By Patrick Martin:
Is there a Bush pardon in Lewis Libby’s future?
Cheney aide abruptly ends defense in perjury trial
15 February 2007
Attorneys for I. Lewis Libby, the former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who is facing perjury charges, rested their case Wednesday after declining to call either Cheney or Libby himself as defense witnesses.
The result was a nearly uncontested prosecution case demonstrating that Libby repeatedly lied to the grand jury investigating the leak of the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson.
The decision not to have Libby take the stand in his own defense and not to call Cheney as a character witness represents an abrupt abandonment of the trial strategy which Libby’s attorneys had made public over the past year.
They had repeatedly suggested that Libby’s defense—given the overwhelming evidence that he had given false testimony to the grand jury—was that he had forgotten the details of the Wilson affair because of the press of high-level national security work in which he was engaged.
Cheney’s testimony was critical both as a character witness and to support the portrayal of Libby as an overburdened aide with many more important concerns than whether Valerie Wilson, wife of Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson, was employed at the CIA.
Libby himself would have to take the stand to substantiate the “forgetfulness” defense, as Judge Reggie Walton made clear in a series of rulings before the start of the trial.
Update: here.
Related articles
- CIA’s anti-terrorism effort called ‘colossal flop’ (latimes.com)
- CIA Leak Fast Facts (cnn.com)
- CIA’s Non-Official Cover (NOC) Clandestine Intelligence Program Caled “Colossal Flop” (matthewaid.com)
- Valerie Plame Wilson knocks Cheneys (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Rep. Trey Radel to take leave of absence, enter drug treatment (cnn.com)
- US-Iran War Averted by Agreement to Negotiate on Nuclear Enrichment (juancole.com)
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
WHOA ! Bush’s press conference was a genuine treat
Posted by: “steve erickson” wake911up@yahoo.com wake911up
Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:45 pm (PST)
I happened to catch today’s press conference and recorded it too. I
was so moved by the president’s incoherent, rambling diatribes that I
was compelled to contact Pelosi’s office, my two Senators and
Congressman to get this man on the couch. He and Mr. Dick need to be
out of there. One positive note though is this should make for great
satire on The Daily Show tonight!
Bush’s scowl and warning when a gutsy reporter inquired about old
Scooter’s debacle was priceless. To wath chucklenuts try to explain
away the inconsistencies of reports associating Iran with troop deaths
was amazing. Say What??????????
Overall the press corps dullards did manage to appear a bit less cowed
and a little bit feisty this morning. Now if they could only keep Bush
on point and actually answer a question, sorry no one could accomplish
that.
IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH
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Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:30 am (PST)
It is important to keep in mind the fact that Ambassador Joseph Wilson
was the perfect person to send to Niger to determine if Saddam Hussein
had tried to buy uranium yellowcake from Niger..
Joseph Wilson had been our Acting U.S. Ambassador in Iraq in 1990, and
had served as our ambassador to Gabon (in Africa). Wilson was
well-acquainted both with the government officials in Niger AND the
issue of the uranium mines in Africa. Incidentally, those uranium mines
are NOT under the sole control of the Niger government, they are under
UN control. Niger’s uranium industry is controlled by a consortium of
foreign companies monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).
Furthermore — and most importantly, as Valerie Plame Wilson testified
to under oath, on March 15, 2007 — not only was Joe Wilson’s conclusion
correct (that the Iraqis had NOT sought or bought uranium from Niger),
but two other US government officials had earlier debunked the same
rumor. U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Barbro Owens-Kirkpatrick, and Four Star
Marine General Carlton W. Fulford, Jr., deputy commander of the U.S.
European Command (EUCOM) had both reported their negative findings back
to the State Dept. and Pentagon, respectively.
MORE information is available at:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/entity.jsp?entity=carlton_w._fulford
http://moonagewebdream.blogs.com/storms_counter_terrorism/2007/03/general_carlton.html
_______________________________________________________
And, just for the record, here is what Robert Novak wrote about Joe
Wilson (Acting U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad) in 1990:
* Robert Novak article on Wilson re: Gulf War I.
“The chief American diplomat, Joe Wilson, shepherds his flock of
some 800 known Americans like a village priest. At 4:30 Sunday
morning, he was helping 55 wives and children of U.S. diplomats
from Kuwait load themselves and their few remaining possessions
on transport for the long haul on the desert to Jordan. He shows
the stuff of heroism.”
http://www.politicsoftruth.com/testimonials.html
– – – – – – – – – – –
AND, a short story from a Bechtel employee: “As we were leaving Iraq on
the 9th of December, 1990, the first ten Bechtel employees to enter the
Baghdad airport were pulled aside and made to sit on the floor in a room
by themselves. Of course, I was at the head of the line. It seems there
was an arrest warrant out for all Bechtel employees. We sat there all
day while everyone else was issued their boarding passes. Joe and the
American lady that had joined the embassy staff fought like tigers with
the Iraqi officials. We could hear them yelling and arguing with the
Iraqis for hours. Finally, just as the plane started to load we were
given our boarding passes. I don’t think we would have been allowed to
leave if Joe hadn’t fought so hard.”
–Correspondence of Richard Biaseti, former Bechtel employee
http://www.politicsoftruth.com/testimonials.html
– – – – – – – – – – –
AND, from President George H. W. Bush: “It is relatively easy to speak
out from the safety and comfort of Washington; what you are doing day in
and day out under the most trying conditions is truly inspiring. Keep
fighting the good fight; you and your stalwart colleagues are always in
our thoughts and prayers.”
–President George H.W. Bush, from a November 29, 1990, telegram to
Acting Ambassador Joseph Wilson in Baghdad
http://www.politicsoftruth.com/testimonials.html
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Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:32 pm (PST)
I think the following rightwingers — the Washington Post editorial:
board, Mort Kondracke, Sean Hannity, Robert Novak, Brit Hume, Jonah
Goldberg, Victoria Toensing and, of course, Rush Limbaugh and Bill
O’Reilly — should be forced to write 500 times:
*”Valerie Plame Wilson WAS A COVERT CIA OPERATIVE working to
keep nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. Her
affiliation with the CIA was CLASSIFIED.”
*
If you have their e-mail addresses, you might write to tell them so.
Here is Valerie Plame Wilson’s statement to the House Government and
Oversight Committee today:
———————————————————-
**Valerie Plame Confirms Her Covert Status Prior To Novak Leak** [March
15, 2007]
My name is Valerie Plame Wilson, and I am honored to have been
invited to testify under oath before the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform on the critical issue of safeguarding classified
information.
I am grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight.
I’ve served the United States loyally and to the best of my ability
as a covert operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency.
I worked on behalf of the national security of our country, on
behalf of the people of the United States, until my name and true
affiliation were exposed in the national media on July 14th, 2003,
after a leak by an administration official.
Today I can tell this committee even more.
In the run-up to the war with Iraq, I worked in the
Counterproliferation Division of the CIA, still as a COVERT
OFFICER whose affiliation with the CIA was CLASSIFIED. I raced to
discover solid intelligence for senior policymakers on Iraq’s
presumed weapons of mass destruction program.
While I helped to manage and run secret worldwide operations against
this WMD target from CIA headquarters in Washington, I also
TRAVELED to foreign countries on SECRET missions to find vital
intelligence.
I loved my career, because I love my country. I was proud of the
serious responsibilities entrusted to me as a CIA covert operations
officer. And I was dedicated to this work.
It was not common knowledge on the Georgetown cocktail circuit that
everyone knew where I worked. But all of my efforts on behalf of the
national security of the United States, all of my training, all the
value of my years of service, were abruptly ended when my name and
identity were exposed irresponsibly.>>
Read this and more at:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/16/plame-covert-testimony/
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*Waxman letter to White House: Bush did NOT investigate CIA leak*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:48 am (PST)
Absolutely shocking.
———————————————————-
— from:
HENRY A. WAXMAN, CALIFORNIA
CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
March 16,2007
The Honorable Joshua Bolten
Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. Bolten:
Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a
hearing to examine the disclosure by senior White House officials of the
identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson. The hearing raised
many new questions about the how the White House responded to an
extraordinarily serious breach of national security. It also raised new
concerns about whether the security practices being followed by the
White House are sufficient to protect our nation’s most sensitive secrets.
James Knodell, Director of the Office of Security at the White House,
testified at the hearing about White House procedures for safeguarding
classified information. During his testimony, Mr. Knodell made some
remarkable statements about how his office handled the disclosure of
Ms.’Wilson’s covert status. Specifically, Mr. Knodell testified:
>> The Office of Security for the White House never
conducted any investigation of the disclosure of Ms. Wilson’s identity;
>> Under the applicable executive order and regulations,
your senior political advisor, Karl Rove, and other senior White House
officials were required to report what they knew about the disclosure of
Ms. Wilson’s identity, but they did not make any such report to the
\White House Office of Security; and
>> There has been no suspension of security clearances
or any other administrative sanction for Mr. Rove and other White House
officials involved in the disclosure.
According to Mr. Knodell, the explanation for the lack of action by the
White House Security Office was a White House decision not to conduct a
security investigation while a criminal investigation was pending. Mr.
Knodell could not explain, however, why the White House did not initiate
an investigation after the security breach. It took months before a
criminal investigation was initiated, yet according to Mr. Knodell,
there was no White House investigation initiated during this period.
Mr. Knodell also testified that it would be inappropriate to allow an
individual who was a security risk to retain his or her security
clearance while a criminal investigation is pending. As members of the
Committee pointed out, a criminal investigation can last years, and it
would jeopardize national security not to investigate the officials
implicated in the leak and suspend their security clearances if there
were reason to suspect their involvement. Mr. Knodell did not
dispute this point.
The testimony of Mr. Knodell appears to describe White House decisions
that were inconsistent with the directives of Executive Order 12958,
which you signed in March 2003. Under this executive order, the White
House is required to “take appropriate and prompt corrective action”
whenever there is a release of classified information. Yet Mr. Knodell
could describe no such actions after the disclosure of Ms. Wilson’s
identity.
Taken as a whole, the testimony at today’s hearing described breach
after breach of national security requirements at the White House. The
first breach was the disclosure of Ms. ‘Wilson’s identity. Other
breaches included the failure of Mr. Rove and other officials to report
their disclosures as required by law, the failure of the White House to
initiate the prompt investigation required by the executive order, and
the failure of the White House to suspend the security clearances of the
implicated officials.
To assist the Committee in its investigation into these issues, I
request that you provide the Committee with a complete account of the
steps that the White House took following the disclosure of Ms. Wilson’s
identity (1) to investigate how the leak occurred; (2) to review the
security clearances of the White House officials implicated in the leak;
(3) to impose administrative or disciplinary sanctions on the officials
involved in the leak; and (4) to review and revise existing White House
security procedures to prevent future breaches of national security.
I look forward to your response and hope you will cooperate with the
Committee’s inquiry.
Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman, Chairman
Tom Davis, Ranking Minority Member
Read this at: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4284
I had the photocopy of the letter but cannot find it now.
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*photocopy of Waxman’s letter to the White House*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:52 am (PST)
Here’s the link to the photocopy of Waxman’s letter to the White House:
Click to access 20070316154127-11403.pdf
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*Victoria Toensing is a liar*
Posted by: “hapi22” hapi22@earthlink.net robinsegg
Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:52 am (PST)
Victoria Toensing is a liar.
She purported to quote from the law (the “Intelligence Identities
Protection Act”) she had helped to write, in 1983, and claimed that
according to that law, the definition of a COVERT agent meant the person
had to have RESIDED abroad. That is NOT correct when defining COVERT in
the subsection that pertains to EMPLOYEES of the CIA or other
intelligence agencies. In their case, it requires only that the agent
“has within the last five years SERVED outside the United States;”
The bit about “who RESIDES and acts outside the United States as an
agent” pertains ONLY to American citizens who are NOT regular employees
of the CIA.
Valerie Plame testified yesterday that she DID travel and work — SERVE
— abroad for the CIA within the past five years,
Plame also testified UNDER OATH that she was a COVERT agent in the CIA.
Not only that, but current CIA Director Hayden (recently appointed by
Bush) stated to Rep. Waxman — for publication — that Ms. Plame was
COVERT until Bob Novak divulged her identity in his July 2003 column.
Gen. Hayden also stated, unequivocally, that Plame’s status in the CIA
was CLASSIFIED.
Here’s the relevant section in the law Victoria Toensing was referring
to during her testimony yesterday:
________________________________________________
*United States Code/Title 50/Chapter 15/Subchapter 4
*This chapter contains the “Intelligence Identities Protection Act.”
*§ 426. Definitions *[excerpt]
(4) The term “covert agent” means—
(A) a present or retired officer or employee of an intelligence
agency or a present or retired member of the Armed Forces
assigned to duty with an intelligence agency—
(i) whose identity as such an officer, employee, or member
is classified information, and
(ii) who is serving outside the United States or has within
the last five years served outside the United States; or
(B) a United States citizen whose intelligence relationship to
the United States is classified information, and—
(i) who resides and acts outside the United States as an
agent of, or informant or source of operational assistance
to, an intelligence agency, or
(ii) who is at the time of the disclosure acting as an agent
of, or informant to, the foreign counterintelligence or
foreign counterterrorism components of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; or
(C) an individual, other than a United States citizen, whose
past or present intelligence relationship to the United States
is classified information and who is a present or former agent
of, or a present or former informant or source of operational
assistance to, an intelligence agency.
(5) The term “intelligence agency” means the Central Intelligence
Agency, a foreign intelligence component of the Department of
Defense, or the foreign counterintelligence or foreign
counterterrorism components of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
________________________________________________
Read this at:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Intelligence_Identities_Protection_Act
FULL TEXT of the “Intelligence Identities Protection Act” at:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Intelligence_Identities_Protection_Act
MORE on the “Intelligence Identities Protection Act” at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_Identities_Protection_Act
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