Agent exposed in W. House leak ran overseas operations, recruited agents

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/6924163.htm

WASHINGTON - The spy allegedly outed by a White House leaker is an attractive blond with Bond-girl looks who ran overseas operations and recruited agents for the CIA, sources told the Daily News.

Two former senior intelligence officials confirmed that Valerie Plame, 40, is an operations officer in the spy agency's directorate of operations - the clandestine service.

Plame "ran intelligence operations overseas," said Vincent Cannistraro, former CIA counterterrorism operations chief.

Her specialty in the agency's nonproliferation center was biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and "recruiting agents, sending them to areas where they could access information about proliferation matters, weapons of mass destruction," Cannistraro said. snip

Cannistraro called Plame's outing a "dirty trick."

"Her assets may be at risk," he said. "I think that's what justified the probe."

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[Unknown Known]

1. and some of them may already be dead or imprisoned

We don't know that part yet.

[papau]

22. It appears that some friendly folk overseas have died in the last 60 days

- I wonder if the CIA will allow a media type to that x number were due to the leak?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

33. Remember Dr. Kelly, the fellow that was found dead...

...and ruled an apparent suicide? I wonder if he was associated with Plame's network?

[hedda_foil]

2. ABC's The Note said that more was coming today!

This is part of it apparently.

[w13rd0]

3. Oh hell...

...so any hostile (or friendly) powers can now cross-reference anyone who had contact with her as a potential US CIA asset. That's just FRICKIN MARVELOUS, thanks George, who knows how many people your jackass political operatives got killed...

[NNN0LHI]

7. Its not just US CIA assets as they suggest here either

Even innocent people who were just unlucky enough to be either a friend or acquaintance of this woman from other countries are now possibly being tortured to extract information from them that they do not even possess. Nice thought, ain't it?

Don

[Spazito]

4. Oh Geez

This means lives are very definitely at risk. I can only hope that ALL involved in this treason are suitably punished.

[Nottingham]

5. I think somebody in the WH underestimated Her Position

in the CIA

:bounce:

[Moochy]

9. Misunderestimate?

Dont you mean that Bush misunderestimated her position? :P

[leftchick]

27. they did not under estimate......

they never fucking estimate anything because they are so fucking ARROGANT!!! The kind of arrogance that gets people killed....

:grr:

[Eloriel]

31. I think they WANTED to threaten her life

and possibly have it taken as revenge for Wilson and warning (intimidation) to everyone else not to even THINK of doing what Wilson did.

What makes you give these criminals, thugs and sociopaths the benefit of the doubt?

Eloriel

[central scrutinizer]

6. besides destroying her network.

* has pissed off almost every other country in the world. Since terrorism doesn't have a country, cooperation between intelligence services is vital. Al Qaeda must be elated.

[BuckeFushe]

8. They're screwed!

Blue and six ways to Sunday. This is NOT going away. As much as the Rethugs and the Squater who thinks he's pResident want's this to go away, it's not anytime soon.

[pfitz59]

10. Friendly sources will dry up!

What individual sympathetic with US goals will provide info knowing their contact is suceptible to being outed? For cheap political gain? Grubbing for money is one thing, betraying your nation is whole 'nother ball-game! Someone must pay!

[bobthedrummer]

11. I heard she is a thirty year agent

that would mean she was recruited at about ten. That is possible, but highly unlikely. Where did the 30 year tagline come from-Novak????

Still her outing is a danger to her entire social network now, regardless of her own age of recruitment. A lot of folks.

[Spazito]

13. She has been in the CIA 3 decades...

about 18 years, over the span of 3 decades.

[bobthedrummer]

15. Thanks for clarification, Spazito

n/t

[Cush]

14. 3 decades

Thats been taken out of context by the right. Her work spanned 3 decades, which is possible. The late 80's, the 90's and now. Three decades.

Its just more of that fuzzy math

[DulceDecorum]

23. Kinda how the life of the Queen Mum

spanned three centuries.
August 4, 1900-March 30, 2002.
She was 101 when she died but with a little spin, you can make it look like she lived a whole lot longer.

[w13rd0]

19. "over 3 decades"...

...as in "spanning over 3 decades"...

80s, 90s, and now...

[Cush]

12. Is this why Novak too the 5th on CNN???

[wryter2000]

16. I sent out 42 letters to Congress today

To all the members of the two intelligence committees and a few others to encourage a special prosecutor. If you'd like my Word files for doing this in a merge document, pm me.

[Noordam]

17. While everybody would be thinking her husband worked for the CIA

"She has classic good looks: very shapely, long legs and blond shoulder-length hair," a source said. "She would be a star in her own Hollywood picture"

And I bet she played the "Dumb Blond" part very well.....

[Cush]

18. hey now

No one can beat Ann Coulter in that department

[TiredTexan]

34. But Ann's not playing.....

sadly.

[Noordam]

35. But she does have her own network

Thanks Bartcop.

[RedEarth]

20. Last night on CNN(Paula Zahn) Joe Kline said...

Wilson's wife was a "nook" or "nock" or something to that effect. He mentioned, that if someone leaked that type of information it would be even more damaging that releasing an operatives name. Does anyone know what Kline is referring to? I've never heard that term before.

[darkstar]

24. Far from an expert

but from my memory of converstion:

OC= operative cover

and

NOC= non-operative cover

Operative cover according to Kline is that you openly work for U.S. government, but in a non-inelligence branch, as your cover. Hence, if you get busted you have diplomatic imumity.

NOC means you are posing as a citizen w/ private concern. Hence, you don't get the automatic diplomatic immunity. Deeper cover, as I took it, and more dangerous.

Not yet clear, according to Kline what agent's precise status was. However, implication was, to me, that she was one of the above. Which would mean that she was, in fact, under some sort of cover.

Hope I got that right....

[RedEarth]

25. Thanks for your reply

I tuned in late to the show and just caught the part where Kline had mentioned "NOC". Regardless of how Novak or the repubs spin it, it sure seems that Wilson's wife was definately a CIA operative and not just an analyst.

[Redbear]

26. The "NOC" list was the plot device for Mission Impossible.

When Tom Cruise was suspended from the A/C duct copying info from the computer that was the NOC list. Although Im sure its used differently in real life, its very freaky to hear that term used.

[NNN0LHI]

30. NOC means Nonofficial Cover

NONOFFICIAL COVER (NOC) : a real or imaginary private sector job held by a spy; NOCs do not have diplomatic immunity

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0310/02/pzn.00.html

<snip>KLEIN: Well, what you're hearing is -- and what's been reported in "The New York Times" today is that she was a NOC.

And let me tell just you how serious this is. Aldridge Ames, the very famous American spy, is doing a life sentence right now for exposing NOCs. Now, the question is whether the people in the White House who allegedly exposed this operative knew that she was a NOC. That is going to be the focus of this investigation, because, if they did know, that makes this unbelievably serious.

ZAHN: I found it interesting your phraseology just now. You said people in the White House.

There are a number of reports this evening saying that there is one person being looked as the potential leaker. And that's Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby? Can you confirm that?

KLEIN: Right.

Well, yes, Libby is one of the names that you hear most prominently around town. Libby and Karl Rove have been the names that have been out there. And I don't know if they are or not. But here's why people put it together with Libby. Libby is to Dick Cheney as Paul Wolfowitz is to Donald Rumsfeld. He is a very prominent neoconservative, who has -- I've heard and everybody knows -- been very upset with the CIA's performance leading up to Iraq.

And so, therefore, people are putting two and two together and getting 36. But his name is the one that's been around.

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[RedEarth]

36. NNNOHLI....thanks for the link and ...

the explanation of NOC. I looked for the transcript to the show last night and wasn't able to find it. I appreciate you posting it.

I'm old enough to remember Watergate(just graduated from college) and in all honesty this admin seems to have all the earmarks, and more, of the nixon admin. Secretive, ruthless, dirty tricks, etc... Reagan and bush 41 conveyed a different style, however, this group, in a lot of ways, seems to be a clone of nixon/agnew. Very disconcerting.

[Cush]

21. No mention on ABC or CBS news

[tlcandie]

28. The last paragraph is the kicker ...

"Somebody will have to go before it's over," an official said. "The only question is whether it's a low-level person following orders or somebody higher up."

My bet is on low-level person rather than higher up.

[Noordam]

32. We are talking hard-times in Jail.... Max Security.....

Treason.......


Do you think a low-level person will go to a major federal jail for say Rove.....

I do not think so.

[Beetwasher]

29. Outing Her Was a MAJOR Fuck-Up!

For a lot of reasons. Wow! Did they really really fuck the whole country w/ this move. Good god, because of this it's entirely possible some WMD's will end up in terrorist hands. I'm not even being hyperbolic.

[w13rd0]

37. Perhaps that's one of the things they were counting on...

...I'm far from convinced that the Bush regime is working on behalf of American interests. It's more than plausible that they serve the interests of a hostile foreign power or extra-governmental agency. They have done NOTHING in the interests of US citizens. Their every action seems to run COUNTER to the safety and continuity <sp> of our republic. In short, they are traitors.

ED: for spelling, and prolly still got it wrong...

[Resistance Is Futile]

38. Plentry of domestic enemies

It's more than plausible that they serve the interests of a hostile foreign power

LOL. The Texas Idiot Party is an elaborate web of nepotistic corruption and looting that is run for exclusively for the benefit of its members. No filthy forign mud people need apply.

[9215]

39. This could cascade!

undermining the entire agency. Hell, maybe it already has!!!


One thing is for sure, no one can blame the Left for this. How ironic it is that the treacherous zealots who abused the powers of the CIA , inadvertantly or otherwise, bring about its downfall.


I hope there aren't any "real" terrorists out there that are trying to destroy the US as opposed to the BFEE. :scared: