Why did the White House have Agents name?

[gizmo1979]

I haven't seen this addressed.The white house has no need to know individual agents names,so why did they even have her name?Does that mean the leak started at the CIA?Was Tenet the first to tell the White House about Plame?

[imenja]

1. the classified state department report

prepared for Powell, that others had access to, that Fleisher had with him on AF1 during a trip to Africa. There have been a number of news articles to this effect: n Bloomberg, Washington Post, NYTimes, even on television.

[gizmo1979]

3. I know about the memo

but I still don't understand,why they would need info on who the agent is.I can see being briefed on the overall operation,but not who is in the operation.They would have to ask specifically for such info I would think.

[imenja]

4. it was a memo on Wilson

that collected all available info on Wilson, including his wife. They asked for background on Wilson.

[gizmo1979]

6. I see but

You wouldn't think that would come back with her job being CIA covert operative,you would think it would come back just federal employee.

[imenja]

9. why?

it was a classified memo for those with the highest security clearance. Why would it have hidden her identity. Generally the WH protects such info.

[Booster]

12. I posted this question on another thread a week ago. I agree with

you and it's just my opinion but I think the CIA got wind of what they were up to and wanted to make sure they all knew that she was undercover and they put it in writing just in case they went ahead with their plan to smear the Wilson's. I believe though that the untimate goal of the WH bullies was to expose and disband the covert company Valerie was working for because they were getting too close to finding out some interesting stuff on Cheney/Halliburton in the Middle East. That seems to me is the only explanation.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. DING DING DING

[imenja]

8. also, Libby had been to Plame's shell company

and might have met her then, Whether he knew she was Wilson's wife at that point is another matter. I don't see why he would have.

The WH doubtless knows the identity of a number of CIA agents, certainly those carrying out operations particularly important to the WH. They have access to all kinds of classified info. What is unusual is leaking it to the press out of a political vendetta.

[gizmo1979]

10. I still don't understand why

they need to know who.They need to know what they are doing but who is doing it is of no concern to them.Say you send a squad of navy seals on a mission.You would know the mission but the names are irrelavant. Why would it be any different with the CIA,you'd think they would be less likely to say who.

[imenja]

17. they got the info to smear wilson

but I don't think there is any reason to assume they got it from Tenet.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Remember Travelgate?

They had a number of investigation into whether or not Clinton had the right to request FBI files on people. Of course, the self-rightous repugs had fits about this. How dare the president looks at FBI files.

[gizmo1979]

5. That's what I'm saying

they shouldn't even have access to such info.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Yes, it falls in the need to know category

There was no Need to Know for most of the people involved in the leak. This shows that this WH has very loose standards with sensitive information and who knows what else they carelessly spread around as long as it suited their political goals.

[gizmo1979]

11. Shows not only that

but it shows they micro-manage things that they should keep their noses out of.Control freak type situations.So when they say we didn't know about prisoner abuse you know they are lying through their teeth.

[PsN2Wind]

13. If someone is on "the enemies list"

N/T

[CantGetFooledAgain]

14. I agree with Gizmo

It should not have to come to trusting individual WH staff to not disclose such sensitive information. The system should be (and is, I think) set up to prevent it ever getting into their hands. And the idea of it being on a memo and "passed around" on AF1; who prepared that memo? Where did the leak start originally? And on what authority and for what reason was the information provided?

I haven't seen this addressed anywhere either.

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. The M$M is dancing all around that one

but it is the focus of the Grand Jury and that's all that matters.

[gizmo1979]

16. That's my feeling exactly

there is no need to know.