2 Plame Whistleblowers Removed From Jobs by Admin (Jason Leopold)

[kpete]

Plame Whistleblowers Targeted by Administration
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Report

Friday 24 February 2006

Two top Bush administration officials who played an active role in the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, have been removing from their jobs, career State Deptartment weapons experts who have spoken to investigators during the past two years about the officials role in the leak, according to a half-dozen State Department officials.

The State Department officials requested anonymity for fear of further retribution. They said they believe they are being sidelined because they have been cooperating with Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the outing of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson, and have disagreed with the Bush administration's intelligence that claimed Iraq sought 500 tons of yellowcake uranium ore from Niger - an explosive piece of intelligence that was included in President Bush's January 2003, State of the Union address that was found to be based on crude forgeries, but helped pave the way to war.

The reshuffling, which has been conducted in secret since late last year, has led to a mini-revolt inside the State Department, numerous officials who work there said.

The officials who have been leading the State Department reorganization plan are Frederick Fleitz and Robert Joseph. Fleitz now works for Joseph. Both men were appointed to their positions by President Bush. They have claimed publicly that the State Department reshuffle has nothing to do with retribution, rather it is aimed at helping that branch of the federal government to better deal with 21st century threats.

Both men were directly involved in the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson, and have been targeted by Fitzgerald's probe as possible sources that unmasked Plame Wilson's identity to reporters, according to several people knowledgeable about the Fitzgerald probe and the roles Fleitz and Joseph played in the Plame Wilson leak.


http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022406J.shtml

[yellowcanine]

1. Lordy I would love to see that pos Bolton get indicted.

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. "Bolton enlisted Fleitz"

Well, I've had my chips on the bar for Bolton's involvement in this way for quite a while. But it's the first time I've seen it that it's specifically been a Beltway rumor.

It is positively maddening these treasonous bastards are then gratuitously appointed to powerful and influential positions. :grr:

[Burried News]

3. Obstruction of Justice? nt

[Pithy Cherub]

4. Bolton is a recess appointment

which will need to be addressed before the 110th Congress convenes. Methinks Hotair Bolton's nomination chances are dissapating which is why he is ironically pushing so hard for UN "reform" now.

If they are cooperating then the fox has indeed already his eaten fill of chickenhawks. The bill has come due and the State department for fear of retaliation claims can't outright fire the faux foxes but they can marginalize them, at the same rate of pay of course.

This is getting interesting because its a giant clue where the administration knows they are being watched, by the Fitzgerald's watchers that he has turned. The neocon nutshop of the VP's office, the pentagon, and the CIA would be a great place to check the latest org charts too.

:popcorn:

[seemslikeadream]

5. hummm

How to cover up for the act of TREASON, let me count the ways


On Letterman, Al Franken Jokes About Execution for Treason of Rove, Libby and Bush

"And so basically, what it looks like is going to happen is that Libby and Karl Rove are going to be executed” because “outing a CIA agent is treason,” left-wing author and radio talk show host Al Franken asserted Friday night, to audience laughter, on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman. Franken qualified his hard-edged satire: "Yeah. And I don't know how I feel about it because I'm basically against the death penalty, but they are going to be executed it looks like." Franken later suggested that President Bush is at risk of receiving the same punishment, since Karl Rove likely told him what he did, but he added a caveat: “I think, by the way, that we should never ever, ever, ever execute a sitting President."

[formercia]

6. A good sportsman only shoots them on the rise.

Hear that, Deadeye Dick?

[Libby2]

7. I love it.

nt

[yodermon]

16. Al Franken,

in that case, was "kidding on the square".
If you've read his Lies & the Lying Liars.. you'll know what I'm talkin' about.
;)

[joanski0]

8. Robert Joseph is one of the liars that

testified yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee re the UAE Port deal.

"The officials who have been leading the State Department reorganization plan are Frederick Fleitz and Robert Joseph. Fleitz now works for Joseph. Both men were appointed to their positions by President Bush".

Also, Robert Joseph was appointed to Bolton's old job as Under Secretary for Arms Control.

[peacetalksforall]

9. Notice that all government employees named so far are all direct

undlerlings to Dick, George, Colin, and Condo. Scooter - Karl - Bolton - these two and some others we've heard about. They all report to the WHIG members.

Let NO ONE tell us that these underlings took it upon themselves to conduct the case for an Iraq war.

Sorry, I must repeat this -

LET NO ONE tell us that these underlings took it upon themselves to conduct the case for an Iraq war - let no one tell us that they alone decided to write the words for the SOTU and everything that preceeded and suceeded it as well as everything that has ended up in court, so far.

[stop the bleeding]

10. kpete check out this summary that I posted this morning on another

thread - it highlights this famous Feb. 19th. 2002 meeting that discussed Plame's identity

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=501914&mesg_id=508795


Rice, Hadley, Bolton, Joseph, Rove, Libby, and Cheney.....


will update this post in a little bit so check back.


Could Bolton be the target of Fitzgerald??

Secondly, as noted by Ms. Huffington, Bolton has never been questioned by Fitzgerald about this (or so he says to the Senate). Why is Fitzgerald being so coy? Fitzgerald chatted with Bush and Cheney, so it can't be a shyness problem.

Ms. Huffington must know that this bit about a "target" is disingenuous:

So could Ambassador Bolton actually be a target of Pat Fitzgerald's investigation? When considering this question, it's important to keep in mind that he's never been subpoenaed or questioned by the Plamegate grand jury -- and, as a lawyer who does work for the New York Times put it: "The target of a grand jury investigation would not ordinarily be subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury."



http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:aDhgXJ59BOwJ:justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2005/09/arriana_on_bolt.html+Fleitz+bolton+miller&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3

Miss Huffington's piece

So what does this all mean to the ongoing Plamegate investigation? Well, another source close to Bolton recently described his management style to me as "Very hands on. Nothing goes by him. His staff does what he wants. He's not the kind of guy to have his staffers freelancing." So, if Fleitz was a key source of the Plame info and Bolton is not the kind of guy to have his staffers freelancing… does this mean Bolton was being less than forthcoming when he told people around him that the first time he ever heard Valerie Plame's name was when he read it in the newspaper? Or was he merely sharing talking points with Tim Russert?

So could Ambassador Bolton actually be a target of Pat Fitzgerald's investigation? When considering this question, it's important to keep in mind that he's never been subpoenaed or questioned by the Plamegate grand jury -- and, as a lawyer who does work for the New York Times put it: "The target of a grand jury investigation would not ordinarily be subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury."

So here is what we know: We know that Fleitz was the connection to the CIA, and that Bolton was close to Scooter Libby (and the rest of the neocons, of course) and Judy Miller (for whom he was an important source, although the last time she quoted him by name was in 1999 when he was at the American Enterprise Institute). And here is what we don't know: we don't know the pathway through which Plame's identity got into Novak's column. Did Miller learn about Plame from her old chum Bolton? Did she pass that info on to Libby? Or had Bolton already told Libby? And Rove? Or was it all just passed around and around in a cozy game of neocon phone tag? It makes one wonder more than ever before what Bolton and Miller talked about when he visited her in jail.



http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:wLwl4zm8j8MJ:www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/plamegate-the-john-bolto_b_7648.html+Fleitz+bolton+miller&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

[kpete]

11. Hope you do not mind that I copied it and

passed it around to some of my lawyer friends to decipher. Your stuff always takes me a few cups of coffee and some intense discussion among friends. Thanks. Looking forward to your update...

[kpete]

12. dupe

[H2O Man]

13. I would assume

that forces within the administration were unhappy with some of the information being reported, including on RawStory. A week ago, someone asked if RS's source(s) were attorneys attached to persons involved in the case. I think the fact that RawStory was first to report that Woodward's source was Steve Hadley indicates that they have an inside source.

[stop the bleeding]

14. what is your thoughts on Bolton being a target of Fitz see post# 10

Seems to have been some articles that all came out back in September 2005 about Fleitz, Bolton and Miller - let me know if this is a waste of time.

[H2O Man]

15. I think that

Bolton and Rice both are involved. I think it is important to consider all possibilities.

http://www.scooterlibby.org/news/briefs/022106_reply.pdf#search='United%20States%20of%20America%20v.%20I.%20Lewis%20Libby%20%20CR.%20NO%2005394%20%28RBW%29'

[stop the bleeding]

17. these pdf's were are dated 02/21/2006 are these new ones

sometimes it is hard to keep the old ones seperated from the new ones.

If this is new then there is some curious information on page 8/32 about who the source is:

The Government has expressly withheld the identity of the source who disclosed Ms. Wilson's employment status to Mr. Woodward and Mr. Novak

Cheney, Rove, Rice or Bolton? take your pick.

I am on page 17/32 will check back in a bit


on edit:

page 30/32 is interesting as well, concerning second part of page with second paragraph that talks about the CIA and State Dept. officials.

[kpete]

18. love to watch you guys at work...

[H2O Man]

20. Woodward's source

is Hadley. It is interesting to think of Novak's comment on the source he had, other than Rove. He said the person "wasn't a partisan hack." Could it be Hadley? Rice?

[stop the bleeding]

21. If it was Hadley then he got the order from Rice while she was on AF1

on her way back from Africa. Either way Rice is pulling the strings here, based on my summary at post#41 of your thread "View from a park Bench" she is the one that is perfectly placed to pull the trigger on outing Plame/attacking Wilson.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=501914&mesg_id=508795



more from Knight Ridder concerning Rice's shake up at the State Dept. - notice she gives the order in July 2004 - was that when all of the shit started to hit the fan on Fitz's investigation

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:IvhGUsu8MhAJ:www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/13814730.htm+fleitz+bolton+rice+joseph&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3


Also here is an older interview with Joseph Wilson done by Larisa at Rawstory

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:pI5mVOu9HtYJ:rawstory.com/news/2005/Interview_Ambassador_Wilson_husband_of_outed_CIA_agent_sees_larger_Administration_ro_0713.html+fleitz+bolton+rice+joseph&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4


Bolton and Rice are the ones. Rove just may be a player in this as far as a messenger, or Rove may be much much more

[H2O Man]

22. Within the WHIG

there were three "cells" that worked on the effort to destroy Wilson and Plame. Bolton/Rice/Hadley was one. There was an attempt to keep the cells distinct; communications between them creates an overlap.

[stop the bleeding]

23. From the Roger Morris Countrpunch article on Rice

July 2002: Concerned at the potential opposition to the war, and to coordinate policy and media relations for the coming attack on Iraq, a special White House Iraq Group (WHIG) is set up, chaired by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and composed of Rice, Rove, Libby, Rice's deputy Stephen Hadley, and media strategists Karen Hughes, a longtime Bush aide, Mary Matalin and others. The WHIG is to plan and control carefully all high-level leaks and public statements on Iraq and related issues. "Everything, I mean everything, was run through them and came out of them," a ranking official will say of the group. "It was understood, of course, that Condi or Hadley would clear everything from a policy point of view, Rove and Libby would do the politics, and the rest(Hughes and Matalin) would handle the spin."


http://www.counterpunch.org/morris07272005.html



Repeat for clarity

The WHIG is to plan and control carefully all high-level leaks and public statements on Iraq and related issues.


Now speaking of overlapping parts and interactions and you got yourself a full blown conspiracy!!!!!

[H2O Man]

24. There you go.

And there was one individual at the top of the entire operation. It was the guy who brought Scooter and Newt to CI to pressure analysts earlier about those Iraqi WMD.

[kpete]

25. so are you going to tell ME who that guy is?

I should probably already know - but my brain is SO full!!! - Bolton?

[H2O Man]

26. One more hint:

He recently shot a friend in the face in a reckless hunting accident.

[stop the bleeding]

27. yep - according to your paper at item 7(c)

The Waterman Paper July 24, 2004
By H2O Man

7. March 8, '03: (a) a State Department spokesperson admits, "We fell for it" in regard to the forged document; (b) Wilson tells CNN that the State Department has more information on the subject; and (c) a workshop meeting is held in VP Cheney's office. It is attended by top republican officials, possibly including Cheney, Scooter Libby, and Newt Gingrich. The group discusses ways to discredit Wilson.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4390395



******************************************

a more accurate picture develops when you throw in the counterpunch details from established time line.

March 7, 2003: In response to a request four months before, the State Department finally hands over to the IAEA copies of the Niger letters, which UN experts promptly dismiss as "not authentic" and "blatant forgeries." "These documents are so bad," a senior IAEA official tells the press, "that I cannot imagine that they came from a serious intelligence agency. It depresses me, given the low quality of the documents, that it was not stopped. At the level it reached, I would have expected more checking." A former high-level intelligence official tells The New Yorker, "Somebody deliberately let something false get in there. It could not have gotten into the system without the agency being involved. Therefore it was an internal intention. Someone set someone up."

March 8, 2003: In reply to questions about the forgery, a State Department spokesman says the US Government "fell for it." "It was the information that we had. We provided it," Powell will say lamely on "Meet the Press." "If that information is inaccurate, fine."


http://www.counterpunch.org/morris07272005.html

**********************************

Lastly did you watch David Schuster on Countdown? Yes I know you did, and he said a couple of important points.

1. that Libby is not entitled to the information he wants either because it doesn't relate to his charges/case or the Judge does not want the case snagged by the WH claiming Executive Privilege in regards to the PBD's.

2. that both scenarios laid out by David S. for Fibby getting off do not look too good right now.

3. that the investigation is ongoing - which we already knew but is always good to hear.

4. That Fitz always operates in a pyramid like fashion and that Fibby is but a STEP to the next person. - the next person being Shotgun Dick, especially in light of what Leopold's sources from the CIA and State Dept. have been saying in the last few weeks in regards to their testimony to the Fitz and the GJ.

It was a very good segment.:popcorn:



On edit: Rice is a Bishop as well, and Hadley is a Rook or another Knight - they both played much too important parts to be pawns.

Also Rumsfeld would be a Rook or a Knight as well given his influence and ability over other neocons/pawns.

[H2O Man]

28. Yep.

Things are good. I am hoping by noon tomorrow to have a detailed look at the court papers that are public from the past two weeks, and maybe a few ideas about things that are not on the public record.

Countdown was very good.

[stop the bleeding]

29. this Forbes article has a possible tidbit in it

Walton denied a defense request to stop Fitzgerald from filing information that only the judge can review, such as strategy memos and classified information that he wants withheld from Libby's legal team. Walton said he needs to see what Fitzgerald is withholding from the defense to ensure the prosecutor is making the correct call.

The defense was told that the White House had recently located and turned over about 250 pages of e-mails from the vice president's office. Fitzgerald, in a letter last month to the defense, had cautioned Libby's lawyers that some e-mails might be missing because the White House's archiving system had failed.





http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/02/24/ap2552509.html

************************

So the WH has magically found 250 of the missing archived emails??? Am I reading this right this sounds like it is in the presence tense?? Is the WH starting to feel the heat??

[Just Me]

19. Hope they bring retaliatory discharge actions after,...

,...the case and investigation comes to a close. I'd love to see huge personal judgments against these buttheads.