If you are a regular here you have heard me say this before, but I’m going to say it again because repeated lies need repeated correction.
As I wrote a few days ago, righties are trying to confuse the issues surrounding Libby’s Leaks by fudging the distinction between the words covert and classified. I found this again in an article in World Nut Daily, which argues that Valerie Plame Wilson (hereafter VPW) was no longer covert because she hadn’t worked outside the United States for at least five years. And since she was not covert, they’re trying to argue that Scooter et al. could not have committed a crime by leaking her identity as a CIA agent.
It may be that VPW had not taken part in overseas covert operations for some time. However, her status was still classified. The indictments brought against Scooter Libby say that VPW’s status at the CIA was classified. Apparently Patrick Fitzgerald went to great lengths to verify that her status was classified before he brought indictments, including asking her neighbors if they knew she worked at the CIA. Rightie mythology that everybody on the eastern seaboard knew she was an agent is a Big Lie.
At all relevant times from January 1, 2002 through July 2003, Valerie Wilson was employed by the CIA, and her employment status was classified. Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson’s affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community.
Valerie Wilson was a CIA officer. In July 2003, the fact that Valerie Wilson was a CIA officer was classified. Not only was it classified, but it was not widely known outside the intelligence community.
Valerie Wilson’s friends, neighbors, college classmates had no idea she had another life.
The fact that she was a CIA officer was not well- known, for her protection or for the benefit of all us. It’s important that a CIA officer’s identity be protected, that it be protected not just for the officer, but for the nation’s security.
Valerie Wilson’s cover was blown in July 2003. The first sign of that cover being blown was when Mr. Novak published a column on July 14th, 2003.
Righties play with words to spread the lie that leaking VPW’s identity did not potentially harm national security. Once again, they show how easily people who call themselves “patriots” can betray their own country.
If VPW wasn’t actively working as an undercover spy, then what difference did it make to out her? Once again, it made a difference to agents who are engaged in covert operations right now. Outing VPW also outed the dummy company that had provided a cover to her and still provided a cover to possibly hundreds of over agents — until the leak.
As explained by two former agents who were interviewed by Rita Cosby:
JIM MARCINKOWSKY, FORMER CIA AGENT WHO TRAINED WITH PLAME: We‘re outraged. Betrayal—I mean, that‘s the—that‘s the lowest description I can put on it. We held this secret for 18 years until betrayed by the White House, whether we were inside the agency or outside the agency. It‘s is simply outrageous.
COSBY: You know, Melissa, do you find it sort of ironic that here you go—I know when you go for your job and your training, you‘re told, Keep these things covert. You don‘t expect the government to be the one doing the outing.
MELISSA BOYLE MAHLE, FORMER CIA SPY: No, you certainly don‘t because you know your cover is what allows to you do your job. And so since the government presumably wants you to do your job, that they‘ll also protect it.
COSBY: You know, Jim, let‘s talk about this company, I found this fascinating, a company called Brewster Jennings and Associates. It‘s been outed now by others, so we can talk about it. But explain (INAUDIBLE) sort of it was sort of a mock company under a cover.
MARCINKOWSKY: Well, that‘s exactly right. There‘s commercial covers. You‘re not protected overseas by governmental immunity, diplomatic immunity. And if you get caught under one of those kinds of covers, non-official cover, you‘re going to suffer the consequences of any other body that may be operating and conducting the espionage in a foreign country.
COSBY: But Jim, with this Brewster-Jennings, it was a business card. It was sort of a pseudo-company that folks who worked for the CIA could pretend that they worked for this company, right?
MARCINKOWSKY: Correct. And it doesn‘t matter whether it‘s just a telephone or a business card. The fact of the matter was, it was sufficient to get in and out of a country safely, and that‘s all that matters in the eyes of an agent.
COSBY: You know, and how detrimental, Melissa, when something like a Brewster Jennings is let out? Because I would imagine a lot of agents use that as their cover.
MAHLE: Well, I tell you, when you start exposing how—what kinds of covers that the CIA uses in whether business or whatever, you start setting a trail that bad guys can follow and say, Hey, let‘s look at these kind of companies and see what—you know, Maybe we can find some more agents.
COSBY: Well, that‘s what I was going to say. There‘s a huge rippling effect, right, Melissa?
MAHLE: Yes, and I think that‘s one of the things that really concerns the CIA because we need to protect our agents and our officers if we‘re going to be able to achieve our mission. …
Righties don’t actually care about the security of the United States. They only care that their tribal leaders in the Bush Regime don’t have to suffer the indignity of being held responsible for anything.
From now until the actual trial(s), I feel like most of the bloviating we’ll read is going to be an attempt to save faces, and NOT the faces in the White House. That’s secondary. The MSM not only bought the war line, but also actively encouraged it. Many of the biggest stars in the pundit sky are implicated. They need to make this new spin work somehow, or their own reputations will be sullied, perhaps irreperably.
Someone needs to tell the righties that THEY don’t get to decide who is covert or classified by the CIA and THEY don’t get to decide when status is lost or kept(thank God).This is the job of whatever agency the spook happens to be working for(the cia in this case).
If I am not mistaken, the righties have planted one of their own to run the CIA,,IF , in fact,the righties think VPW’S status as covert is unworthy of her and should be removed then why are they not insisting it be done?
I know you will argue it is too late and that the damage has been done, to which I would agree, however the righties are INSISTING she should no longer be covert or classified and I say to them their fight is with the CIA, not with liberals on this issue… Why are they not demanding of their rightie CIA plant that her status be changed ?If they wish to argue about her status, rather then the facts of the case, then they need to take their arguement to their rightie pal at the head of the CIA.
One more point ,, the merits of this arguement are so stupid.Her status WAS/IS the basis for this case.The John Ashcroft justice department looked this case over well before stepping aside and if they could have blown it off on the legal grounds she was no longer covert or classified they sure would have.Further, Fitzgeald didn’t just fall off the turnip truck ..any responsible prosecutor knows if she was no covert or classified there would be no case to look into.
The righties seem to think if they call her status into question often enough it WILL actually change to suit their needs.NOTE TO RIGHTIES :GIVE IT UP YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE FACTS SIMPLY BY WISHING THEM AWAY!
No, they can’t just wish them away, justme. They’re doing all they have available to them, piddling and twiddling with semantics. That way they can still sound smart, but when this set of talking points gets smashed (and the next and the next), then they can twiddle some more so it sounds like they said something else.
They’re going to keep at it for a while, so don’t go ballistic just yet. In fact, I think they’re going to get pretty vicious as they get backed further and further into the corner of inevitability. Let them talk. The truth just smiles.