That's a pretty direct statement, isn't it. It's also true.
A "senior administration official", possibly two of them, leaked the identity of a CIA agent working to locate Weapons of Mass Destruction to Robert Novak and at least six other journalists. Coming in what the Republicans try to call "time of war" this represents an attack on U.S. security by members of our own government.
here's the deal: Valerie Plame Wilson, who has worked for the CIA for twenty years performing covert missions, and is married to former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson. worked secretly to track and control biological, nuclear, and chemical weapons. During this time she was undercover, working both for the CIA and other companies. Her husband, at her suggestion, was sent to Africa to investigate alleged Iraqi purchases of uranium from Niger.
It is important to note that the alleged purchases were a large part of the Bush Administration's PR campaign to pusht he war in Iraq.
Joseph Wilson found that the documents related to the purchases of uranium were bad forgeries and went public. The normal accusations ensued, the Bush Administration got a balck eye, and we invaded Iraq anyway.
A few months later, Robert Novak, disclosed that Valerie Plame was a CIA agent working on WMDs, endangering her, her work, and anyone she has been in contact with in many dangerous places around the world. It also exposed at least one CIA front company. This can hardly be accidental.
Plame's work is basically thrown away, her contacts endangered, and taxpayer money flushed down the toilet, all for political revenge against her nusband for not supporting the Bush Administration's claims.
So who is the culprit? Probably Karl Rove, the President's main puppeteer and the the person responsible for his Presidency. Why Rove? Because he has a history of leaking damaging information to the press, particularly Robert Novak. Rove was dismissed for G.H.W. Bush's campaign for leaking internal campaign problems to Novak, so the behavior is nothing new.
Unfortunately, although the Bushes frequently pursue others for their pecadilloes, the President has already aid that he doesn't think the leaker will be found or disciplined. Convenient, right? That means Mr. Rove is safe to leak again, even if it does endanger national security.
Luckily, the media and the Congress are uwilling to just let it go. There are calls for Novak and other journalists to give up the source of the leak, for Rove to resign, and for criminal charges to be brought. With luck, they will be able to force the issue.
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/10/08_moore.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58650-2003Oct7.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/977708.asp?0cl=c1
http://www.buzzflash.com/alerts/03/10/ale03002.html
Posted by Chris at October 15, 2003 11:10 AM