The CIA leak (CNN - Novak statement)

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/01/column.novak.opinion.leak/

My role and the role of the Bush White House have been distorted and need explanation.

The leak now under Justice Department investigation is described by former Ambassador Wilson and critics of President Bush's Iraq policy as a reprehensible effort to silence them. To protect my own integrity and credibility, I would like to stress three points. First, I did not receive a planned leak. Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else. Third, it was not much of a secret.

<snip>

A big question is her duties at Langley. I regret that I referred to her in my column as an "operative," a word I have lavished on hack politicians for more than 40 years. While the CIA refuses to publicly define her status, the official contact says she is "covered" -- working under the guise of another agency. However, an unofficial source at the Agency says she has been an analyst, not in covert operations.

The Justice Department investigation was not requested by CIA Director George Tenet. Any leak of classified information is routinely passed by the Agency to Justice, averaging one a week. This investigative request was made in July shortly after the column was published. Reported only last weekend, the request ignited anti-Bush furor.

...

this piece of flotsam has no shame :mad:

the floor of the Senate.

He's been in the business for how long and doesn't know the difference between and operative and an analyst??? Puhleeeze! Lying sack of shit...

until he found out everybody had a copy of his piece of traitorous writing.

Then he blamed it on partisan politics.

Now he's saying that Palme's 30 years as a CIA spy was common knowledge.

I fear for the US.

<I was curious why a high-ranking official in President Bill Clinton's National Security Council (NSC) was given this assignment. Wilson had become a vocal opponent of President Bush's policies in Iraq after contributing to Al Gore in the last election cycle and John Kerry in this one. >

In setting the record straight, nofacts seems to not think it relevant that poppa bush praised Joe Wilson for his actions prior to the first gulf war and that he was considered a hero for saving hundreds of American lives (along with citizens of other countries) and that he gave more money to jr than Gore.

I also notice they fail to mention that the current ambassador to Nigeria and a retired marine general backed up Wilson's assessment that it was impossible for Iraq to purchase 500 tons of yellowcake.

It's been fairly widely documented that he contributed to the Twit campaign in the last cycle.

Someone posted here on what Wilson said:

n CNBC Capitol Report they just pushed Wilson on the $1000 Kerry
donation
and he came back with, 'No, it was $2000, in two $1000 payments'; then
he went on to say that what Ed Gillespie also knew but didn't tell
anybody, was that Wilson also donated $2000 to Bush/Cheney in 2000! But
that he would not be supporting aWol this time because of their war and
peace blunder!

which is why we call him "Ambassador Wilson" in the first place?

of his real Ambassador jobs, not his "acting ambassador" job during Desert Storm.

was public, then name the leakers."

For somebody who was one of the co-ordinated attackers on the legality of Clinton/Gore's actions, he suddenly became stupid about whether or not something could be illegal. Plus, naming a CIA operative has been pretty stupid, right?

AND, the White House said in its memo that the person revealed was "undercover". Isn't that proof?

dung

By revealing that the 'undercover' designation was correct, did the WH memo itself breach the law? Did it need to reveal this, or could it have just referred to 'allegations'? Isn't it common practice to state that no public comment can be made on whether a person claimed to be a spy actually is a spy? Or, if the WH memo was itself a classified communication, then why isn't its release an issue?

To protect my own integrity and credibility, I would like to stress three points.

• First, I did not receive a planned leak.
  
• Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else.
  
• Third, it was not much of a secret.

To show that you are a lying, conspiring, treasonus sack of shit, I would like to stress three points.

• Unless you're psychic or was in on it, you have no way of knowing if the leak was planned.
  
  
• Assuming that you're telling the truth when you say you called the CIA for confirmation and they asked you not to use her name, it should have occured to you that they had a REASON for doing so which MIGHT have nothing to with getting in the way of your story.
  
  
• IF IT WASN'T THAT MUCH OF A SECRET, WHY DID YOU CALL THE CIA FOR CONFIRMATION IN THE FIRST PLACE?

rocknation

You should Email CNN.

I have some things to say myself.

Or does Novak get a carte blanche from CNN to undermine national security whenever he pleases?

...to get on the bad side of the CIA. Evidently, he's even more afraid of the people he's trying to protect.

when he's on an arrogant crusade. And even more so when he realizes that he's in hot water because of what he did on his arrogant crusade.

Climb on the cluetrain, Nofacts. No ethical DC journalist would need a bigger clue.

I used to think this guy had some ethics.

Don

Based on what evidence?

I never thought that.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/oct0301.html#100103952am
Wilson was not some kind of celebrity and to friends the wife was saying she was working for some company...

There is an official investigation going on with Novak named as a player and he publicly defends the White House, the subject of the investigation? What ever happened to "It would be inappropriate to comment on an on-going investigation".
If you are a conservative, laws are made to be broken.

CNN has as much to explain as the WH.

:silly:

reader as well. WAY too many CIA, WH, and Justice Department reports have come out in the past few days using the words operative, undercover, and criminal investigation, for his statements to have any relevance now.

schmuck. reading more rove text. novak has been obviated by this story... he is now officially irrelevant.

dirty the messenger, muddy the waters, make it look like everybody does it so its no big deal, "we didn't do it but if we did it they deserved it and everybody does it". No surprises here. Novak is a bush whore and will write whatever helps bush. And since they think they are above the law, they will lie and plan to get away with it.

Nice try though. I think Bob & Rove are gonna have a lot in common in the near future.

Those in official positions to know? Those in official positions with no right to know but who nevertheless may learn the info? Or any person who is in receipt of the info?

I have NO Respect for Novak! :bounce:

Novak should apologize. I hope both BUSH and Novak suffer permanant damage.

Since the Dems on capitol hill don't think it's worth it to actually get an independent counsel so much as it to look like they want one in front of the cameras there will never be a fair investigation. Justice department will take forever until the story gets buried and then no one will get burned for it. However, I trust that once you piss off the CIA they got many ways of getting back.

I will be honest, I am going to enjoy watching this administration suffer.

Dean 04'

And because the CIA cannot say, we don't know whether any of them have in fact suffered or died because of it.

If Novak gets away with this, it's open season on CIA agents.

the woman is only in her 40's as I understand it. This was brought up in another post.

on the part of Dems - as a direct result of is hack partisan politics attempt to smear Wilson and wife.

You screwed up Bob, just admit it.

It's a testament to the divisiveness of the Bush administration and its media minions that they must resort to "partisan politics" to cover up the fact that they are unwilling to unify with democrats even when the security of the country is at stake.

I keep hearing people say that "everybody knew" that Mr. Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, and since nothing bad has happened to her as a result of the leak, it's no big deal that Mr. Novak released her name. If that is the case, why doesn't Mr. Novak just reveal the names of his sources? Or better yet, why don't they come forward?

Nicole in Minnesota