More Plame Leak News

[sspadowsky]

http://story.news.ask.com//article/2...D8GQJRSG1.html

Papers: Cheney Aide Says Bush OK'd Leak

Apr 6, 12:11 PM (ET)
By PETE YOST

(AP) President Bush addresses the crowd at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C.,...
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.

Before his indictment, I. Lewis Libby testified to the grand jury investigating the CIA leak that Cheney told him to pass on information and that it was Bush who authorized the disclosure, the court papers say. According to the documents, the authorization led to the July 8, 2003, conversation between Libby and New York Times reporter Judith Miller.

There was no indication in the filing that either Bush or Cheney authorized Libby to disclose Valerie Plame's CIA identity.

But the disclosure in documents filed Wednesday means that the president and the vice president put Libby in play as a secret provider of information to reporters about prewar intelligence on Iraq.

The authorization came as the Bush administration faced mounting criticism about its failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the main reason the president and his aides had given for justifying the invasion of Iraq.

Libby's participation in a critical conversation with Miller on July 8, 2003 "occurred only after the vice president advised defendant that the president specifically had authorized defendant to disclose certain information in the National Intelligence Estimate," the papers by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald stated. The filing did not specify the "certain information."

"Defendant testified that the circumstances of his conversation with reporter Miller - getting approval from the president through the vice president to discuss material that would be classified but for that approval - were unique in his recollection," the papers added.

[ziggytrix]

Does anyone care?

[sspadowsky]

I wonder. Truth be told, I forgot about it myself.

But now we have official record stating that the President himself authorized the disclosure of Plame's identity. This is an impeachable offense. I'm not holding my breath, but after all that prick's talk about accountability, I'd really love to see him have to eat his words.

[mburbank]

It'll only happen if their documentary proof W authorized the leak, and these guys are legendary at plausible deniability.


BUT, her's why I think it's significant. A.) It's the first time someone has said anything about this coming from the very top, or that W even knew it was going on. The picture painted up till now is that W was always kept strategically in the dark on most matters.

and B.) This is most highly placed person in the administration to chuck that lynch pin of Bush Family values, loyalty. Much has been made by the VP of what a magnificent person Ol' scooter is. What can they say now that he has fingered the President, and basically called him a huge liar. Recall W earnestly on the tube talking about how if anyone in his administration had info he wanted them to tell him Scoots is saying W was approved the plan and knew all about it. That makes that TV moment a potential "I never had sexual relations with that woman."

[Preechr]

Reading the words is helpful. The article says that Bush authorized Libby to talk to reporters, but also specifically says "There was no indication in the filing that either Bush or Cheney authorized Libby to disclose Valerie Plame's CIA identity.

"But the disclosure in documents filed Wednesday means that the president and the vice president put Libby in play as a secret provider of information to reporters about prewar intelligence on Iraq."

"...The filing did not specify the 'certain information.'"

I think it's that "but" at the beginning of the second sentence I cited that's confusing you guys.

To pithify it: Nobody knows anything new yet, but here's a misleading article to keep ya'll juiced about it.

[mburbank]

I'll admit, I got a much clearer vrsion of the news by listening to NPR. While it's not a Nixon moment, I would still hold that even with speciffic Plame outting not being inlcuded, it's a Clinton moment.

W stoood on TV and waggled his fingers and said that leaking was wrong and if anyone in his administration was doing it he wanted to know and they'd be dealt with. Now, anyone with half a brain knew that was bullshit, but it wasn't clear the the leaks were authorized by W. That's pretty Clintonian.

As in, I'm not lying. so much as I'm squidging the deffinition of what truth would be waaaaaaay over into te corner so's I can shhove this assive untruth past it. Like when I said you had to have a warrant to eavesdrop? But what I meant was, you had to have one IF you were using the patriot act, as opposed to simply going around FISA without any reference to the Patriot act at all? That's what I'm talin' about.

[mburbank]

""somebody in our government wanted to show off to his family or her family in between Christmas and New Year's by leaking information in the press … I don't know why people do that. I guess either to make you [the press] feel good and/or to make themselves feel good."

-George W Bush on what motivates a leaker

[Preechr]

Way to take that quote out of context! You omitted the next line, which explains it all...

"...Sure, sometimes I tell people to tell the press stuff, but I'm the president. I have to tell people lots of stuff. It's my job. But when somebody tells the press something bad, that's a leak and they do that for their family or the press, not for me."

[Chojin]

That's exactly how I show off to my family.

This reminds me of the episode of Star Trek where Worf is trying to discipline his son.

[mburbank]

And the next line:

"I am the FUCKING president of the FUCKING UNITED STATES! Listen, listen, numbnuts, I can decalssify anything I want! Do I have to tell you it got declassified? No! When someone else tells secrest, it's because they are treason doers! When I tell secrets, it's acuase I'm doing what needs to get done for the country! Why?! Because is am the FUCKING PRESIDENT!!.

Know what? Have that guy killed."

[Geggy]

President Bush, 9/30/03:
"I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action."

President Bush, 9/30/03:
"If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of. . . . I have told our administration, people in my administration to be fully cooperative. I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business."

President Bush, 10/28/03:
"I'd like to know if somebody in my White House did leak sensitive information."

President Bush, 6/10/04:
Reporter: "Do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?"
President Bush: "Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts."

President Bush, 10/28/03:
"I want to know the truth. ... I have no idea whether we'll find out who the leaker is, partially because, in all due respect to your profession, you do a very good job of protecting the leakers."

President Bush, 7/18/05 issue of USA Today: "If someone committed crime, they will no longer work in my administration."

[mburbank]

Not to rain on any aspect of that particular parade, but if W did not SPECIFFICALY authorize leaking Plames name, he committed no crime. The President is legally allowed to declassify whatever he wants, and I don't even think he has to go through a process. I believe he is allowed to declassify a secret simply by telling it. I shit you not.

He has also extended this power to Cheney, but wether he's legally allowed to have done that is debatable.

[mburbank]

Here's a little Clintonian bet hedging:

"The president would never authorize disclosure of information that could compromise our nation's security,"
-Scott Mclellan, refusing to deny Bush authorized leaks

Of course, the fella who'd decide if a leak compromised security or not would be... Bush.

So Bush didn't leak any of the things he didn't leak. But if he did leak some stuff, it was beause he judged it was huny dorey to leak it.