THREAD: In @SenatorLeahy 's new memoir, there's a wild story in it that I haven't ever seen before--

[demmiblue]

Link to tweet

THREAD: In @SenatorLeahy's new memoir, there's a wild story in it that I haven't ever seen before—a rare glimpse into the shadowy way that the intel agencies interact with Members of Congress. It feels ripped from a political thriller movie...: https://phoenixbooks.biz/book/978198215

1) In the midst of the Iraq War debate, Leahy was one of the few Senators pushing back against the Bush admin race to war and the threats of WMDs. He'd been reading the classified intel that the Bush admin was providing to Congress and had real doubts that it justified war....

2) The Sunday after he read the intel, he was out walking with his wife in his McLean neighborhood when "two fit joggers trailed behind us. They stopped and asked what I thought of the intelligence briefings I'd been getting."...

3) The joggers asked Leahy if the briefers had showed him "File Eight"? Leahy writes, "It was obvious from the look on my face that I had not seen such a file. They suggested I should and that I might find it interesting."....

4) Leahy went back to the intel officers at the Capitol SCIF and requested "File Eight," and it contradicted what the Bush administration was saying publicly about the WMDs....

5) A few days later, Leahy and his wife are out walking in the neighborhood again and the same two joggers pass by, stop, and say, basically, “We heard you read Five Eight. Isn’t it interesting? Now you should ask for File Twelve” ….

6) [[Leahy explained to me when I asked him about this incident this month that "File Eight" and "File Twelve" are pseudonyms for specific secret codeword names the joggers told him to ask for.]] ....

7) The next day, Leahy again goes to the Capitol SCIF and asks for "File Twelve." It again contradicts what VP Cheney was saying publicly. Leahy decides to vote against the war based on these secret reports and tips...

8) I asked @senatorleahy about this incident when I interviewed him at @bearpondbooks earlier this month, if he knew the joggers ever, and he said, "You don't understand—I didn't *want* to know who they were." …

9) tl;dr: Leahy ends up voting against the war because some corner of the intel world tracked when he was out exercising, intercepted him, and pointed him to secret intelligence reports.

Anyway, @senatorleahy's memoir is really good. get it here: https://phoenixbooks.biz/book/978198215

10) one question I have after this story: I assume Leahy wasn’t the only targeted Senator? Might be worth asking other Senators who voted against the war, did they get visits from similar joggers?

[Native]

1. Wow, that is super interesting. Pretty scary too.

[dweller]

2. Speaking of Leahy

Wasn’t he hospitalized last nite ? It was late news, I had forgotten
Any updates ?

I just googled and all the news is he was hospitalized and all stories are 16-18 hours old
☹️



✌🏻

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

4. I read that story last night too. I'm wishing him all the best. nt

[Donkees]

6. 'Leahy's office says he's expected to be discharged Friday afternoon and be in Vermont Saturday ...

for his full schedule of events'

(WCAX.com)

[dweller]

7. Thanks Donkees !

Good to hear !


✌🏻

[demmiblue]

8. Leahy's office: "Senator Leahy spent an uneventful night in the hospital last night for tests...

Leahy’s office: “Senator Leahy spent an uneventful night in the hospital last night for tests and observation. He was discharged today (Friday), and he and Marcelle plan to fly to Vermont Saturday morning for a full schedule of planned events in the days ahead.”

Link to tweet

[dweller]

10. Thanks !

You should post an update for others



✌🏻

[machoneman]

13. Better than a Jack Ryan episode. Tom Clancy. RIP, could not have done ti better.

[GopherGal]

16. I was thinking John LeCarre

Come to think of it, it's been a couple years since I re-read the Karla trilogy...

[House of Roberts]

3. Leahy was one of two Senators who had anthrax letters mailed to them.

The other was Tom Daschle. The letters were intercepted before they were delivered.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. GWB II Is the luckiest man alive.

First, Obama gave him a pass on accountability, and second, Trump was so much worse, that Democrats had to appeal to the Bushes for the appearance of bipartisanship against Trump.

Can you imagine how that will look in the history books? Like saying, hey Republicans. Don't you remember when you were just incompetent and not plain out corrupt?

[erronis]

12. Right. Next someone will say "Well, Satan might be worse than that former guy."

At this point in time, I'll say that anyone that is a proud (R)epuglicon is lower than a worm.

Perhaps Putin/Koch/libertarians have succeeded. They have split our country. But it's also nice to know who is a total imbecile.

[Hortensis]

9. We had the same thing on the evening news. A year elapsed between

Bush's declaring war and actually landing troops. During that year prominent ex- government officials, military high-ups, experts in various fields, one each 2-3 weeks, came forward to tell the American people Bush's excuses were bogus and that we shouldn't invade, had no need to invade, would regret invading, for various reasons.

I watched what I thought of as the parade of the "retireds" that whole time. General Norman Schwarzkopf, leader of the coalition forces in the "First" Gulf War, was the first of them, or among the very first. It was clearly a coordinated effort to educate the people and turn what was in fact a tide of widespread support for the war. They didn't suceed, of course, in breaking support by a majority of the American people, including large numbers of Democrats, for the invasion.

In any case, it was no secret that Bush was lying. Many people who'd know said Iraq did not have WMD right on the evening news. Remember ex- ambassador to Iraq Joe Wilson and his CIA officer Valerie Plame who ran agents in Africa specifically watching for signs of WMD? Hers was not the only career ruined.

No need to be a senator invited to view "secret" files either: beyond doubt Schwarzkopf and the rest, and others, called and/or came to brief all senators personally in their offices.

[paleotn]

11. Spooks in Vermont. Oh my.

Much of the US intel community wasn't with the Bush Cheney program.

[Bo Zarts]

14. But the runner "spooks" were in McLean, Virginia, near Leahy's home there.

And, of course, CIA headquarters is in McLean, Virginia.

[electric_blue68]

15. Wow, definitely political intrigue novel material!

[Martin Eden]

17. The LIES repeatedly told by GW Bush and Dick Cheney

Resulted in upwards of a MILLION DEATHS and cost American taxpayers TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Whenever I see a commercial pleading for donations to help veterans severely wounded in body and soul, my rage against those two war criminals is rekindled.

It was the systematic campaign of LIES to launch the war in Iraq that led me to DU in 2002, and I've been here ever since.

Dim Son and Darth Cheney belong in prison, not enjoying free lives of wealth and privilege.

[bluestarone]

18. I get page not found message?

Sounds like an interesting read.