Judy Miller's Security Clearance

[Marnieworld]

In my grand jury testimony, Mr. Fitzgerald repeatedly turned to the subject of how Mr. Libby handled classified information with me. He asked, for example, whether I had discussed my security status with Mr. Libby. During the Iraq war, the Pentagon had given me clearance to see secret information as part of my assignment "embedded" with a special military unit hunting for unconventional weapons.

Mr. Fitzgerald asked if I had discussed classified information with
On page 4 of 5 in the recently published self-serving so-called "explanation" article in the New York Times- "My Four Hours Testifying in the Federal Grand Jury Room" by Judy Miller a specific passage caught my attention. Words cannot describe my addiction to the coverage of this case and yet I haven't read much comment about these particular statements. The case is beyond the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (which I believe is provable despite what pundit spin says) it also includes possible violations of the Espionage Act which deals with the transfer of classified information to people not authorized to receive it. I believe this account and her testimony about her possible security clearance status was a part of an effort to protect Libby from being indicted for this crime. If she was cleared for receiving the info then it's not espionage right? Read for yourself:

"In my grand jury testimony, Mr. Fitzgerald repeatedly turned to the subject of how Mr. Libby handled classified information with me. He asked, for example, whether I had discussed my security status with Mr. Libby. During the Iraq war, the Pentagon had given me clearance to see secret information as part of my assignment "embedded" with a special military unit hunting for unconventional weapons.

Mr. Fitzgerald asked if I had discussed classified information with
Mr. Libby. I said I believed so, but could not be sure. He asked how Mr. Libby treated classified information. I said, Very carefully.

Mr. Fitzgerald asked me to examine a series of documents. Though I could not identify them with certainty, I said that some seemed familiar, and that they might be excerpts from the National Intelligence Estimate of Iraq's weapons. Mr. Fitzgerald asked whether Mr. Libby had shown any of the documents to me. I said no, I didn't think so. I thought I remembered him at one point reading from a piece of paper he pulled from his pocket.

I told Mr. Fitzgerald that Mr. Libby might have thought I still had security clearance, given my special embedded status in Iraq. At the same time, I told the grand jury I thought that at our July 8 meeting I might have expressed frustration to Mr. Libby that I was not permitted to discuss with editors some of the more sensitive information about Iraq.

Mr. Fitzgerald asked me if I knew whether I was cleared to discuss classified information at the time of my meetings with Mr. Libby. I said I did not know."

I don't have a link but IIRC someone at the Pentagon has denied that she had any special clearance and they don't know what she is referring to.

Talk amoungst yourselves.

[BOSSHOG]

1. A Secret Clearance

would take months of background checks by the FBI and cost alot of money. If she had a secret clearance it would easily be proven.

[rodeodance]

2. i read that Rummy had signed off on the clearance. I do not know if this

is true or not.

[rodeodance]

3. is this common practice?

.....During the Iraq war, the Pentagon had given me clearance to see secret information as part of my assignment "embedded" with a special military unit hunting for unconventional weapons.

[Lerkfish]

5. is having a bogus male prostitue posing as a reporter common practice?

and allowing him into the White House dozens of times per week?

nothing is "business as usual" with this administration.

[berni_mccoy]

8. No.

Highly suspect in fact. WHY would a reporter (who's not actually over in IRAQ) need any knowledge that would be considered secret? There is NO REASON for that. And then if the WH would do that, WHY ONLY ONE REPORTER?

If it's secret, there is no reason to report it. If they wanted a reporter to be close to the story, they would sanitize the info and hand over redacted info, NOT INVOLVE THEM IN THE INTEL OPERATION.

[oneighty]

4. You can bet

if she had a real 'Secret' clearance it would have been 'Need to know only'.

180

[TahitiNut]

6. AFAIK, they're all "need to know".

At least mine was in Viet Nam, and so were others, iirc. I recall being 'antsy' about discussing system design considerations with buddies, even though they had similar clearances.

[oneighty]

7. Yes

I had Top Secret for my specialty and that was all it was good for.

180

[Jane Austin]

9. Good catch!

I'll bet you are right about what she was doing.

[Marnieworld]

10. self-serving kick

yah so?