Oh, What A Tangled Web We Weave...

[Nbadan]

"And, you know, there's a lot of leaking in Washington, D.C. It's a town famous for it. And if this helps stop leaks of - this investigation in finding the truth, it will not only hold someone to account who should not have leaked - and this is a serious charge, by the way. We're talking about a criminal action, but also hopefully will help set a clear signal we expect other leaks to stop, as well. And so I look forward to finding the truth. ... I don't know who leaked the information, for starters. So it's hard for me to answer that question until I find out the truth. You hear all kinds of rumors. And the best way to clarify the issue is for full participation with the Justice Department. These are professionals who are professional prosecutors who are leading this investigation, and we look forward to -- look, I want to know. I want to know."

- George W. Bush, October 6, 2003




Bush Approved Iraq Intelligence Leak, Libby Testified (Update1)


April 6 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush authorized disclosure of classified information on Iraq's weapons program to rebut war critics, a former top administration aide told a grand jury, according to documents filed in federal court.

The documents filed by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald don't allege the president authorized aides to divulge the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, whose naming in a July 2003 newspaper column prompted a Justice Department investigation. The court papers also don't suggest Bush violated any rule or law governing the handling of classified material.

The document describes federal grand jury testimony by Vice President Dick Cheney's former Chief of Staff I. Lewis Libby, who was indicted last October of charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to FBI agents investigating the Plame case. Libby has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Libby testified that Cheney ``advised him that the president had authorized defendant to disclose the relevant portions'' of a 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq's pursuit of nuclear weapons to former New York Times reporter Judith Miller, the court filing says.

Cheney's role in authorizing the leak was reported in February by the National Journal magazine. The court papers filed by Fitzgerald last night are the first to tie Bush directly to the chain of events in the administration's attempt to counter critics of the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq by using Libby as a conduit for information to reporters.

No Comment

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the administration won't comment on a continuing investigation. Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride referred all questions to Fitzgerald's office.

``We will cooperate with the Department of Justice as this case goes forward,'' McBride said. ``Part of that cooperation is referring press inquiries to the special counsel.''

Administration critics renewed demands that the president reveal more about the White House role.

``The more we hear, the more it is clear this goes way beyond Scooter Libby,'' Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said in a statement. ``President Bush and Vice President Cheney should fully inform the American people of any role in allowing classified information to be leaked.''

Rebuttal

Libby met July 8, 2003, with Miller as part of an effort to rebut former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who questioned the administration's justification for the war in an essay published two days earlier in the New York Times. Wilson is married to Plame, who worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Libby ``testified that he was specifically authorized in advance of the meeting to disclose the key judgments of the classified NIE to Miller on that occasion because it was thought that the NIE was `pretty definitive' against what Ambassador Wilson had said and that the vice president thought it was `very important' for the key judgments of the NIE to come out,'' Fitzgerald wrote in the document, a motion filed in response to Libby's request for government documents for his defense.

Libby is requesting classified information from the government to use in his defense at a trial scheduled to begin next January.

No one has been charged with leaking Plame's name, which first appeared in a July 14, 2003, article by syndicated columnist Robert Novak. The article, citing two unnamed ``senior administration officials'' said Plame had a role in sending Wilson on a 2002 mission to Niger to investigate claims Iraq was seeking nuclear materials.

Publication

Wilson has contended the publication of his wife's name ended her career as a covert agent and that her name was leaked to intimidate other war critics in the government.

Fitzgerald, who was appointed a special prosecutor in the case in December 2003, is continuing the investigation into the disclosure of Plame's identity.

Cheney previously has said he has authority to release classified information, as does the president.

``There's an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously it focuses first and foremost on the president, but also includes the vice president,'' Cheney said in a Feb. 15 interview on Fox News.

Bush acted under a 1995 executive order governing the distribution of classified information that was signed by then- President Bill Clinton and modified by Bush in March 2003.

The order essentially made it easier for the government to keep classified documents from the public eye as well as authorizing declassification of information. The modification signed by Bush extended to the authority to the vice president.

Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=ayKFRJsxP9Mk&refer=top_world_news#)


The Wheels could be coming off the bus folks!

:hat

[xrayzebra]

The wheels came off Washington along time ago. Dummy! You are not very
observant!

[Nbadan]

:rolleyes

Anyone who thinks this administration is gonna last another 2 years must have marbles in his head.

[101A]

The Wheels could be coming off the bus folks!
:hat


The court papers also don't suggest Bush violated any rule or law governing the handling of classified material.


Que?

[xrayzebra]

I am shaking mine now, don't hear anything rattling. Maybe you should try yours!

[Oh, Gee!!]

I am shaking mine now, don't hear anything rattling. Maybe you should try yours!

Do you hear the ocean between your ears?

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I am shaking mine now, don't hear anything rattling. Maybe you should try yours!
could it be because its empty?

[Nbadan]

So it's OK for Dubya to intentionally decieve the American public as long as no Federal charges have been filed against him - yet?

:rolleyes

[101A]

So it's OK for Dubya to intentionally decieve the American public as long as no Federal charges have been filed against him - yet?

:rolleyes

Don't see the deception there, Dan.

In the Bush quote he is talking about the Plame leak; the other leak may have been self-serving for the administration as it fought a formidable adversary in Wilson, but it wasn't deceptive, IMO.

[SA210]

Get him outa there.


http://www.impeachbush.org

[Nbadan]

Here is the latest piece from the National Journal (the mag that originally broke the Cheney-leak connection):

Libby Says Bush Authorized Leaks
By Murray Waas, National Journal
© National Journal Group Inc.
Thursday, April 6, 2006

......

The White House had no immediate reaction to the court filing.

Although not reflected in the court papers, two senior government officials said in interviews with National Journal in recent days that Libby has also asserted that Cheney authorized him to leak classified information to a number of journalists during the run-up to war with Iraq. In some instances, the information leaked was directly discussed with the Vice President, while in other instances Libby believed he had broad authority to release information that would make the case to go to war.

In yet another instance, Libby had claimed that President Bush authorized Libby to speak to and provide classified information to Washington Post assistant managing editor Bob Woodward for "Plan of Attack," a book written by Woodward about the run-up to the Iraqi war.

Bush and Cheney authorized the release of the information regarding the NIE in the summer of 2003, according to court documents, as part of a damage-control effort undertaken only days after former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV alleged in an op-ed in The New York Times that claims by Bush that Saddam Hussein had attempted to procure uranium from the African nation of Niger were most likely a hoax.

According to the court papers, "At some point after the publication of the July 6 Op Ed by Mr. Wilson, Vice President Cheney, immediate supervisor, expressed concerns to regarding whether Mr. Wilson's trip was legitimate or whether it was in effect a junket set up by Mr. Wilson's wife."

National Journal (http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/0406nj1.htm)

[Nbadan]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/lovuian/_41292182_libs.jpg
Libby's smile says it all

[boutons_]

Meanwhile the horrible, little politicized bastard of AG says:

Gonzales: Bush Could Order Domestic Wiretaps

By Dan Eggen

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 6, 2006; 4:48 PM

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today left open the possibility that President Bush could order warrantless wiretaps on telephone calls occurring solely within the United States, dramatically expanding the potential reach of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance program.

In response to a question from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) during an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, Gonzales said the government would have to determine if a conversation was related to al-Qaeda and crucial to fighting terrorism before deciding whether to listen in without court supervision.

"I'm not going to rule it out," Gonzales said, referring to the possibility of monitoring purely domestic communications.

The comments mark a dramatic departure from previous statements by Gonzales, Bush and others within the Bush administration, who have repeatedly stressed that an NSA eavesdropping program ordered after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks was focused only on international communications.

Gonzales previously testified in the Senate that Bush had initially considered including purely domestic communications in the NSA spying program, but said the idea was rejected in part because of fears of public outcry. He also testified at the time that the Justice Department had not fully analyzed the legal issues of such a move.

During today's testimony, Gonzales also reiterated earlier hints that there may be another program, or an expanded version of the NSA program, that has not been revealed publicly. While acknowledging disagreements among officials over the monitoring efforts, Gonzales disputed some published reports that have detailed the disputes.

"They did not relate to the program the president disclosed," Gonzales testified. "They related to something else and I can't get into that."

Administration officials have acknowledged that Bush issued an order in October 2001 authorizing the NSA to intercept phone calls and e-mails between the United States and overseas in which one of the parties was suspected of some link to al-Qaeda.

Gonzales and the Justice Department have argued that the program is constitutional and was effectively authorized by Congress when it approved the use of force against al Qaeda after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Many Democrats and some Republicans say that Congress did not intend any such authorization, and that the program violates a 1978 intelligence law that set up a special court to oversee and approve all clandestine surveillance within the United States. Lawmakers are considering several proposals to legalize the program in some way, while potential presidential candidate Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has called for censure of Bush for ordering its use.

© 2006 The Washington Post Company

[SA210]

Libby: Bush Authorized Leak
LAST UPDATE: 4/6/2006 12:32:29 PM

United Press International

http://www.woai.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=77914E8E-1794-4DC2-BC16-3F9D5A1CEEF8


Former Cheney aide I. Lewis Scooter Libby reportedly claims U.S. President George W. Bush authorized him to leak classified information to a reporter.

TheSmokingGun.com reports Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, told a federal grand jury he gave New York Times reporter Judith Miller information from a National Intelligence Estimate. In a filing made Wednesday by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, Libby said he was told by Cheney that the president specifically authorized the leak.

Libby also testified Cheney told him to talk to other reporters as well. There was no immediate word on whether Cheney or Bush confirmed Libby's account when they were interviewed by investigators.

Cheney is accused of obstructing Fitzgerald's investigation into who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to reporters and lying to federal investigators.
================================================== =============

Impeach him. :td

[JoeChalupa]

Those bastards!!

[smeagol]

So Bush is evil after all.

I'd still take him over Chavez . . .

[Ocotillo]

http://www.allhatnocattle.net/campbell-soup.jpg

[scott]

How soon we forget...

Clinton got a blow job... IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!!

[JoeChalupa]

How soon we forget...

Clinton got a blow job... IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!!

But she didn't swallow.

[scott]

Joe... I am talking about the OVAL OFFICE here.

THE OVAL OFFICE!!!

[Yonivore]

I notice the words "authorized...to leak" used.

In fact, the President authorized the Vice President to release certain information from an intelligence briefing that had already been declassified and was going to be released publicly in three days.

It may come as a shock to some of you but, the President of the United States has the authority to declassify a whole buttload of information if he so chooses.

This is regurgitated news already reported months ago and the media is just knee-jerking over the recent release of court documents.

Also, Nowhere in the court papers (or in Scooter Libby's testimony/affidavits/statements) is Valerie Plame mentioned as the subject of the information released.

[scott]

Also, Nowhere in the court papers (or in Scooter Libby's testimony/affidavits/statements) is Valerie Plame mentioned as the subject of the information released.

Also, nowhere in the court papers (or anywhere for that matter) are the indictments of Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame you told us were on the horizon (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=568559&postcount=8). Are we still supposed to be waiting?

[Yonivore]

Also, nowhere in the court papers (or anywhere for that matter) are the indictments of Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame you told us were on the horizon (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=568559&postcount=8). Are we still supposed to be waiting?
Yep. Statute of limitations hasn't run out on some of their crimes. Keep waiting.

[Yonivore]

Congressional Record (http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2003_cr/h072103.html)

Here's the Congressional Record from July 21, 2003 containing the declassified NIE information "leaked" by Libby earlier that summer.

The Congressional Record doesn't say when the information was declassified but, it's a sure bet it was before the Congressional Record printed it and probably, before Libby "leaked" it.

[SA210]

The declassifying of information was only between Bush, Cheney and Libby.

There are procedures on declassifying info, and in This particular case, it was Not followed.

Nice try though.

Impeach Bush :td

[Vashner]

I don't think it's enough. It's not gonna happen.

It is some shit on the fan. I'll admit that much.

[Yonivore]

I don't think it's enough. It's not gonna happen.

It is some shit on the fan. I'll admit that much.
Old dried shit at that.

[boutons_]

dubya/dickhead released classified information for purely political reasons, to discredit Joe Wilson as anti-war dissident.

"There is no doubt" that the Repugs/rove will abuse enlist "national security" snooping apparatus (which the AG says can now be used for strictly domestic communications) for Repug party partisan objectives.
An electronic versions of Repug Nixon's Watergate plumbers.

[xrayzebra]

Get him outa there.


http://www.impeachbush.org


Hey, he is on your side, he wants an amnesty program for your people.
You should be supporting him.

[SA210]

April 7th, 2006 11:22 am
Testimony Adds New Element to Probe of CIA Leak



By Michael A. Fletcher / Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040602062_pf.html)

The allegation that President Bush authorized the dissemination of secret intelligence as part of an effort to buttress his case for war with Iraq introduces a new dimension to the long-running CIA leak investigation, while posing troubling new political problems for the administration.

Until now, the investigation had been about aides to Bush and their alleged efforts to attack the credibility of a vocal administration critic, including by possibly leaking classified information. Bush cast himself as a disinterested observer, eager to resolve the case and hold those responsible accountable.

But court papers filed late Wednesday night by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, in the perjury case of former White House official I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, implicate Bush as knowing about efforts to disseminate sensitive information -- and also as orchestrating them.

Although Fitzgerald specifically said Bush was not aware of the leaking of a CIA agent's affiliation, the allegation that the president was involved at all in a leak campaign unleashed a torrent of criticism from Democrats.

"The buck doesn't stop anywhere with this White House. Now we know why the president hasn't been straight with Americans," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). "Two and a half years ago, President Bush said. 'If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is.' He said he'd fire whoever leaked classified information, and now we know the president himself authorized it. Now we know that the president's search for the leaker needs to go no further than a mirror."

The White House refused to comment directly on the court filing, except to point out that Bush's very decision to disclose classified information means he declassified it -- an assessment shared by independent legal experts.

A senior administration official, speaking on background because White House policy prohibits comment on an active investigation, said Bush sees a distinction between leaks and what he is alleged to have done. The official said Bush authorized the release of the classified information to assure the public of his rationale for war as it was coming under increasing scrutiny.

Also, the official said, the president has not been accused of authorizing the release of the name of Valerie Plame, the undercover CIA operative whose unmasking in a July 2003 newspaper column prompted the federal investigation.

"There is a clear difference between the two," the official said. "I understand that in politics these two can be conflated. And we're going to have to try to deal with that. But there is an active investigation and that limits our ability to do so."

Still, Bush's action stands in stark contrast to his condemnations of the kind of disclosure that the court filing said he authorized. "Let me just say something about leaks in Washington," Bush told reporters in September 2003. "There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch, there's leaks in the legislative branch, there's just too many leaks. I want -- and if there's a leak out of the administration, I want to know who it is. And if a person has violated law, the person will be taken care of."

That statement was one of many Bush has made over the past three years condemning leaks of sensitive information. His strong words may make the distinction between leaks of classified data and what he is alleged to have done difficult for the White House to explain.

"It causes a political problem to the extent the White House lets it," said a former administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case.

The former official said Bush erred at the beginning of the scandal by saying he wanted to get to the bottom of the case and fire any leakers because he implicitly accepted that an illegal leak had occurred. That set the impression that anyone involved must have done something wrong. Now the documents suggest he was involved, and it is hard to argue that nothing wrong was done, the former official said.

Congressional Democrats certainly seized upon that vulnerability.

"I served for 13 years on the House intelligence committee, and I know intelligence must never be classified or declassified for political purposes," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). "One of the constants in the Bush administration's miserable record on Iraq has been the manipulation of intelligence precisely for political purposes. That has caused our intelligence -- which used to be accepted without question around the world -- to be viewed with skepticism by the international community."

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the disclosure punctures the president's credibility.

"The president has always stood so strong against leaks. If he leaked himself, he should explain why this is different than every other leak," he said. ". . . The more we hear, the more it is clear this goes beyond Scooter Libby. At the very least, President Bush and Vice President Cheney should fully inform the American people of any role in allowing classified information to be leaked. Did they believe they had the right to do this and if so, in what circumstance?"

Staff writer Peter Baker, washingtonpost.com staff writer Chris Cillizza and research editor Lucy Shackelford contributed to this report.

[MannyIsGod]

Watching this administration implode would be fabulous if this weren't a time where a substaintial amount of things need to be done in Washington. What a waste of 8 years.

[gtownspur]

April 7th, 2006 11:22 am
Testimony Adds New Element to Probe of CIA Leak



By Michael A. Fletcher / Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040602062_pf.html)

The allegation that President Bush authorized the dissemination of secret intelligence as part of an effort to buttress his case for war with Iraq introduces a new dimension to the long-running CIA leak investigation, while posing troubling new political problems for the administration.

Until now, the investigation had been about aides to Bush and their alleged efforts to attack the credibility of a vocal administration critic, including by possibly leaking classified information. Bush cast himself as a disinterested observer, eager to resolve the case and hold those responsible accountable.

But court papers filed late Wednesday night by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, in the perjury case of former White House official I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, implicate Bush as knowing about efforts to disseminate sensitive information -- and also as orchestrating them.

Although Fitzgerald specifically said Bush was not aware of the leaking of a CIA agent's affiliation, the allegation that the president was involved at all in a leak campaign unleashed a torrent of criticism from Democrats.

"The buck doesn't stop anywhere with this White House. Now we know why the president hasn't been straight with Americans," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). "Two and a half years ago, President Bush said. 'If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is.' He said he'd fire whoever leaked classified information, and now we know the president himself authorized it. Now we know that the president's search for the leaker needs to go no further than a mirror."

The White House refused to comment directly on the court filing, except to point out that Bush's very decision to disclose classified information means he declassified it -- an assessment shared by independent legal experts.

A senior administration official, speaking on background because White House policy prohibits comment on an active investigation, said Bush sees a distinction between leaks and what he is alleged to have done. The official said Bush authorized the release of the classified information to assure the public of his rationale for war as it was coming under increasing scrutiny.

Also, the official said, the president has not been accused of authorizing the release of the name of Valerie Plame, the undercover CIA operative whose unmasking in a July 2003 newspaper column prompted the federal investigation.

"There is a clear difference between the two," the official said. "I understand that in politics these two can be conflated. And we're going to have to try to deal with that. But there is an active investigation and that limits our ability to do so."

Still, Bush's action stands in stark contrast to his condemnations of the kind of disclosure that the court filing said he authorized. "Let me just say something about leaks in Washington," Bush told reporters in September 2003. "There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch, there's leaks in the legislative branch, there's just too many leaks. I want -- and if there's a leak out of the administration, I want to know who it is. And if a person has violated law, the person will be taken care of."

That statement was one of many Bush has made over the past three years condemning leaks of sensitive information. His strong words may make the distinction between leaks of classified data and what he is alleged to have done difficult for the White House to explain.

"It causes a political problem to the extent the White House lets it," said a former administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case.

The former official said Bush erred at the beginning of the scandal by saying he wanted to get to the bottom of the case and fire any leakers because he implicitly accepted that an illegal leak had occurred. That set the impression that anyone involved must have done something wrong. Now the documents suggest he was involved, and it is hard to argue that nothing wrong was done, the former official said.

Congressional Democrats certainly seized upon that vulnerability.

"I served for 13 years on the House intelligence committee, and I know intelligence must never be classified or declassified for political purposes," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). "One of the constants in the Bush administration's miserable record on Iraq has been the manipulation of intelligence precisely for political purposes. That has caused our intelligence -- which used to be accepted without question around the world -- to be viewed with skepticism by the international community."

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the disclosure punctures the president's credibility.

"The president has always stood so strong against leaks. If he leaked himself, he should explain why this is different than every other leak," he said. ". . . The more we hear, the more it is clear this goes beyond Scooter Libby. At the very least, President Bush and Vice President Cheney should fully inform the American people of any role in allowing classified information to be leaked. Did they believe they had the right to do this and if so, in what circumstance?"

Staff writer Peter Baker, washingtonpost.com staff writer Chris Cillizza and research editor Lucy Shackelford contributed to this report.

SO you bolded alot of qoutes from democrats and nothing substantive to as where bush had any place in the plame leak. WHich btw, USA today has stated that the leak bush is a part of is not tied to the plame leak.

Wow, talk about seeing things not seen in places where they have not been. That's called faith on your part.

[xrayzebra]

Watching this administration implode would be fabulous if this weren't a time where a substaintial amount of things need to be done in Washington. What a waste of 8 years.

No implosion on the administrations part, it is the same old junk the
dimm-o-craps always do. They have been against all things this administration
has tried to do or persons nominated by the Bush administration. Bush
has and the Republicans have done a great joke in spit of the
Dimm-o-craps. Nancy Pelosi who is quoted is one of the same people
who says she knew nothing of the intercept program. Oh, I forgot, the
dimm-o-craps did vote on invading Iraq, which they now deny.

The Dimms plan on things. We can do better, we can do more. How?
Is it a big secret?

[boutons_]

Illegal abuse of domestic surveillance, abuse of classified national security info for purely political reasons.

Also note that dickhead has been re-classifying tons of documents that were de-classified years ago, no doubt for political rather than security reasons, and/or just as gratuitous exercise of Exec power in dickhead's long-term plan to "imperialize" the Executive branch assisted by AG Gonzalez' placing the Executive branch out of reach of all laws. The net effect is to unbalance Constitutional checks and balances towards the Exec, giving lie to Repug/conservative supposed respect for strict interpretation.

With the Repugs, it's all smash-mouth, vicious, cynical politics, all the time.

Fuck running the federal govt well,
fuck policy develpment,
fuck national security,
just amass Repug political power

[ChumpDumper]

Bush has and the Republicans have done a great jokeI can't argue with that. Too bad the joke is on the American people.

[jochhejaam]

Joe... I am talking about the OVAL OFFICE here.

THE OVAL OFFICE!!!
Thanks for the reminder scott but no one, and I mean NO ONE will ever forget the shame William Jefferson brought to the EGG SHAPED OFFICE!!!

[ididnotnothat]

I am seriously starting to get worried here. I mean, to me it seemed a lot of the stuff being said about Bush was just an attempt to make him look bad by democrats. But this shit is getting a little out of hand.

[boutons_]

"a lot of the stuff being said about Bush"

... was/is true, no matter who said it.