Plame Investigation Is Not a 'Game' (Letter to the ed by Plame Atty) WP

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

(Although, this is a letter to the ed. I feel that the author makes this news when taken in entirety. If not, Mods, accept me apologies and move it where it belongs. Thx, TYJ)

Tuesday, January 18, 2005; Page A16

In their Jan. 12 op-ed column <"The Plame Game: Was This a Crime?"> Victoria Toensing and Bruce W. Sanford misrepresented the scope of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, which certainly does cover former covert agents who remain at risk (along with their contacts) even after their covert operations end.

They also said that Valerie Plame's status was allegedly known on the "Washington cocktail circuit," implying that it was widely known that she worked as a covert agent for the CIA. But columnist Robert D. Novak has said that he learned of Ms. Plame's status through a leak by senior administration officials. Even I, Ms. Plame's lawyer and neighbor, was unaware of her status until Mr. Novak blew her cover.
_
The column said that Mr. Novak had suggested that Ms. Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, was "credentially challenged" to determine whether Iraq was trying to obtain uranium in Niger. However, Mr. Wilson had served in three African nations that produced uranium, including Niger, and had been ambassador to one of them, Gabon. In all, he served in seven African countries and as senior director for African affairs in the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton. His bona fides for the trip are spelled out in the report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which divulged that Mr. Wilson had traveled to Niger in 1999 at the request of the CIA to look into other uranium-related allegations.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16733-2005Jan17.html

[Virginian]

1. So, when does the investigation resume?

There hasn't been a peep about this lately. Is anything happening?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. I feel that this is one of the reasons for the letter.

I'm surprised the post published it.

[Robbien]

5. Every time a peep does comes out

the WSJ, WaPo and NYT have op-ed pieces that jump all over it and distort it beyond reason.

I have a strong feeling things are happening but the wise move is not to let the so called liberal media get their hands on it.

[MADem]

2. Good lawyer!

They pull a knife, you pull a gun!!!

Slap down the attempts at 'minimization of the crime' immediately, before the lamestream media makes it the theme song of the week!

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. It's now official that there are no WMD. That means that

Wilson was right. His story is now more credible than it was before. And why is Novak being given so much free air time to spin for himself?

[Lostnote03]

6. What a contrast....Sibel/Valerie....

[KoKo]

7. Hasn't it been almost a year since Fitzgerald was supposed to

report? Wasn't it April and then it was extended to June? I might be off a couple of months...but it's sure taking an awfully long time for this prosecuter that we were assured is a "bulldog." At least a couple of our Chicago DU'ers said that's what he was.

I think it's been "silenced." Novak is too cocky these days. :shrug:

[Robbien]

8. It is Fitzpatrick (Fitzgerald was our Senator whose seat Obama took)

and yes the grand jury is stalled right now.

I am guessing many things hinge on who the new AG will be.

[H2O Man]

12. I'm not sure who "Fitzpatrick" is ....

but Patrick J. Fitzgerald is the fellow presenting the case to the grand jury.

[RBHam]

10. If you'll recall, I accused Fitzgerald of being a "fixer"...

He helped railroad the defendants accused in the first bombing of the WTC...

The prime evidence used against the defendants was a spurious document called "The Terrorist's Handbook", a document that could easily have been forged. Suspiciously, this "handbook" had been "discovered" by an MI5 team that leaked the info to Britain's version of the Washington Times - the Daily Telegraph...

Fitzgerald will prove himself to be just another Lee Hamilton type. Hamilton, a Democrat, helped cover up Poppy Bush's role in the Iran/Contra scandal. In the interests of protecting the dignity of the Presidency...

This unconscionable delay in aggresively investigating the Plame Affair stinks real bad...

An odor that has a familiar stench...

[TacticalPeek]

9. Kick.

Kickkickkickkick.

[The Zanti Regent]

11. You forget, the WHORESHINGTON POST thinks its a game.

After all, how much has the WHORESHINGTON POST tossed into the inauguration kitty?

[seventythree]

13. $100,000 ?