Plame's Lame Game

[durutti]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2103795/

Two recent reports allow us to revisit one of the great non-stories, and one of the great missed stories, of the Iraq war argument. The non-story is the alleged martyrdom of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wilson, supposed by many to have suffered cruel exposure for their commitment to the truth. The missed story is the increasing evidence that Niger, in West Africa, was indeed the locus of an illegal trade in uranium ore for rogue states including Iraq.

The Senate's report on intelligence failures would appear to confirm that Valerie Plame did recommend her husband Joseph Wilson for the mission to Niger. In a memo written to a deputy chief in the CIA's Directorate of Operations, she asserted that Wilson had "good relations with both the Prime Minister and the former Minister of Mines , not to mention lots of French contacts." This makes a poor fit with Wilson's claim, in a recent book, that "Valerie had nothing to do with the matter. She definitely had not proposed that I make the trip." (It incidentally seems that she was able to recommend him for the trip because of the contacts he'd made on an earlier trip, for which she had also proposed him.)

Wilson's earlier claim to the Washington Post that, in the CIA reports and documents on the Niger case, "the dates were wrong and the names were wrong," was also false, according to the Senate report. The relevant papers were not in CIA hands until eight months after he made his trip. Wilson now lamely says he may have "misspoken" on this. (See Susan Schmidt's article in the July 10 Washington Post.)

Now turn to the front page of the June 28 Financial Times for a report from the paper's national security correspondent, Mark Huband. He describes a strong consensus among European intelligence services that between 1999 and 2001 Niger was engaged in illicit negotiations over the export of its "yellow cake" uranium ore with North Korea, Libya, Iraq, Iran, and China. The British intelligence report on this matter, once cited by President Bush, has never been disowned or withdrawn by its authors. The bogus document produced by an Italian con man in October 2002, which has caused such embarrassment, was therefore more like a forgery than a fake: It was a fabricated version of a true bill.

[wtmusic]

1. I can't believe this issue is still an issue

did we have the right to invade Iraq, even if Niger had sold Hussein yellowcake?

Moot point.

[annxburns]

2. Christopher HITCHENS!

The Bush apologist? The war cheerleader? The drunk psuedo-socialist?

Yeah, he has credibility ....

[Beetwasher]

3. Well, Gee, That Convinces Me!

It's perfectly OK to blow the cover of a covert agent working to stop the dissemination of WMD's in the war on terror! They've convinced me! She deserved it and so did the American public!

[Kool Kitty]

4. It was still wrong to out Ms. Plame.

Her outing was a crime, and this is no excuse for it.

[buycitgo]

5. ho hum

even if what this jackass sayz IS true about the yellowcake, and it's probably not, as Iraq had HUNDREDS of TONs of it--remember Tuwaitha--the fact remains that the outing of Plame has nothing at all to do with this, as has been covered at lenght elsewhere. and I'll bet this story if covered in the thousand or so posts on the plame indictment threads

also, I saw the CNN story last night in which David Ensor quotes Wilson as denying the story about his wife's proposing him, saying that a senior CIA official told him that it was not true

so who's lying here?

who to you think?

who's read the rebuttal to this Financial Times story, which has been out for at least a week now?

[Ducks In A Row]

6. is there a link to the rebuttal?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. I don't have THAT link, but I do have Josh Marshall's site...

<http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/>

Scroll down...you'll find plenty of information.

[nightperson]

34. Marshall on what furriner Hitchens thinks of as a "great non-story":

Plame's status is the predicate of the whole case. If she's not a person covered by the law then there's nothing even to investigate.

Yet an investigation into the matter has been going on for almost a year; and the quasi-independent Fitzgerald investigation has been underway for more than six months.

If Plame wasn't covert, the CIA never could have made its referral to Justice. If they did, that would have been the most obvious of reasons for Justice to decline to investigate. And surely Fitzgerald wouldn't have spent these months dragging members of the White House staff before a grand jury without satisfying himself that the first and essential legal predicate of the entire case (Plame's status as covert) was valid -- a factual matter that could have been nailed down in rather less than a day.

My apologies to regular readers for all the back and forth. But occasionally it's necessary.

Hitchens must have entered new, worse stage of :beer: :freak: :beer:.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. What crap. This has NOTHING to do with the fact that Plame was....

...revealed as a CIA operative, and it hs nothing to do with the fact that her entire global network was also exposed. Revealing the name of an intelligence operative, a field agent, is a violation of Federal law. Period.

All of this other crap about whether or not Plame recommended Wilson to go to Niger to check out the yellowcake story is nothing but a smokescreen. All Plame did was indicate that Wilson used to be stationed in Niger and other countries in that part of the world, and knew the area. She made no recommendation of his services.

The story is false, and has ALWAYS been false, and will continue to be FALSE long after human beings cease to walk on the surface of this planet.

The fact that Susan "Steno Sue" Schmidt was the first to write on this subject should be a direct lead to the ones behind this story. Having Chris Hitchens add to this tempest in a teacup is all the confirmation anyone needs.

I'll take Josh Marshall's word over these two miserable hacks any day of the year.

[punpirate]

8. Hitchins needs a high colonic...

... to flush out all the alcohol from his brain. The FT's analysis has already been shown to not accurately define the issue, considering what is now known.

[merh]

9. The sh** is getting ready to hit the fan. Indictments must be

near -- this is part of their disinformation propaganda -- attack the credibility of the witnesses and the victims -- start your spin early while you still can -- lies and treachery at every turn, with every word.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. I'm betting that the indictments come out on a Friday....but the exact....

...day seems to be sliding a bit.

[merh]

14. I'm wondering if it will be the battle of the July surprises

indictment of F'u versus the thawing of the Osama popsickle?

They are near and the admin is wounded, the sharks are in the water, they smell the admin's blood so the admin is pouring blood near the victims in the hopes that the thrashing and attacking sharks will distract the other fisherman and will provide them time to escape and heal.

Soon Mr. Fitzgerald, soon please.

[Elidor]

24. "the thawing of the Osama popsickle"

classic

[buycitgo]

12. could be

but trying this in the court of public opinion isn't going to do them any good in a federal trial

just hoping that Fitzgerald can keep his wits/integrity about him

this case is going to make the pressure on ONeill/Clarke/Edmonds, etal look like a trip to Valhalla

this case goes to the heart of where they live, and, if prosecuted vigorously, will bring back the halcyon days of Watergate

getting popcorn ready

[indigobusiness]

17. Absolutely...well put.

Just hope the indictments aren't handed down friday...Martha's

sentencing will have sucked up all the oxygen.

[H2O Man]

13. For the sake of accuracy:

(1) It's always best to quote someone accurately. Regarding Wilson's statement on his wife and his assignment in Niger, Wilson wrote: "Quite apart from the matter of her employment, the assertion that Valerie had played any substantive role in the decision to ask me to go to Niger was false on the face of it." (The Politics of Truth; pg 346) That is different than saying she played no role.

(2) The British still maintain they have "proof" that Iraq and Niger were involved in the sale of yellow cake uranium. As you should know, Article 10 of UN Resolution 1441 requires member states to share all information on prohibited nuclear programs with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The British have not shared this information.

(3) Both American Ambassador Barbro Owens-Kirkpatrick and 4-star Marine Corps General Carleton Fulford provided the CIA and the administration with reports before Wilson went to Niger. Both of their reports documented that there were no deals between Iraq and Niger.

(4) UN investigators did not find the thousands of barrels of yellow cake that some still insist were sold to Iraq by Niger. As some DU readers may recall, President bush invaded Iraq over a year ago. The USA and British have searched for any evidence of WMD. They haven't found any.

(5) There were no sales of yellow cake from Niger to Iraq. There is no new information that indicates there was. There are not thousands of barrels of yellow cake that the people intent on confusing the public can point to.

(6) Efforts to confuse the public are part of an effort to distract Americans from the serious crime of exposing a CI operative's identity. The White House did that. Unlike the lies about the yellow cake, including fake and "mystery" documents, there is no question that senior White House officials exposed a CIA agent. Shame, shame.

[durutti]

15. There does seem to be new information.

See the Butler Report.

[H2O Man]

20. Can you give a specific piece of new information?

The idea that they have solid information that they refuse to share doesn't carry much weight. The misrepresenting Wilson's words, and then viciously attacking the misrepresentation is an old tactic that needs to be retired. I listed specific things .... an exact quote from Wilson that exposes the attempt to confuse what he really said about his wife; the two other reports that debunked the idea that Niger sold Iraq yellow cake; and the most obvious fact that even if we take the "low" estimate in the fake document, there would have been thousands of barrels of yellow cake found. They are not there. The US and England have been looking for quite a while. And, in response to the Butler report, Blair has admitted some of the intel was weak. He's quoted in this week's Time as saying, "I have to accept we haven't found them...." (pg 17)

What we do know, without any debate, is that two White House officials exposed Plame, a CI operative who was a specialist in WMD.

So, one side is busy saying there is "new" evidence that refutes things that Wilson never said, and proves that yellow cake that has never been found really does exist. By chance, they arte also claiming that it's Joe Wilson's fault that they exposed his wife.

The other side is backed up by the reports of another ambassador and a 4 star Marine Corp General. And by the fact that the British refuse to follow international policy if they actually have any proof. And the fact the uranium that Niger sold Iraq DOESN'T EXIST!

[merh]

27. H2O - have you read the article referenced in this post?

I know you are well read, but the article referenced below and found
at the thread listed below is a must read. It is an incredible piece of writing and the Uruguay editor is a gutsy, intelligent, thoughtful person.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1994687

------------------------
Wilber_Stool (418 posts) Wed Jul-14-04 08:11 PM
Original message
From Hitler to Bush MUST READ

Edited on Wed Jul-14-04 08:12 PM by Wilber_Stool
From Hitler to Bush

The editor of La República del Uruguay replies to the US ambassador, Martin Silverstein, (Uruguay ) who had complained about the comparisons the newspaper had drawn between Hitler and Bush.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6481.htm

MUST READ

[H2O Man]

30. Thanks, merh!

No, I had not read that article before .... and I must say, as happy as it made me to read it .... because it was so well-written, and so accurate .... it also makes me shake my head, knowing that this is how 95% of the world's population view us, the US, because of the association with this administration.

[merh]

31. I know, I had the same experience while and after reading it.

I have made copies of it - one of my main arguments against * is the impression/reputation that our nation has now in the international community. I have warned that other nations are building up their resources and arming themselves against us, should we decide to attack them "pre-emptively".

This article supports that argument. It says all we have been saying and the sad thing is, this editor said it in March of 2003 and no one has paid it any attention.

I may make copies to send to members of congress.

The madness has to stop.

[durutti]

16. This is "the last wall to fall".

Every other rationale for war -- the al Qaeda connection, the other "WMDs", humanitarian intervention -- has been thoroughly discredited.

The only vaguely coherent argument for war was made by Kenneth Pollack in The Threatening Storm. It hinged on the idea that Iraq was going to acquire nuclear weapons.

It is crucial that we address this claim.

[kohodog]

18. This Sudden spat of denials

Points to something about to be released (like indictments). This issue has been on the back burner for months, and suddenly, out of nowhere, the media starts broadcasting denials. The administration seems to be trying to get out in front of this one. They want to blow enough smoke to discredit the facts.

H20, another shadow crosses.

[Jerseygirltoo]

19. You are so right

And the so-called 'article' is so ill

[kohodog]

21. Jerseygirl,

Check out the Plame indictment threads. Some of us are writing letters to make sure those responsible don't skate. If Plame was involved in a sting operation for WMD component trafficking as was indicated in Time, we need to keep their feet to the fire.

[H2O Man]

22. kohodog!

Glad you're here. Yes, I saw that shadow, too! Isn't that something?

[kohodog]

25. H20, I've got to say

...there's something going on around here and it ain't exactly real(!)

But it sure is fascinating.
We need spread the call to action!

Come on everyone, get active...write letters to your local papers and your representatives. If you're here there's an issue you can be passionate about. We can help turn the tide. Alone we might not be heard, but together we can roar loud enough to scare the crap out of em.

[H2O Man]

29. Funny, isn't it?

How certain forces pop up in the strangest places?

[shraby]

26. H20 I'll give you this!

You were right about July 14. The indictments didn't come down, but a lot of Plame stuff is hitting the papers. It's been fog the issue time in a big way..I 'spect the indictments are about to come out and those who know are hyperventilating. Get out the popcorn and pop a cap. The show should be good and we should be able to see it about Friday cause it's the way the news becomes non-news.

[H2O Man]

28. We're seeing a coordinated

right-wing attack -- not on the important issues -- but on Wilson's personality. Amazing! But it's not hard to counter this weak shit .... if I can do it here, we can be confident that brother Joseph will do it, in his own good time. And the grand jury will cut through the nonsense.

[LeftHander]

32. Been wacthing and following...

The plame threads and the outing for a long time...

I must say that pallas and h20 have open a lot brains and I think that indeed big things are afoot.

You have PNAC head Fukuyama tossing out Bush. He has publically removed support for Bush re-election. You have division in the GOP to the point where the idiot neocons in leadership actually went ahead with the Gay marriage debate as a public smokescreen.

Dem senators have spoken up yesterday on Plame investigation.

Plus nuclear proliferation and illegal sales has appeared in the news again.

And today we have the effort by Novak and slate to drum up the Yellowcake crap again and attempts to discredit Wilson and the fact that the documents that the SOTU was based on were blantatly bogus.

It is getting really exciting...and frightening. WHat could be worse thatn the Vice President envolved in illegal technology sales and a massive coverup that endangered lives and started a war?

[kohodog]

36. Another four years would be worse!

Much worse because they could consolidate power in all three branches. We need to completely expose them and get them out. We need to push the media.

[bvar22]

23. "I have nothing but contempt ...

...and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors."---Poppy Bush 1999

[Bonhomme Richard]

33. Is it possible that..............

the deputy chief operations of the CIA asked Plame about her husbands contacts after he was recommended by someone else for the job? That would explain the memo. Just a thought.

[H2O Man]

35. The DDI did.....

I put this information on the Plame Indictment Thread #7. Plame was asked to relay a message to her husband. Her memo is simply a response that noted his credentials. No big deal, unless you happen to be a republican who cannot grasp the idea that on occassions a person's ability is taken into account .... and that not every appointment is a strain of nepotism.

[Jim__]

37. (See Susan Schmidt's article in the July 10 Washington Post.)

He referenced the article - why didn't he reference the correction?

[leesa]

38. This is simply BS. The ISSUE is not whether Plame recommended

her husband, the ISSUE is that a high ranking US government official outed an undercover agent violating federal law.

Don't let the Republican criminal thugs define the issue for us.

Not to mention that the use of yellow-cake was ludicrous anyway. Iraq had plenty of their own and didn't have the facilities to process it. Totally a bogus focus. The only crime is the outing of the agent.

[mmonk]

39. Outing Valerie Plame was a

violation of law pure and simple. Either it is illegal to out someone or it is not. No spin changes whether it is a violation or not.