Valerie Plame: People Are Suffering Because My Identity Was Leaked

[babylonsister]

Valerie Plame: People Are Suffering Because My Identity Was Leaked

Posted by Scarecrow at 5:36 AM on October 19, 2007.

Scarecrow: Asked to assess the damage to these individuals, Plame replies, "It would be serious."

This post, written by Scarecrow, originally appeared on FireDogLake


One of the unsolved mysteries about the Bush Administration's outing of Valerie Plame's covert identity was what happened to the covert operation(s) and all the people Valerie might have worked with while under cover. Were they endangered? How much damage was done to US intelligence assets and capabilities?

Former agents like Larry Johnson described the potential damage early on, but little is publically known beyond that. Two years ago, the WaPo reported that the CIA initially delayed any damage assessment, and whatever assessment eventually occurred, its findings would naturally be classified; they were not provided in the Libby prosecution.

We may never know the answers, but we get a reminder of why this question is still important in an interview Plame gives to CBS' Katie Couric for an upcoming segment of 60 Minutes. CBS posted this teaser:

Plame Wilson's 20 years at the CIA put her in touch with many individuals with whom she linked up secretly while pursuing intelligence on her mission to keep rogue nations from obtaining nuclear weapons. Did she ever hear if any of these individuals suffered because of the leak of her identity? "Yes I have. That's all I can say," she tells Couric, who then asks if it was bad news. "I have heard -- I have had some news," she replies.

Asked to assess the damage to these individuals, Plame replies, "It would be serious."

More...

http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/65626/#more

[KoyDetmer]

1. OK.

Am I the only one who is starting to feel a little cynical about Wilson and Plame? The TV tour, the movie, all this publicity stuff.. I just think they are milking it for all it's worth. Enough is enough already.

Did she ever hear if any of these individuals suffered because of the leak of her identity? "Yes I have. That's all I can say,"

And going on TV every week is going to help this how?

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. Are you the only one? Probably.

:eyes:

[Botany]

3. Do you have the slightest idea what Val Plame did?

How about Joe Wilson in 1990 in Iraq?

[H2O Man]

4. No.

Sean Hannity is making the exact same point.

But here on DU, we tend to respect Joseph and Valerie Wilson, and recognize that VP Dick Cheney and friends betrayed our nation with their operation against the Wilsons.

[leftchick]

32. Hannity? Seriously?

That makes sense but how pathetic!

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

5. No, I'm sure that there's others that feel the same way you do.

They're not here, though.

[Toots]

6. Yep, she should just shut up and be a good German

The word needs to get out. Do you think the Bush* Administration is going to tell all how they destroyed a career CIA Agent's career? What would you rather hear about, how swimmingly the Iraq "War" is going and how many heroes America has?

[bunkerbuster1]

15. Nah, she should lie on her back and think of England!

And let Cheney/Bush ravish her.

(well, that's undoubtedly our concern-troll friend's favorite fantasy.)

[JackBeck]

7. Yes, you probably are the only one.

Ever heard of Brewster Jennings?

[stellanoir]

9. 'scuse me. . .

She was outed over 4 years ago and aside from her testimony in Congress this is her very first televised interview,

That hardly qualifies as going on TV every week.

She avoided publicity entirely for all of her life until her career was ruined by her treasonist exposure.

Not only was her career trashed but all the employees and international contacts of Brewster Jennings were compromised.

Back in '04 I heard that over 70 people had been killed who had been informants.

Welcome to DU and enjoy your brief stay here.

[Kingofalldems]

12. I can really feel your concern.

:popcorn:

[mmonk]

13. Hope so, At least here.

[bunkerbuster1]

14. Yes, it CONCERNS me.

The CONCERN is overwhelming. Makes me want to hide under a bridge, even.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

19. *snort!* Thanks for the chuckle

And I really did let out a snort when I read that. :blush:

[piesRsquare]

25. So did I!

:blush:

[mmonk]

16. Here's a question to ask you.

What if you had a family member working for the CIA or as an asset and they were betrayed in the field? How would you feel?

[flyarm]

22. did you make a wrong turn and end up in the wrong place?..just wondering...eom

[Raksha]

24. No, not the only one, but probably in a very small minority on DU.

I'll leave it at that.

[Lochloosa]

28. Read this and get back to me....

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1011-01.htm

It's just a 12-letter name - Valerie Plame - but the leak by Bush administration officials of that CIA officer's identity may have damaged U.S. national security to a much greater extent than generally realized, current and former agency officials say.

Plame, the wife of former ambassador and Bush critic Joseph Wilson, was a member of a small elite-within-an-elite, a CIA employee operating under "nonofficial cover," in her case as an energy analyst, with little or no protection from the U.S. government if she got caught.



At the end of the day, (the harm) will be huge and some people potentially may have lost their lives.

Larry Johnson
former CIA and State Department official
Training agents such as Plame, 40, costs millions of dollars and requires the time-consuming establishment of elaborate fictions, called "legends," including in this case the creation of a CIA front company that helped lend plausibility to her trips overseas.

Compounding the damage, the front company, Brewster-Jennings & Associates, whose name has been reported previously, apparently also was used by other CIA officers whose work now could be at risk, according to Vince Cannistraro, formerly the agency's chief of counterterrorism operations and analysis.

Now, Plame's career as a covert operations officer in the CIA's Directorate of Operations is over. Those she dealt with - whether on business or not - may be in danger. The DO is conducting an extensive damage assessment.

[DeSwiss]

29. Yeah. You're the only one..... n/t

[Grandrose]

30. You are the ONLY one....hell yes!

Respectfully, you appear to be uninformed or disingenuous, probably both.
I want Ms Plame every where she wants to be.... to finally hear her story.
What has happened to that family is reprehensible!:mad:

[Duppers]

31. I'm smelling a stench of ....

[Garbo 2004]

33. Got Plame fatigue already? From all the interviews she hasn't done until now on the eve

of her book's publication?

And publshers kind of have this thing about their authors doing publicity tours for their books: it's like part of the deal. The publisher wants to sell books: they have the authors do publicity and make various appearances on book tours. Surely you've noticed that's pretty standard in the publishing biz for high profile books. And of course Plame has been silent for years until now, so for TV network shows like 60 minutes and Today, Plame Wilson is a "get."

Prior to this the only time Plame Wilson has spoken before a TV audience was her televised appearance before a Congressional hearing.

So let's just get this straight, since you're already overwhelmed by just CBS promoting its 60 Minutes interview with Plame Wilson:

If your career was destroyed in a major public fashion, you'd been publically attacked and lied about in the media for years and also forbidden by your employer from speaking out and defending yourself, you'd NEVER take the opportunity to speak publically about it. And if a publisher offered you oh maybe a couple million to tell your story, you would have of course said "No! Never!"

And if you were then approached by a Hollywood producer/studio to make a film from your book and they would pay you for it, you of course again would say "No! Never!"

Yeah.....

[BanzaiBonnie]

8. Anyone who had a hand in revealing the identity of a CIA agent

should be in prison for life. It was the supreme betrayal of their country. For the Wilsons to let this country know what happened is the right thing to do. And using the vehicle of the media is the right way to go about it.

I hope this matter will end up in history books in our schools. It is deserving of that much attention.

[antigop]

10. what you said. n/t

[Glimmer of Hope]

21. No kidding. I have only heard part of her story and I want to hear more if possible,

It is important.

[moondust]

11. Guilt by association.

That's all it takes in some places to get you an acid bath.

There is no way to calculate the potential damage to people who may have ever been seen near her or even near somebody else who was seen near her.

[Swamp Rat]

17. Everyone involved in outing her identity deserves harsh punishment.

[TacticalPeek]

18. K&R

:kick:

[OzarkDem]

20. Sorry, Ms Plame

Dems in Congress don't care. They're too busy giving Bush everything he wants.

[mmonk]

23. I believe one of the candidates for president said the

American people are more concerned with real issues when asked about Libby. I can't seem to remember her name.

[Disturbed]

26. Brewster Jennings was a covert CIA Operation.

There is no doubt about that. The fact that this operation was exposed was Treason. Unfortunately, the case could not be brought about that.

Leak of CIA Officers Leaves Trail of Damage
Compounding the damage, the front company, Brewster-Jennings & Associates, ... The name suggested work in the energy field: The late Brewster Jennings was ...

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1011-01.htm

[mmonk]

27. Yep.