Jason Leopold: Woodward's Plame Leak Deep Throat

[understandinglife]

He is referred to as "official one" and he is the mysterious senior Bush administration official who unmasked the identity of an undercover CIA operative to Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003 and conservative columnist Robert Novak a month later.

The identity of this official is shrouded in secrecy. In fact, his name, government status, and the substance of his conversation with Woodward about the undercover officer are under a protective seal in US District Court for the District of Columbia.

But Woodward tape-recorded the interview he had with "official one." Woodward gave a copy of the tape and a transcript to Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

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One thing is for sure, neither Hadley nor Armitage are commenting, not even to issue a denial.

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Sources close to the case have identified Woodward and Novak as the reporters "official one" spoke to about Plame Wilson.

Much more at the link:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032106J.shtml

Interestingly, while Libby's lawyers try to divert attention from the fact that Libby is charged with 2 counts of perjury, 2 counts of making false statements, and 1 count of obstruciton of justice, they are opening all kinds of views into Bush's neoconster hovel and the occupants, therein.


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[MADem]

1. Yep, Libby is being charged with perjury and obstruction, not leaking

The defense, to my mind, seems to be the "Cap Weinberger" defense--give me a pardon in advance of trial, or I'll spill the beans on EVERYONE!!! I ain't gonna go down alone!

BushCo's problem is that unless Libby's boyz stall this trial until after the November elections, a pardon in advance of the elections would ensure a Democratic House AND Senate. He'd be hamstrung for the remainder of his miserable reign....

It's like watching a bunch of frogs on a hot griddle, the way they are all hopping around...

[Beetwasher]

2. Is It Me, Or Is Libby Digging His Hole Deeper By Focusing On WHO Leaked?

As opposed to defending himslef against perjury and obstruction?

[understandinglife]

3. He's digging a whole so wide and so deep that Bush's entire crime ...

... syndicate will fit with room to spare.

And, (excuse the mixed metaphor) he's sorta doing vocal scales, warming his chords, publicly, to give all his fellow WHIGers, and Cheney, and Bush, and others, a sense of just how resounding and compelling an aria he can perform for Fitzgerald.


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[HereSince1628]

10. Call me jaded, but I think Libbey is still working for Cheney.

I'm suspicious that he is trying to feel out as much information as he can about what Fitzgerald learned and is could lead to one or more other indictments.

Once Fibby's team got the information they would sure as hell turn it over to Cheney's lawyers. They'll try to blow the lid off every sealed filling Fitzgerald has made if given half a chance.

[H2O Man]

14. I agree that Libby

has connections and loyalty to Cheney. But his attorneys do not. They are looking to do the best job possible for Scooter, and that by necessity includes putting part of the focus on Cheney. Of all of the players involved, the vice president should be the most anxious about Team Libby's actions.

[Me.]

15. When Water Levels Rise

Sooner or later all rats jump ship

[Me.]

4. This Leopold Piece Really Tells The Story

I've never believed Armitage was "Official One", and I think this article points out many tantalizing bits.

“White House officials who are sympathetic to Libby say "official one" is former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.” If they are saying this is so, you can bet it isn’t RA. Also it is most likely “official one” had ties to WHIG who made the plans to bring in the earthmovers. Hadley was part of that group Armitage was not. Further, WHIG operated out of Cheney’s office and there was a clear divison, and even acrimony, between Powell’s office (which Armitage was part of) and the veep’s.

The only problem I have is that “"Official One" faces no criminal charges in the ongoing investigation into the leak of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson and is said to be cooperating with the special counsel's two year-old probe.” We know that Armitage isn’t facing prosecution, but is Hadley?

Deliberate: “But one of the attorneys on Libby's defense team wasn't supposed to mention the existence of the tape-recorded interview in open court because it may cause the unknown government official to come under intense media scrutiny.

Crucial: “"Your Honor, the one thing that is clear is we should focus on what the allegations are," Fitzgerald said. "The indictment alleges that on Monday Mr. Libby told Fleischer this information about Mr. Wilson's wife and indicated that it wasn't widely known, on a Monday."

"On Wednesday he claims to have learned it as if it were new for the first time from <"Meet the Press's" Tim> Russert in his conversation even though we've alleged six different conversations, more than six conversations in the month before he discussed it with everyone from the vice president to people at the CIA, to ranking officials at the State Department," Fitzgerald added.”

[understandinglife]

5. The part about "Official One" not facing criminal charge but cooperating

... is interesting. The implication could be that they had no idea why Scooter wanted to know and Scooter had the appropriate clearance to receive the info.

However, it still leaves open a crucial issue - clearance is only one qualifier in accessing classified information, need to know is the other crucial qualifier.

How did Scooter demonstrate need to know without revealing that his objective was to 'get Wilson.'


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[formercia]

13. The Bigot list

is the term for a document that lists all persons who have a clearance for a given 'sensitive' operation.

[H2O Man]

6. It could be

that Mr. Woodward had a few sources. It is known that Mr. Libby shared classified NIE with him. Team Libby is concerned that Mr. Fitzgerald is going to tell the jury that Mr. Libby shared the NIE information with Judith Miller. It would be curious if Libby shared NIE and Plame's identity with Miller, but only the NIE with Woodward. (I note that Rove spoke to Cooper about Plame and hinted NIE information was about to be declassified that would contradict Wilson. The NIE and Plame's ID went hand in hand.)

[understandinglife]

7. "The NIE and Plame's ID went hand in hand." -- A crucial point that ...

... we need to repeat over and over and over again. Thank you.


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[kpete]

8. fascinating...K&R

[kpete]

9. fascinating...K&R

[DemReadingDU]

11. K&R

[Patsy Stone]

12. K&R

And it just continues...

[autorank]

16. The infinite sides of Bob Woodward's fense...

Who is this guy? Does he work for any one cause at one time or is he constantly multi tasking to peddle his information to the highest bidder? Is there anything he cares about? Would Watergate have happened without Bernstein?

Wonderful, a tape. Looks like Scooter will have to roll over and cough up a few names, like his boss, the Dickster.

Recommended & Kudos to Jason Leopold, our ... hmmm ... Bernstein, yeah, that's it (for now).

[TacticalPeek]

17. K & R

:kick: