What many forget or ignore about the Plame case

[Truthmatters]

http://test.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_6316023

the real cost as stated by this veteran

 

[Gunny]

The most obvious thing ignored lock, stock and barrel is that Plame was about as "undercover" as you are. Or that this entire little witch hunt started because her self-agrandizing big-mouthed husband went after some media attention.

It's been a joke from the start. That's what's REALLY ignored.

 

[pegwinn]

I must apologize in advance. But, since I aint been around in a while I figure to give enough ammo that folks can potshot me to death.

So here is the article and I put my comments in the boxes. Helluva way to spend a Sunday.

Outing Valerie Plame aided our enemies
By Bob Ewegen
Denver Post Columnist
Article Last Updated: 07/06/2007 09:57:24 PM MDT


After 44 years in journalism, I don't get angry very often about the dirty tricks that so often besmirch the American political process.

Then it's about time you got out. You are becoming part of the problem.

But I am angry about the Valerie Plame affair, a sordid tale that flared anew this week when President George Bush commuted the prison sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

I am not angry at the commutation or the pettifogging partisan exchanges it spawned. I am angry at the underlying event - the fact that an American patriot whose only crime was to serve her country in a dangerous and honorable profession had her mission undercut for partisan political purposes.

I am even angrier that the vicious "outing" of Valerie Plame put her sources at risk - the men and women in foreign countries who had risked their own lives to help America in our war on terror.

Now, I honestly can't say that I know too much about Plame or what she did. I assume it is classified. Thus, I need to know how the author can assert these things without proof. Is he privy to Classified data, or is he talking out his ass?

In the intelligence trade, such foreign sources are called "assets." I call them heroes. And they are the ones who were put most at risk after columnist Robert Novak revealed Plame's CIA connection as part of a clumsy Bush administration effort to discredit her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who had become a critic of the Iraq war.

Clumsy Bush Admin yada yada yada. JaBoy needs to lookup Richard Armitage and then demonstrate that he acted on orders.

To explain why this case angers me so deeply, let me give you a number: RA68031300. It identifies me as a Vietnam-era veteran of the United States Army. After enlisting, I took basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where I received orders sending me to Fort Sill, Okla., for training in artillery, after which I expected to be sent to Vietnam.

OohRah. Note that his service number is for Regular Army. Not even a draftee. Good Job.

Because someone in the Pentagon noticed I had worked for United Press International, I was called out on my last day of basic and redirected to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. I ultimately became editor of the post newspaper, the Pointer View.

So in the end, my personal risk in my military career was limited to some really awful haircuts. But the names of 58,000 of my comrades engraved on a wall in Washington, D.C., prove that my story could have ended differently. Those names also explain why I will never forgive anyone who willfully puts the lives of America's military or intelligence personnel or our friends abroad in danger.

And that's exactly what former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage did when he leaked Plame's identity to Novak - and what Novak did when he published the name of a covert CIA agent.

Between Armitage's dishonorable act and Novak's dishonorable act were a string of other dishonorable acts, including an executive order by President Bush empowering Vice President Cheney to declassify classified information, which Cheney did, thus allowing Libby to shop Plame's identity around in hopes of finding a journalist willing to smear Wilson through his wife. With Libby's information confirming Armitage's original tip, Novak willingly blew Plame's cover.

Big time conspiricy theory. I'd be more impressed if he quoted the EO and then provided a timeline with proof that Cheney did what he claimes. He'd also be calling for the prosecution of the actual leakers and providing evidence to the special prosecutor.

In so doing, he didn't put Plame at personal risk, because she was not overseas at the time. But he did irrevocably damage her mission - and put those human "assets" at risk.

You see, al-Qaeda and its ilk rarely try to kill CIA agents - or anyone else who can fight back. What these cowards do is kill people who have worked with U.S. agents.

You can imagine the conversation: "Hmm, that Valerie Plame who visited here turns out to be a CIA agent. Didn't she hang out at Hamid's coffee shop a lot?"

Next day, Hamid's body turns up, along with the bodies of his wife and family, all of whom were tortured to death before his eyes.

That's the way our enemies play the game. That's why we train brave men and women like Valerie Plame so America can fight back.

The outing of Plame may have been technically legal, as the commutation of Libby's sentence undoubtedly was. But our supreme law, the U.S. Constitution, still defines treason as giving aid and comfort to our enemies in time of war.

And, Treason has been further defined by the courts. If JFKerry could not be convicted of Treason, then the leakers have no worries.

And in this aging veteran's eyes, that's exactly what Armitage, Cheney, Libby and Novak did.

Well, he's entitled to his opinion. And, there is nothing illegal about being wrong. Journalists and Politicians do that all the time.

Bob Ewegen ([email protected]) is deputy editorial page editor of The Denver Post.

I wish Bob and the rest of the media would stop taking sides and instead consistently call for the prosecution of folks who do this trash no matter who is in office or what party they are from.

 

[T-Bor]

You mean the big mouthed husband who called BUSH on his Bullshit claim about Nigeria producing Uranium? That Big mouthed guy? You mean the guy that soon after he called Bush on his bullshit his wife was outed? That guy?

The most obvious thing ignored lock, stock and barrel is that Plame was about as "undercover" as you are. Or that this entire little witch hunt started because her self-agrandizing big-mouthed husband went after some media attention.

It's been a joke from the start. That's what's REALLY ignored.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

You mean the big mouthed husband who called BUSH on his Bullshit claim about Nigeria producing Uranium? That Big mouthed guy? You mean the guy that soon after he called Bush on his bullshit his wife was outed? That guy?

You mean the liar that was spouting information that simply was not true in the hope he could damage the current administration? You mean the guy who "investigated" by sitting pool side sipping Tea and liquor "discussing" the issue with Government officials that he knew from when he was a Diplomat? You mean that GUY?

 

[pegwinn]

You mean the big mouthed husband who called BUSH on his Bullshit claim about Nigeria producing Uranium? That Big mouthed guy? You mean the guy that soon after he called Bush on his bullshit his wife was outed? That guy?

Are you talking about the guy who was sent on a sensitive mission in the employ of the US Government? The same guy who instead of simply coming back and reporting the results and methodology instead made a name for himself by attempting to air dirty laundry in the papers? If that is the same guy, then I'd say "big mouth" is a label applied with gentlemanly delicacy. I'd have some ungentlemanly comments but courtesy requires me to stop now.

 

[Gunny]

You mean the big mouthed husband who called BUSH on his Bullshit claim about Nigeria producing Uranium? That Big mouthed guy? You mean the guy that soon after he called Bush on his bullshit his wife was outed? That guy?

Damn ... you're doing good. You got the Marine Corps after your ass, zoomie.

 

[T-Bor]

Perhaps he chose to be a big mouth because he knew what Bush was doing and how Bush was fabricating information to justify his war in IRAQ. Perhaps this guy knows Bush a bit better than you did and wanted the American people to know what was going on. If I was that GUY I would have done the same damn thing, Go to the papers and tell everyone that Bush is a god damn Liar. Good for him, That is a patriot to me. Someone who wants the TRUTH to be known is a patriot not a big mouth.

Are you talking about the guy who was sent on a sensitive mission in the employ of the US Government? The same guy who instead of simply coming back and reporting the results and methodology instead made a name for himself by attempting to air dirty laundry in the papers? If that is the same guy, then I'd say "big mouth" is a label applied with gentlemanly delicacy. I'd have some ungentlemanly comments but courtesy requires me to stop now.

 

[pegwinn]

Perhaps he chose to be a big mouth because he knew what Bush was doing and how Bush was fabricating information to justify his war in IRAQ. Perhaps this guy knows Bush a bit better than you did and wanted the American people to know what was going on. If I was that GUY I would have done the same damn thing, Go to the papers and tell everyone that Bush is a god damn Liar. Good for him, That is a patriot to me. Someone who wants the TRUTH to be known is a patriot not a big mouth.

"Perhaps" is a bit iffy. If you go on a sensitive mission and then run your suck to the papers because folks are not doing it your way then "perhaps" you are a disloyal egomaniac with delusions of competency. "Perhaps" you were selected by wifey to undertake the mission because she knew you couldn't keep your big mouth shut. But, it is all conjecture. If worms had guns, "perhaps" birds wouldn't fuck with em.

 

[T-Bor]

Good I hate marines anyways. They are all a bunch of losers who had no life to begin with and saw no way out so they joined the Military to become mindless robots who can do nothing but what they are told to do by their commander. But I guess those are the people we want to sacrifice anyways. I mean who better to die for our country than the people who were worth a shit in the first place?

Now that I think about it. Keep fighting the war. I consider it population control here in America. I mean the world is overpopulated as it is. Kind of like deer hunting or the seal hunts going on in Canada to control the population. The more dead soldiers means more resources for me.

Damn ... you're doing good. You got the Marine Corps after your ass, zoomie.

 

[Gunny]

Good I hate marines anyways. They are all a bunch of losers who had no life to begin with and saw no way out so they joined the Military to become mindless robots who can do nothing but what they are told to do by their commander. But I guess those are the people we want to sacrifice anyways. I mean who better to die for our country than the people who were worth a shit in the first place?

Now that I think about it. Keep fighting the war. I consider it population control here in America. I mean the world is overpopulated as it is. Kind of like deer hunting or the seal hunts going on in Canada to control the population. The more dead soldiers means more resources for me.

Must be one of those Kadena AFB zoomies who's had is ass kicked and his chicks stolen by too many jarheads.

 

[Bullypulpit]

The most obvious thing ignored lock, stock and barrel is that Plame was about as "undercover" as you are. Or that this entire little witch hunt started because her self-agrandizing big-mouthed husband went after some media attention.

It's been a joke from the start. That's what's REALLY ignored.

What you're ignoring is that in a statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, General Michael Hayden (USAF) DCIA, stated, for the record, that Valerie Plame's status before Bob Novak published it <b>was</b> classified. In sworn testimony before that same committee, Valerie Plame testified that her status was indeed classified. If she perjured herself, why is no one bringing charges? It was the CIA which referred the matter to the DoJ for investigation of a possible violation of the IIPA. Oh, and let's not forget Patrick Fitzgerald's sentencing memo regarding 'Scooter' Libby in which he provided documentation of her covert status.

Y'all just really need to let go of this one. The Bush administration outed a covert operatives identity in what is, as they keep telling us, a 'time of war'. A treasonable offense by any measure. Political consideration outweigh ALL other considerations for this administration, even those of national security.

 

[pegwinn]

Good I hate marines anyways. They are all a bunch of losers who had no life to begin with and saw no way out so they joined the Military to become mindless robots who can do nothing but what they are told to do by their commander. But I guess those are the people we want to sacrifice anyways. I mean who better to die for our country than the people who were worth a shit in the first place?

Now that I think about it. Keep fighting the war. I consider it population control here in America. I mean the world is overpopulated as it is. Kind of like deer hunting or the seal hunts going on in Canada to control the population. The more dead soldiers means more resources for me.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, get on message boards badmouthing thier superiors and whining a lot. Give my regards to the Kadena NCO club. Up Hansen way we called it Air Force Alley since all sorts of trash could be picked up for free.

What you're ignoring is that in a statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, General Michael Hayden (USAF) DCIA, stated, for the record, that Valerie Plame's status before Bob Novak published it <b>was</b> classified. In sworn testimony before that same committee, Valerie Plame testified that her status was indeed classified. If she perjured herself, why is no one bringing charges? It was the CIA which referred the matter to the DoJ for investigation of a possible violation of the IIPA. Oh, and let's not forget Patrick Fitzgerald's sentencing memo regarding 'Scooter' Libby in which he provided documentation of her covert status.

Y'all just really need to let go of this one. The Bush administration outed a covert operatives identity in what is, as they keep telling us, a 'time of war'. A treasonable offense by any measure. Political consideration outweigh ALL other considerations for this administration, even those of national security.

So, Armitage confessed that he outed her under orders from the Administration? Cool, I missed that one. Guess we can look forward to another trial then.

BTW, can anyone explain why after all the money spent tracking this down the only charges were perjury and obstruction by someone who didn't do what the investigator was looking for?

 

[Gunny]

What you're ignoring is that in a statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, General Michael Hayden (USAF) DCIA, stated, for the record, that Valerie Plame's status before Bob Novak published it <b>was</b> classified. In sworn testimony before that same committee, Valerie Plame testified that her status was indeed classified. If she perjured herself, why is no one bringing charges? It was the CIA which referred the matter to the DoJ for investigation of a possible violation of the IIPA. Oh, and let's not forget Patrick Fitzgerald's sentencing memo regarding 'Scooter' Libby in which he provided documentation of her covert status.

Y'all just really need to let go of this one. The Bush administration outed a covert operatives identity in what is, as they keep telling us, a 'time of war'. A treasonable offense by any measure. Political consideration outweigh ALL other considerations for this administration, even those of national security.

And what was ignored by said committee and the DCIA is that there is a legal definition for being covert.

And it's YOU that needs to let it go. It was a witchhunt, plain and simple. It's never going to amount to anything more.