Plame Leak Said to Come From Cheney

[smurphy]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,173353,00.html

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By Jane Roh

NEW YORK ? The White House official who first identified the CIA officer at the heart of a yearslong leak investigation may have been Vice President Dick Cheney (search), sources close to the probe said.

Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby (search), discussed Valerie Plame (search) with reporters and could be facing indictment as a special prosecutor's 22-month-long investigation nears its conclusion. But as first reported by the New York Times, notes of a conversation between Libby and his boss a month before Plame's name was made public indicate Libby learned about the CIA officer during a conversation with the vice president.

The Times reported its sources were lawyers involved in the case. A separate source confirmed their account to FOX News.

It would not likely have been a crime for Cheney and Libby to have discussed Plame, since both presumably possessed security clearances. But the revelation of the conversation, which was likely already well known by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald (search) and comes mere days before possible criminal charges are expected, raises more questions than it answers.

Among them: For what purpose did Cheney disclose Plame's identity to Libby? Was Cheney aware Libby apparently then discussed Plame with Karl Rove (search), President Bush's deputy chief of staff, and that both were talking about her with reporters? Did Cheney speak to reporters about Plame himself?

Not all the sources in this case are known to the public. One of syndicated columnist Robert Novak's (search) sources is a mystery, as is the identity of the person who discussed Plame with Walter Pincus (search) of the Washington Post. New York Times reporter Judith Miller (search) said she "could not recall" who gave her Plame's name, which she misspelled as "Valerie Flame" in a notebook.

The new development could also place Libby in further jeopardy, since it has been widely reported that he told a grand jury that he initially learned about Plame's identity during conversations with journalists.

The White House has been bracing itself for the end of Fitzgerald's probe, expected on Friday when the grand jury's term expires. Both Rove and Libby have been informed that they could face indictment.

Fitzgerald, a U.S. prosecutor in Chicago, has been tasked with determining whether Plame's identity was leaked in order to discredit her husband, former Amb. Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson had traveled to Niger in a CIA-sponsored trip to check out allegations that Iraqi officials sought to purchase nuclear weapons materials there. Wilson wrote up his findings in a Times op-ed titled "What I Didn't Find in Africa."

Wilson's report that the Iraq-Niger connection was dubious at best led to an embarrassing episode for Bush: the White House's retraction of 16 words in the 2003 State of the Union speech that were used to support the administration's decision to invade Iraq.

Wilson was reportedly on the administration's radar as a potential troublemaker before Novak identified his wife, Plame, on July 14, 2003. According to Tuesday's Times report, Cheney learned Plame's identity in a conversation about her husband with then-CIA Director George Tenet.

Wilson has been the subject of criticism himself. Libby and Rove apparently discussed Plame with reporters to wave them off Wilson's hints that Cheney's office had anything to do with his Niger trip. Defenders of the administration have said that Plame arranged her husband's trip, suggesting cronyism, but reports indicate she merely suggested him as qualified for the task.

Tuesday's reports are the first indications that the vice president discussed Plame with aides. Since Fitzgerald last interviewed Cheney more than a year ago, the revelations could indicate that discrepancies between Cheney and Libby's testimony have surfaced.

Before Tuesday, the only thing known about Libby's dealings with the grand jury was that he testified he first learned Plame's identity from other reporters. Most of the heat in this case had been on Rove, Bush's longtime adviser, who also discussed Plame with journalists.

For several months, sources within the investigation have been telling reporters that it was unlikely anyone would be charged with violating a 1982 act that made it illegal to intentionally blow a covert U.S. agent's cover. Plame's undercover status has been the subject of debate, and testimony indicates there is little to prove Rove or Libby knew her identity was a secret.

But Fitzgerald has reportedly been mulling other charges, possibly obstruction of justice in an investigation and conspiracy. That he is apparently waiting until the 11th hour to announce his findings has been the source of great tension and speculation in the Beltway.

A former federal prosecutor who investigated national security matters for nearly three decades said Fitzgerald is just doing his duty by keeping details of the investigation top-secret.

"The press has really been driving this story," said John L. Martin, now a consultant.

"I don't know if we're seeing a tenth of the picture or half of it or even the whole picture. We just aren't even in a position to assess that," Martin said of media speculation.

If Rove or Libby is indicted on anything, it is likely either or both would resign.

While sitting presidents cannot be indicted, charges may be brought against sitting vice presidents.

FOX News' Carl Cameron contributed to this report.

 

[Clem D]

Yea smurph, see my thread It aint no surprise from about 7am..

Seeing fox say it means even the neocons cant deny it though as this is their bible

 

[smurphy]

sorry - didnt see your thread. should have figured someone would have posted by now...
http://www.madjacksports.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209638

 

[Clem D]

like I said yours is more valuable because of the fox factor

 

[kosar]

smurphy,

Read around a little bit before you plunge in with a new topic. Thank you.

 

[smurphy]

Hey jackass - I see the near death experience hasn't humbled you any. Still think your 'forum mom' around here.

 

[kosar]

Please don't flame in the sports forums. Violators will be banned and possibly prosecuted. Thank you.

 

[smurphy]

Sorry - that was Saul speaking out of turn back there. He's ....well.....let's just say "confused".

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Glad to see you back -and well Matt You had me worried for a while--saw some footage on Ft Meyers that looked pretty gruesome--I am sure they showed the worst but it wasn't pretty.
Glad you made it out unscathed.

 

[smurphy]

Kosar - have you seen Arrow? I heard he was gonna go to Ft. Myers and repair any felled trees and powerlines.

 

[kosar]

Hey jackass - I see the near death experience hasn't humbled you any. Still think your 'forum mom' around here.

No problem, Saul. Let's try to keep it together here.

 

[kosar]

Glad to see you back -and well Matt You had me worried for a while--saw some footage on Ft Meyers that looked pretty gruesome--I am sure they showed the worst but it wasn't pretty.
Glad you made it out unscathed.

Thanks Wayne and thanks for the email from a few days ago. Not fun waking up to what sounds like a freight train coming through the house at 4am.

Certain parts of Ft Myers got it pretty good, but i'm sure they jacked up the coverage. Or they didn't have anything good on Ft Myers yet, so they do the split screen trick where they show a reporter in Ft Myers in one half and footage in the other half, but do not indentify where that footage is from....lol

 

[kosar]

Kosar - have you seen Arrow? I heard he was gonna go to Ft. Myers and repair any felled trees and powerlines.

I think I saw something where he was on his way to key west in his private jet with supplies.

 

[Eddie Haskell]

I think we should do as W's daddy suggested. That is, anyone who outs a CIA agent is to be deemed a traitor. I'm usually against capital punishment but can see myself looking the other way if the big Dick were so penalized. Hell, as I indicated 2 1/2 years ago he and Bush are murderers. 2000 Americans and counting. Tens of thousands of Iraqis' and counting.

Eddie

 

[smurphy]

Eddie, don't go turning right wing on us now. I believe if Dick outed a CIA agent that he should be "reformed" in a minimal security white collar resort. Afterall, his main concern throughout I'm sure has been the benefit and fairness of our nation. Surely we can overlook the TREASONESS element of such a crime this time.

-Saul

 

[Eddie Haskell]

You're right Saul. I'm sorry.

Started sounding like Wayne, Freeze, et al. Here I am agreeing with a former Republican president. What is wrong with me. I know the big Dick has only the interests of this country at heart. And of course I wouldn'g want to seperate him from his cuddly, cozy, lovely wife Lynn. What a lovely woman she is. And of course, she has had a most difficult life in accepting her daughters homosexuality. Lets here if for Lynn.

Sorry, I'm kinda ranting off track here. Gotta go hug a tree.

Eddie

 

[smurphy]

You hug a tree, I'll go hug the lesbian daughter. I'll fix her good!

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Hmm We have our honorable Eddie Haskel present--was going to wait till the trap was full --but got the ones that count.
Now you tell me-- IF Cheney spoke to scooter every day and named every operative in CIA--WHERES THE CRIME?
People with secrurity clearances not only can but is part of job to discuss operatives--which might leave scooter in jeopardy if he lied about discussing it with Cheney but is in no way pertinent to Cheney.
oh no!--- bet there haven't been this many long faces since Kerry was last on tv.

--and Edward while I got ya here any thoughts on ruling that fast food places are NOT liable for people eating too much--and what about gun companies NOT liable for those that shoot people. Getting lots of GOOD things done this admin--don't ya think

 

[THE KOD]

CAN A VICE PRESIDENT BE IMPEACHED ?

EVEN IF HE WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP OUT HIS BOSS ?

 

[Master Capper]

Scott,

Yes the VP can be impeached


http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/impeach1.htm