White House Learned of Spy Probe in 2001

[Snazzy]

White House Learned of Spy Probe in 2001

13 minutes ago


By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The FBI investigation into whether a major pro-Israel lobbying organization was spying on the United States began at least two years ago, officials said Friday.

President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, and her top deputy, Stephen Hadley, were informed of the probe into the American Israel Public Affairs Committee not long after Bush took office in 2001, according to two administration officials speaking on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity.

The exact date of the first briefing about the long-running counterintelligence investigation was unclear, but was probably at least two years ago, the officials said.

The timing suggests that investigators only recently began to focus on Larry Franklin, a Pentagon analyst specializing on Iran and Middle Eastern affairs in the office of policy undersecretary Douglas Feith. That part of the probe concerns whether Frankin passed a classified, draft White House directive to two AIPAC officials, who in turn allegedly provided it to the Israeli government.

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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040903/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_spy_probe_2

(Mods--with respect!--I see there were a couple of similar threads locked yesterday, however the story here, which is new info, is that the White House knew--Condi knew).

[Snazzy]

1. Also see Rozen article

Also see this article published today by Rozen in Amer. Prospect--she is a partner with Josh Marshall on some of his investigations for Wash. Monthly/blogs:

Mole Hunt
An expert on U.S.–Israeli relations reveals details from his recent visit with the FBI.
By Jason Vest and Laura Rozen
Web Exclusive: 09.03.04

In May, Stephen Green was hard at work campaigning for a seat in Vermont's House of Representatives when he got a phone call. The last person the 64-year-old former United Nations official, then preoccupied with health-care policy issues, expected to hear from was an FBI agent, who asked if he could come to Washington to chat with him about the history of Israeli espionage efforts against the United States.

As the author of two books on U.S.-Israeli relations, Green knew something about the subject. Still, the phone call seemed to come out of the blue. Green quickly discovered, however, that the FBI had a keen interest in the subject. Federal agents were involved in an investigation into an alleged Israeli "mole" in the office of Douglas Feith, the under secretary of defense for policy.

Early reports suggested that the FBI had wiretap evidence that a veteran Iran analyst working in Feith's office at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Larry Franklin, may have passed a classified draft of a National Security Presidential Directive on Iran to an official working for the pro-Israel lobbying organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Members of the organization, in turn, were said to have passed the document on to Israel. (AIPAC officials strongly deny the accusations.)

But as Green spoke with investigators, he realized the agents were investigating far more than Franklin.

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http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=8467

[Snazzy]

2. The White House Knew--kick

Wondering why Condi might exit, stage RIGHT?

Maybe it has a lot to do with because she brought Plame, Chalabi, and Israeli abdication of US foreign policy to the feet of Whistleass.

Among so many other sins, but this is the sort of shit that will eventually require her January (advance?) pardon.

[Tight_rope]

3. Well Well Well....it's just like them knowing about Osama!