Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby pegged as Plame name leaker

[bigtree]

Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, has been pegged as a possible leaker of the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to a syndicated columnist, according to a new book by former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, Plame's husband.

In "The Politics of Truth," to be published Friday, Wilson says Libby is "quite possibly the person who exposed my wife's identity," according to The Washington Post, which obtained an early copy.

Wilson writes that a "workup" of his background was done by the White House in March 2003, after his public criticism of the administration's Iraq policy.

"The other name that has most often been repeated to me in connection with the inquiry and disclosure into my background and Valerie's is that of Elliott Abrams, who gained infamy in the Iran-Contra scandal," he writes. Abrams is currently a Mideast specialist on the National Security Council.

http://www.ksat.com/news/3253566/detail.html

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I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff and Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs was a Northrup-Grumman consultant. Libby served on the advisory Board for RAND Corporation's Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. He was managing partner of Washington office of international law firm Dechert, Price and Rhoads. He also served in the Department of Defense under Pres. George H.W. Bush.


Elliot Abrams is a senior Bush official on the National Security Council. He was formally head of President Reagan's efforts in the Middle East. Abrams, was convicted for President Reagan's crimes in the Iran-Contra scandal and then pardoned by Bush I.

As assistant secretary of state for Inter-American affairs under President Reagan, Abrams was responsible for the controversial policies of that administration in Nicaragua and El Salvador during the 1980s, and played a key role in the U.S. relationship with Manuel Noriega. In 2000, Abrams was made the improbable president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. In 2001 he was hired by Condolezza Rice for a position on the NSC overseeing Arab/ Israeli negotiations. http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/6895 (The Return of Elliot Abrams)

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White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan fields questions about the Valerie Plame leak: October 7, 2003

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
The James S. Brady Briefing Room

12:58 P.M. EDT

I will be glad to go right into questions. John, go ahead.

QUESTION: Scott, in October of 2001, the President hit the roof over a classified leak of information from Congress. Yet, on this particular leak that you're dealing with now, he was silent from the 14th of July until 10 days ago. Why did he choose to hit the roof over one leak of classified information, but say nothing about another?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'll be glad to go back through this. We talked --

Q: And they were both anonymous leaked.

MR. McCLELLAN: We spoke about this the other day, and I'll be glad to go back through it. One, when this report was published, there was -- well, keep in mind, first, that there's a process in place for reporting the leaking of classified information, and that process worked in this instance. The CIA is the one responsible for looking at those issues and reporting it to the Department of Justice if they feel warranted. And then the Department of Justice is the one that looks into it to determine if there is investigation warranted. And that's exactly what happened. The President expects that process to be followed, and it was in this instance.

Q: Well, it was followed in the last instance, too, but he saw fit to hit the roof about it, to shrink the circle of people who were -- had access to classified information. And in this particular case, the leak of the CIA agent's name, equally as sensitive information as was leaked out of the Senate Intelligence Committee in October, the President says nothing about it.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, no, I disagree with that.

Q: Some people are saying that the President is showing a double standard here. Is he or isn't he?

MR. McCLELLAN: I disagree with that. The President has made it very clear that the leaking of classified information is a serious matter, and he takes it very seriously. That's why he is saying that we need to get to the bottom of this, and the sooner, the better.

Q: But he waits two months to --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, he has always said that. Keep in mind, that when this --

Q: On this one he waited two months to say that.

MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, are you through?

Q: Maybe.

MR. McCLELLAN: Okay. Now I'll go. Let me remind you, that when this was initially reported, it was still not clear that there had been leaking of classified information at that point.

Q: When was that clear?

MR. McCLELLAN: But the process was looked at. Then the CIA looked at this and they reported it to the Department of Justice. And the process worked. The process was followed. Now we are focused on doing everything we can to help the career Justice officials get to the bottom of this. The President -- no one wants to get to the bottom of this more than the President of the United States. And the sooner the better.

Q: Scott, you have said that you, personally, went to Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and Elliot Abrams to ask them if they were the leakers. Is that what happened? Why did you do that, and can you describe the conversations you had with them? What was the question you asked?

MR. McCLELLAN: Unfortunately, in Washington, D.C., at a time like this, there are a lot of rumors and innuendo. There are unsubstantiated accusations that are made. And that's exactly what happened in the case of these three individuals. They're good individuals, they're important members of our White House team, and that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not involved. I had no doubt of that in the beginning, but I like to check my information to make sure it's accurate before I report back to you, and that's exactly what I did.

Q: So you're saying -- you're saying categorically those three individuals were not the leakers or did not authorize the leaks; is that what you're saying?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's correct. I've spoken with them.

Q: All right, let me follow up. Did the President direct you to check with those individuals and get -- to find out if they were the leaker?

MR. McCLELLAN: What the President has directed is for the White House --

Q: Did he --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm telling you -- I know you want to talk about --

Q: It's a direct question which you're not answering.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, no. Let me answer what the President has said. I speak for the President and I'll talk to you about what he wants. And what he wants is to get to the bottom of this matter, the sooner the better. That's why we are doing everything we can to assist the Justice Department investigators in their investigation, and we will continue to do that.

Q: You speak for the President --

MR. McCLELLAN: The President made it very clear --

Q: -- you asked these individuals. Did the President ask you to ask those individuals whether they were the leaker?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President made it very clear that we should cooperate fully with the Department of Justice. And in that, keeping with that direction, I am making sure that we are doing that, from my standpoint. And I think part of cooperating fully is looking into these unsubstantiated accusations that were made to make it clear to everybody that those individuals were not involved.

Q: But I still want to nail down, because I don't think this is clear. Does the President want you, or will he, himself -- or does he want someone else within the administration, besides the two of you, to individually poll senior staff members to find out who the leaker is?

MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, keep in mind that there has been no information brought to our attention, beyond what's in the media reports. to suggest that there was White House involvement. As the President talked about earlier, there are a lot of senior administration officials in Washington, D.C. And the President wants the career officials at the Department of Justice, who are charged with looking into matters like this, to get to the bottom of this. And we are doing everything we can to assist them get to the bottom of this. They are the appropriate officials to look into this. They have vast experience in looking into matters like this, because they are involved in these types of matters. And that's exactly what they are doing.

Q: You have -- speaking for the President, from this podium, you have stated you are certain of the innocence of three men in this administration. What I'm wondering is, how is it possible that Attorney General Ashcroft and the Justice Department, which also report to the President, can lead a credible investigation, if the man they report to, who has already said he knows these people are innocent?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, I think we've made it clear that the Department of Justice, the career officials are the ones that are looking into this. And all those individuals I mentioned will be doing the same thing that I did, returning any documents that would be relevant to the request. And the career officials at the Department of Justice will look into that. These are people that have been there for a long time and have vast experience.

Q: So it's possible that it may contradict --

MR. McCLELLAN: And we have great confidence in those career officials doing their job and getting to the -- hopefully getting to the bottom of this.

Q: So you leave open the possibility they could contradict what you have said.

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, that's speculating. I'm just not going to get into that kind of speculation. Those are three good individuals, and it's unfortunate that some unsubstantiated accusations were made against them.

Q: Just along that point, if the Justice Department were to assert that they were innocent, are you worried that that would not be seen as credible, since you folks said that here before the investigation?

MR. McCLELLAN: The investigation is going forward. The career officials at the Department of Justice, we have great confidence in their abilities. They have a lot of experience in this. They will be looking at all that information. If there's anything that they feel is relevant to their investigation, they will be doing follow up with it, as well.

Q: Different subject?

Q: No.

MR. McCLELLAN: One, two, three, four, five more on this subject.

Q: Six more?

MR. McCLELLAN: You want this subject, too? You've already had your chance. I'll come back to you. Quick one? If it's quick, go ahead.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)


Me Book

[boobooday]

1. I think it is astounding, or maybe not

That the press has said nothing while Bush built an administration of KNOWN CRIMINALS.

If Clinton even got near someone who had been issued a speeding ticket in the past decade, and investigation was launched. This guy surrounds himself with criminals and corporate thugs, and nobody makes a peep.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Samantha]

3. It's not astounding

I picked the book up at lunchtime. I haven't had time to start it, but I checked the index while riding the subway home. I started with
Rove's name, and read some of the referenced sections. I was going to Libby next, but didn't quite get there.

I did read a passage that referenced why reporters are not talking. They are afraid. Some have mentioned they are not reporting on the stories because they have mortages to pay and children in private schools. Reads like they have been threatened, or that there is, at least, an implied threat. (I am reading between the lines and cannot quote a passage that references a direct threat. If I find in reading further a direct substantiation, I will update you).

One other item I happened upon which surprised me involved Chris Matthews. He contacted Wilson shortly after Wilson's line of work was revealed. Matthews said Karl Rove had contacted him. The inference was Rove was not the source of the leak but was pushing the story. Matthews told Wilson he would confirm that Rove made the call to him if asked to do so.

The small parts I have read are fascinating.

[Gloria]

6. Yes, the case of Mike Espy and those football tickets was obviously

a great threat to our great nation. Ditto Henry Cisneros love life.
And the biggest fish was CLinton himself.

Meanwhile, we've got a whole chain gang running the place now....

[TacticalPeek]

2. Leak suspect previously convicted crook, pardoned by first President Bush.

Hired by current president to oversee wildly successful Middle East policy.

[Elidor]

4. That pretty well sums it up

Unrepentant felons running the show. There ought to be an amendment...

[Samantha]

5. Additional blurb

I found it highly interesting that Rove, et al. were unware they might have been commiting a felony. A complicating factor is the possibility that the information on Plame was probably acquired when the White House decided to do a "work up" on Wilson after he wrote his NY Times Op Ed.

With the uncovering of the information dug up on Wilson came the classified information on Plame. There is a huge implication that that classified information must have been shared. If that is the case, that in itself is a crime. (and of course we are all familiar with Bush*s position on the leaking of classified information -- that was the reason given for his office's reluctance to share information on national security with Congressional members.)

Since the possibility now exists that someone or several persons might have committed a felony, a rift has arisen between Cheney's office and Rove's office. It's a real cold war going there, with Rove trying to distance himself as much as possible between the staff of the office of the vice president. He has made it clear if an adverse impact is made on the office of the president (sic), it will be the responsibility of those associated with Cheney. Translation: No, Karl Rove will not be the one to fall on his sword, at least as far as Rove is concerned ....

[Stephanie]

7. This explains the comment a few weeks ago

By someone on Chris Matthews' Sunday show - they guy said the prosecutor is looking not only at the leakers, but also those who subsequently LIED about the leak. So McClellan might be in trouble. Rove too.

I don't remember the history of Elliot Abrams in Iran-Contra - what was his role?

This scandal is finally going to break big. But I have a feeling the show trial of Saddam will conveniently begin in time to overshadow this.

[bigtree]

9. Elliott Abrams

Elliott Abrams, an assistant secretary of state under Reagan, pleaded guilty in 1991 to two counts of withholding evidence from Congress (i.e., lying) over his role in the Iran-Contra affair. Bush I pardoned him.


Scandal? What Scandal?
Bush's Iran-Contra appointees are barely a story
By Terry J. Allen
http://www.fair.org/extra/0109/iran-contra.html

News reporting on Elliott Abrams has been so sparse and pallid as to give hope to war criminals everywhere. Like Negroponte, Abrams maintains ignorance when not boasting that his policy was a "fabulous achievement" (Washington Post, 3/21/93).

A few outlets have written strong editorials, particularly the Philadelphia Inquirer's scorched-earth description (7/11/01) of Abrams as a "deceitful, scheming coddler of Latin American tyrants," and "uncontrite peddler of lies."

Most news stories, however, have simply noted the appointment and mentioned Abrams convictions for withholding evidence from Congress--as if he were a minor player haunted by sins of omission. They’ve ignored his cover-ups of the Salvadoran army's massacre at El Mozote and assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. Except for reporting in The Nation (7/2/01) and a piece by this reporter in In These Times (8/6/01), few publications have reprised Abrams' role in Iran-Contra.

On February 8, 1982, Abrams told a Senate committee that the reports of hundreds of deaths at El Mozote "were not credible," and that "it appears to be an incident that is at least being significantly misused, at the very best, by the guerrillas."

It's not as if hard evidence and gruesome details of Abrams' knowledge and culpability are difficult to find. The man was convicted in open hearings and remains brazenly unrepentant. He called his prosecutors "filthy bastards," the proceedings against him "Kafkaesque" and members of the Senate Intelligence Committee "pious clowns," according to an article in Legal Times (5/30/94). Raymond Bonner broke the story of the El Mozote massacre in the New York Times (1/27/82). The story also ran in the Washington Post (3/5/82). Post reporters Guy Gugliotta and Douglas Farah (3/21/93) further documented Abrams’ role in El Salvador in a 1993 story.


Walsh Iran / Contra Report - Chapter 25 United States v. Elliott Abrams
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_25.htm

[Stephanie]

11. Thanks

How do these people get back into government? Aren't there any rules?

[bigtree]

15. In 2001 he was hired by Condolezza Rice for a position on the NSC

This administration represents the revival of a banished ruling class - enriched by the selling of the influence of their positions in government - who had nursed their broken ambitions in exile, and had instinctively constructed their sympathetic webs of wealth to obstruct the remedies of the reformers and hatch the next generation of world capitalists who would inherit the patronage of the next conservative presidency. Bush opened the door and let them in.

[0007]

13. Read all about it here Stephanie - Elliot Abrams & Iran/Contra

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zeroes/Elliot_Abrams.html

This will blast your bippies off, whatever bippies are, LOL!!

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

8. best case scenario for us is if tis Scooter Libby.

whiel Abrams is sort of a famous blast from the past, the most damaging thing for the Bush junta would be if Scooter LIbby was indicted.

Why?

Because Libby was Cheneys Chief of Staff..meaning he was Cheneys right-hand man and operations guy. It would directly implicate Cheny and raise alot of questions about how involved Cheney was in this (an illegal breach of national security).

Thus, very damaging.

In any case, the real damage here wont come from this book, which, when all is said and done, is still pretty much speculation on whodunit, not an insiders account, it will come from an idictment and trial of Scooter Libby.

That will make real news, and will put Cheney front-and -enter in 'L'Affaire Plame".

[chimpymustgo]

10. I think it's Elliott Abrams.

Novak said the leaker "wasn't a political guy". Whatever that means, but I think he meant someone behind the scenes, more involved in policy.

[peekaloo]

12. Wilson's on Meet the Press tomorrow

should be interesting.

[0007]

14. Hey, Richard Cheney said, "I am loaded for bear"

....and the freeper went wild after that statement, WOW!!