Plame's co-worker explains her CIA status

[Elwood P Dowd]

I know this is old hat to many of us, but this old article by co-worker and CIA classmate Larry Johnson explains her status as an NOC agent.

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

<snip>

A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer. That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport. If caught in that status she would have been executed.

The lies by people like Victoria Toensing, Representative Peter King, and P. J. O'Rourke insist that Valerie was nothing, just a desk jockey. Yet, until Robert Novak betrayed her she was still undercover and the company that was her front was still a secret to the world. When Novak outed Valerie he also compromised her company and every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company and with her.

The Republicans now want to hide behind the legalism that "no laws were broken". I don't know if a man made law was broken but an ethical and moral code was breached. For the first time a group of partisan political operatives publically identified a CIA NOC. They have set a precendent that the next group of political hacks may feel free to violate.

[Bjornsdotter]

1. K & R n/t

[Spiffarino]

2. Lest we forget what a lifelong GOPer and former CIA officer said

Thanks for reminding all of us what this case is ultimately about: Betrayal.

[cynatnite]

3. And let's not forget it was the CIA who went to the Justice Department...

and asked for an investigation.

[uppityperson]

4. Outing a covert CIA agent responsible for tracking WMDs around the world is bad.

Outing any covert CIA agent is bad. This endangers not only the agent, but all those working under the agent and all the rest of us also.