennings.

=====================

Novak emboldened the terrorists when he participated in a White House orchestrated campaign to betray Plame's status, which subsequently blew the cover of Brewster Jennings, which emboldened the terrorists further. The law of unintended consequences has become the GOP mantra, it seems.

This editorial is a joke. Just a blowhard spouting rhetoric.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Isn't Thursday...

Chuckles Sauern'krauthammer's day to write the editorial? That's what I have heard.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. This is Friday's editorial, and Krauthammer also has an op-ed...

in Friday's edition. Do the op-ed writers write the unsigned editorials?

I do wonder who wrote this.

[stevedeshazer]

7. Holy Jumped-Up Jesus!

From the article:

<snip>

WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years.

--------------------
This is the same crowd who piled on Bill Clinton and his penis world without end, amen.

Reluctant, my ass. Gleeful is more like it.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. That was one of my first thoughts -- how dare they! nt

[lonestarnot]

11. They are twisting in the wind.

[slaveplanet]

12. I'd place money this was really penned by

Bob Woodward

[lonestarnot]

14. I lay my wager down next to yours.

[DeepModem Mom]

15. I'll bet he DID have a hand in it. He's been so dismissive...

of the whole thing -- especially his own finally-disclosed role in it.

[sandnsea]

16. Armitage got the name from a memo

a memo created as a direct result of an inquiry from the VP in order to smear Joe Wilson. Nothing has changed in this story, there was still a campaign to destroy people who dared to speak out against the administration.

[countmyvote4real]

17. Exactly what did Joe Wilson “falsely” report and says who?

From what I’ve read about this, I don’t think the facts refute Wilson’s findings. This opinion of the WP is pure BS and it further proves that their true manta is “W Pravda.”

If we can presume this current explanation is true, then why is Scooter held on charges of lying and obstruction of justice? He would certainly have nothing to hide unless he really did know Plame was covert. And he and Rove were obviously talking the Plame connection to the press.

The Armitage cover is just that. He’s been fingered and drummed out by W Pravda as a convenient patsy for their cover. Duh. If it just this “innocent” to explain then what took them so long to come clean?

This is just getting dirtier. It will be Oswald dirty before we are through with this.

[Missy Vixen]

18. This is looking like a coordinated effort

>He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.<

Yesterday, Patrick Fitzgerald and James Comey were excoriated in the Wall Street Journal. Patrick Fitzgerald was called a liar in the Investor's Business Daily.

Today, it's Ambassador Wilson's turn.

I smell a coordinated effort. Is the other shoe about to drop?

Julie

[DoYouEverWonder]

22. Something must be coming down the pipe?

Seems the M$M and WH attack dogs are out in force again trying to 'get' Wilson.

This whole Armitage thing is such crap. I can't believe the WP even published this pack of lies they are calling an editorial. Even the Washington Times isn't this bad or blatant.

[Raster]

38. But of course the attack dogs are out. This is a pre-emptive strike.

How do you spell collaborators: W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N P-O-S-T

The Post newspaper and organization are a textbook example of media controlled and manipulated by the bush* mis-administration.

[DoYouEverWonder]

39. I can't believe they are still claiming

that Wilson was wrong about the yellowcake. They know it's a lie, but that doesn't stop them from publishing it again.

[Raster]

43. They have their marching orders... or should I say "goose-stepping" orders

Ja Geehrter Herr Rove

[marions ghost]

35. sharp observation

thanks for connecting those dots for us.

[samsingh]

19. that editorial is a piece of shit

the washington post continues to be a piece of crap and a rag. no self-respecting journalists should work there.

blame the victim piece of shit.

it also shows how desparate the right wing is becoming.

[Jack Rabbit]

20. Poor Washingtonians!!

It's either the Post or the Moonie Times.

And we wonder why our Congresscritters don't know what's going on. It must be the newspapers they're reading.

[Peace Patriot]

21. I repeat:

July 7, 2003: (One day after Wilson's article was published) Tony Blair is told that David Kelly "could say some uncomfortable things." Not had said. COULD say. (Hutton Report.) Kelly was the Brits chief WMD expert, who had been whistleblowing, anonymously, to the BBC on the "sexed up" pre-war WMD intel, starting on May 22, 2003.

July 14, 2003: Plame outed (by Novak).

July 18, 2003: Kelly found dead, under highly suspicious circumstances; his office and computers are searched.

July 22, 2003: Novak ADDITIONALLY outs the entire Brewster-Jennings CIA WMD counter-proliferation network that Plame headed--Brewster-Jennings--placing all covert agents/contacts at great risk of getting killed, and disabling all projects.

-----------------

What do you think was going on here? "Innocent," "inadvertent" gossip about Wilson and Plame? Or treason and murder? One of the sturdier theories: They were trying to PLANT nukes in Iraq, after the invasion (as follow-up to the Niger/Iraq nuke forgeries*). David Kelly found out. It turned him around about the war (which he had supported). He began trying to warn people about the cooked pre-war intel, but hadn't said the worst of what he knew. Someone outed him to his bosses (still a mystery). He was interrogated at a "safe house" and threatened with the Official Secrets Act (first week of July). They found out what he knew on July 7 and told Blair. Blair called AF-1 (over Africa at the time) and told them. The rats began scurrying around Washington, contacting at least six reporters, to get Plame outed and to plant seeds that "everybody knew" her identity (the cover story). The Blairites outed Kelly to the press, and sent him home without protection, and apparently without surveillance (??!!). He writes a bunch of emails (July 7), some about his daughter's upcoming wedding in the fall and his plans to return to Iraq. One of the emails is to Judith Miller (war propagandist for the NYT--wrote a book with Kelly called "Germs"), expressing his concern about "the many dark actors playing games."** He then (according to the official story) takes his afternoon walk, sits down under a tree, slits one wrist (minor artery--he's a top scientist), and bleeds to death all night, out in the rain, near his home. (Where were his watchers?) Four days later, after his files are searched, Novak outs the entire Brewster-Jennings network--to PUNISH, ELIMINATE, KILL--all those responsible for FOILING their plan to PLANT nukes in Iraq. In July 2003, they may have still been trying to plant them. All this may have been pre-emptive, or to prevent the scandal of the foiled plot from becoming known, or both.

----------

Notes:

*(The Niger forgeries were likely cooked up way back in late 2001, at a meeting in Rome with rabid NeoCon Michael Ladeen (on the Pentagon payroll), the fascist head of Italian intelligence, and notorious Iran/Contra arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar. Were they just arranging the Niger nuke forgeries, or were they also arranging covert shipment of nuke material into Iraq?) (My pick for main mastermind of all this, including the Plame/BJ outings, is Rumsfeld, not Cheney--but it looks like neither Fitzgerald nor the Wilsons has evidence on Rumsfeld.)

**(I suspect that this Kelly email contains a veiled message to Miller regarding the "dark actors playing games." It was in reply to her. She had emailed him cheerily that "his fan club" had thought he did well in his appearance before a Parliamentary defense committee the day before, at which he had been forced to partially recant his charges. By all accounts, he was ravaged and could barely speak during that testimony. Her cheeriness is very inappropriate, under the circumstances. He replies very curtly to her. Not cheery at all. About "dark actors." In contrast to his friendly, chatty emails to others. Who were his "fan club"? Why were they giving reports to Judith Miller? What did this mean to him? That he was being wached? Was she friend or foe, at this point? Odd, too, that she had been leading the U.S. troops over in Iraq who were "hunting" for the WMDs that everybody knew weren't there--as an "embedded" reporter--while her old friend Kelly was whistleblowing to the BBC that the threat had been greatly exaggerated.)

---------------------------------------------------------

In my opinion, the Washington Post and the NYT are not just lying shitrag war profiteering corporate news monopolies. They are complicit in treason and mass murder, if not in the murder of an insider white guy who know too much. Their owners, editors and reporters merit Nuremberg trials just as surely as Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld do.

"The partisan clamor that followed the raising of that allegation by Mr. Wilson..." --WaPo

It was Bush's appointed head of the CIA, George Tenet, who requested the Dept. of Justice investigation (with Fitzgerald then designated as the prosecutor). It is utterly outlandish to state that Tenet did so because of "partisan clamor." When did "partisan clamor" ever move a Bushite official? Besides, as I recall, the Democratic leadership were quiet as dormice that summer, busily funneling multi-millions to their states to purchase Diebold voting machines, no doubt. Did we have a political party in 2003? I don't remember any. Hiding in plain site, maybe? Clark Kents, all.

[slaveplanet]

23. and more specifically

Woodward and Miller

In my opinion, the Washington Post and the NYT are not just lying shitrag war profiteering corporate news monopolies. They are complicit in treason and mass murder,

Miller has already taken her lumps relatively unscathed.
Armitage is cover for mouthpiece Woodward.

Armitage= easy to pardon
Woodward= not so easy to pardon

But you can be damn sure the muckety mucks in both these treasonous media outfits are also complicit.

[KoKo]

26. Yes....WaPo and NYT's are definitely complicit.

The only thing that explains their behavior and that they both worked to trash Clinton for eight years. Throw in the Corporate owned Cables and Networks plus Newsweek, Time and the assorted other Mags in the echo chamber and it's a Massive Media effort to promote a Republican/Corporatist agenda.

your quote:

In my opinion, the Washington Post and the NYT are not just lying shitrag war profiteering corporate news monopolies. They are complicit in treason and mass murder, if not in the murder of an insider white guy who know too much. Their owners, editors and reporters merit Nuremberg trials just as surely as Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld do.

[chat_noir]

24. Turdblossom

[AngryAmish]

25. We have to destroy whoever wrote this and their families

One cannot write this bullshit and not expect repercussions.

[DeepModem Mom]

27. a.m. kick

[gkhouston]

28. are they STILL trying to sell this horseshit?

:eyes:

[qanda]

29. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Wilson can add the Washington Post to their lawsuit

This is unbelieveable and Brian Lamb devoted an entire segment to ask, "Was the Plame Affair a Waste of Time?"

[cal04]

30. Media Matters

Media figures repeat false claim that Armitage role in Plame leak exonerates Libby and Rove
http://mediamatters.org/items/200609010001

[DeepModem Mom]

31. Thanks for this link, cal04. nt

[cal04]

34. You're very welcome

DeepModem Mom
:hi:

[dogday]

32. This article just shows that the WaPo

is a piece of shit rag that will print any lie it wants to.....

[marions ghost]

36. they killed Joe again

:nuke: Wapo

How can any self-respecting journalist work there?

[Octafish]

37. Corporate McPravda at work.

No wonder newspaper circulation is down. They espouse doo-doo.

[goforit]

40. Oink oink oink oink.....WP, high on the hog!!!

[goforit]

41. These TREASONISTs need to be hung!!!

[Time for change]

42. Huh???????????

"Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials."

Where the hell do they get that? Wilson's debunking of the Niger urnanium thing wasn't false. Those were obvious forgeries.

[unblock]

44. why don't they go the extra mile and accuse wilson of treason?

i mean, if he's "the person most responsible" for exposing plame, that in turn led to the destruction of the entire nuclear wmd tracking intelligence network, which could only benefit the enemy, right?

i wonder why they don't accuse him of that?

:sarcasm:


the shrubbie apologists just get crazier by the day....

[kurth]

45. Goddamned warmongering whores

Fuck them.

[Catherine Vincent]

49. Ditto!

[dave123williams]

47. It's like they can't suck Bush's dick fast enough...

How does Armitage being a source mean the Whitehouse didn't engage in a smear campaign? Guess they don't touch that question.

If Armitage was the leak, and he was AGAINST the Iraq war, how does outing Wilson advance his cause?

Guess they don't touch that question, either.

[gkhouston]

48. what's the purpose of this latest round of smearing?

is it to facilitate an invasion of Iran? Is it because something is crumbling behind the scenes in the CIA leak case (or BushCo fears something is about to)? I mean, Novacula practically drags Armitage out of the closet and now we're supposed to believe Armitage never knew Plame was covert so that somehow excuses his behavior and here's the "it's was Wilson's fault" crapola again. It's like someone's reopened an old cesspit and is vomiting forth all the bad talking points all over again. Why? What's about to happen? Libby doesn't come to trial for quite a few months yet.

[Nictuku]

52. What about Brewster Jennings?

If Armitage was the source of the leak, where did he get the info about Brewster Jennings, can he also claim that he did not know that that operation was covert?

[glitch]

50. So they feel the need to get out the big WP Ed guns. Good,

this means their defense is shaky and they need all the support they can get.

Maybe this is an undisclosed guest editorial from the White House. It's down about their level.

[EstimatedProphet]

53. Christ this is fucking stupid

WILSON outed Plame just because he went to Niger?!? They expect us to believe that because Wilson was sent to Niger to look into the WMD memo, that the administration was FORCED to reveal to the public that Valerie Plame was undercover? Will the scum that enable this administration stoop to anything? Next they will try to claim that Iraq formally requested bombing and invasion through diplomatic channels, and the rest of the wrold refusing to go along with it was due to racism and a desire to torture Iraqis by not giving them what they want!

Why am I not surprised that the asshole who wrote this is too ashamed to sign it?