Scooter Libby gives his top 9 reasons...

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16038973/

Libby defense: Too preoccupied with Iraq
Defense seeks to disclose nine areas with classified information

WASHINGTON - I Lewis "Scooter" Libby - Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, says he was too preoccupied with terrorist threats, Iraq's new government and emerging nuclear programs in Iran, Pakistan and North Korea to remember details of his conversations three years ago about a CIA operative, Valerie Plame.

...

National Security concerns
The nine areas that focused Libby's attention during the time that he was speaking with reporters are:

1. Threatened attacks on American and American interests by Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups
2. Enhancing the United States defenses for Homeland Security
3. Nuclear proliferation by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan and efforts by the United States to stop his activities
4. The development of nuclear weapons by North Korea
5. Iran's development of nuclear weapons, its arrest and potential harboring of Al Qaeda members, and its involvement in Iraq
6. The proper size and role of the Iraqi military and security forces in the months following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and the proper composition of the governing entity in Iraq
7. The Israeli-Palestinian relationship, including the emergence of Mohmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as an alternative to Yasser Arafat and the threat that Hamas posed to peace and security
8. A tense diplomatic crisis that arose during the first half of July 2003 resulting from the arrest of Turkish soldiers in Iraq by the Uniteds States military
9. The unrest in Liberia in June and July 2003, culminating in the ousting of President Charles Taylor from office in early July 2003, the danger to the United States Embassy and it s occupants in Monrovia, Liberia, and the United States' role in protecting civilians caught in the middle of the conflict in Liberia.

[PRETZEL]

1. I'm not as well versed as so many others,

but it seems to me that #'s 3,4,& 5 are the areas of expertise that Ms. Plame had and was working on for the CIA.

[sabra]

2. those items also caught my eye....

[PRETZEL]

3. if true,

do these defenses go right to the heart of what the Vice President knew prior to the outing?

As Cheney's Chief of Staff, you'd have to believe he knew almost as much as Cheney did.

[H2O Man]

4. Libby knew more than Cheney

about these issues. As you point out, he was the VP's Chief of Staff. He also held two other very important positions, advising both Bush and Cheney on national security issues.

I believe that on one of the DU threads in October, I said that I thought Mr. Fitzgerald would appeal Judge Walton's ruling on what might be introduced. I think it's understandable that the court doesn't want to err and give Team Libby grounds to appeal. Thus, it is alright to have Mr. Fitzgerald take it up one level for review. I do not agree with the article's saying it might delay the trial. The court could make a ruling that reinforces the previous process.

[H2O Man]

5. This thread

deserves more attention.

[Missy Vixen]

6. K&R

I hope that more DU'ers will read the article, the thread and the comments.

Julie

[PRETZEL]

7. There something that I find somewhat distasteful

and that is that Libby defense is (at least in my view) professional incompetence in his ability to differentiate what is classified and not classified.

You would think that for someone like Libby who has spent a great portion of his professional career in government service and has had security clearances similar to what he had in the past would basically use the defense of "I was too busy to remember" who I talked to and what I talked about.

What complete and utter bullshit....................................