CIA leak inquiry in final stretch: BBC report

[emad]

CIA leak inquiry in final stretch
By Justin Webb
BBC News, Washington



The long-running inquiry into the leaking by the White House of the name of a serving CIA officer is due to finish this week.
Washington is awash with speculation about the possibility that senior White House staff may face criminal charges.

Signs that charges are on the way could come early in the week, if warning letters are sent to individuals in advance of a formal indictment.

Two senior White House aides face allegations of criminal misconduct.


The special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, has the power to deal a crushing blow to President George Bush by linking two of his most senior advisers to allegations of criminal misconduct, allegations which would force them to resign.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4371204.stm

[BOSSHOG]

1. The last sentence is sad but telling

They would be forced to resign? Why? If bush had any integrity he would fire them immediately, revoke their security clearances and let the wheels of justice roll. No doubt, whatever the white house does post announcement will be carefully orchestrated. They are probably rehearsing it right now, to include the right wing hate machine and its blathering on.

Silly me, "if bush had any integrity." And firing them would force him to make a decision. Perish the thought.

[goclark]

2. Prayers and lit candles

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4. Wish someone would open a book on this: I reckon 5/4 fav odds

for Fitzgerald getting a little tweak of help from UK spooks to tip the balance in favor of a 'yes' indictment for Cheney cabal by this weekend....

[emad]

3. Interesting discussion on BBC Radio this weekend: yellowcake

uranium scam as part of the Saddam WMD fantasy scenario may have originated in the UK with a counter intelligence story planted in the press circa 1998-99 regarding a conspiracy to assasinate Colonel Ghaddafi.

Allegedly, this planted story was designed by UK special branch cops to expose a Russian-backed gang thathad hacked into MOD and NATO computers looking for key information about UN plans for the oil-for-food plan.

The Ghaddafi assasination plot focused on an alleged MI6 operative, codename 'Tunworth', reported in the BBC's Newsnight programme as being central to intelligence gathering in the Middle East regarding Russian-backed weapons programmes and their funding channels.

A number of possible identities for 'Tunworth' were discussed, including the current wife of the UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir Sherrard Cowper-Coles. (Lady) Bridget Cowper-Coles has previously been named as a potential UK/Russian double agent who was originally hired by Bush1 immediately after he came nto office irca January 1989.

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5. Colleagues call for removal of New York Times journalist in CIA leak case

Colleagues call for removal of New York Times journalist in CIA leak case

Gary Younge in New York
Monday October 24, 2005
The Guardian


The New York Times continued to implode under the weight of internal criticism yesterday as the public clamour for one its most prominent reporters, Judith Miller, to be removed from her job gained pace.
The row threatens to engulf one of the country's most venerated newspapers in a bitter dispute over its reporting of the Iraq war, its unquestioning defence of an allegedly rogue reporter and its editor's ability to assert his authority over his staff.


This weekend, the paper's readers' editor and a prominent columnist argued in print that Ms Miller's presence in the newsroom damaged the credibility of the paper. Their comments came after the paper's editor sent a memo to staff claiming that Ms Miller misled him about her involvement in a story over a CIA leak.
In a column headlined Woman of Mass Destruction, columnist Maureen Dowd argued: "Sorely in need of a tight editorial leash, was kept on no leash at all, and that has hurt this paper and its trust with readers. She more than earned her sobriquet Miss Run Amok."

The paper's public editor, who is the readers' representative, yesterday wrote that "the problems facing inside and outside the newsroom will make it difficult for her to return to the paper as a reporter".

Ms Miller's journalistic reputation has had a chequered recent history. In the runup to the Iraq war, she was accused of being insufficiently critical of the Bush administration's claims that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Last year, the paper issued a public apology for its Iraq coverage in which three of the five articles it highlighted were by Ms Miller.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1599200,00.html