Pincus Reveals Fleischer As CIA Leak Source - WaPo

[WillyT]

Pincus Reveals Fleischer As CIA Leak Source
Post's Woodward and Columnist Novak Called as Defense Witness

By Amy Goldstein and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, February 12, 2007; 4:38 PM

<snip>

Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus testified in court this morning that then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, not I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was the first person to tell him that a prominent critic of the Iraq war was married to undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Pincus testified as the first defense witness at Libby's perjury trial. He was followed today by five other Washington journalists, including Washington Post assistant managing editor Bob Woodward and syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak. All of them testified either that they learned about Plame from other administration officials or that they had conversations with Libby, who did not mention her to them -- or both.

Pincus for the first time publicly disclosed the confidential source inside the White House who told him in 2003 that the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV worked at the CIA on matters relating to weapons of mass destruction.

Fleischer testified last month as a prosecution witness that he mentioned Plame only to two reporters -- John Dickerson, then of Time Magazine, and David Gregory of NBC News -- during a trip that President Bush took to Africa.

Pincus, who covers national security and intelligence issues for The Post, told jurors that he was at his newsroom desk on Saturday, July 12, 2003, when he had a telephone conversation with a source. They were discussing a story he was preparing about a trip Wilson took to Niger on behalf of the CIA to explore reports that Iraq had sought to buy uranium from the African nation for its nuclear weapons program.

"The person I was calling suddenly swerved off and said . . . 'Don't you know, in effect, his wife works at the CIA, is an analyst on weapons of mass destruction?' " Pincus testified. He told the court that the source said, "That's why people aren't paying attention" to Wilson's findings that the Iraq reports were unfounded, because he had been sent on the mission by his wife.

Asked by defense attorney William Jeffress Jr. whether his source had been Libby, Pincus replied that he had not. Asked who the source was, Pincus replied: "Ari Fleischer."

<snip>

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021200588_pf.html

And Ari was given immunity. Hmmm...

:wtf:

[LSparkle]

1. Sounds like the defense witnesses are going to dish more dirt than

the prosecution's!

Although the prosecution has rested its case, does it have the right to call additional witnesses after the defense's case, based on information that comes out during that case (i.e., can Fitz call Rove or others who have been mentioned in defense witnesses' testimony if they think it might help their case)?

[caligirl]

2. Ari had immunity if he told the truth, lies void the deal, so did Pincus

just help Fitz get Ari for outing Plame and lieing about it?

[WillyT]

3. Great Question !!!

:applause:

[EST]

10. That's exactly how I read it.

Ari asked for and was granted immunity and the questions had to be limited to this specific area.

Obviously, he lied. Pincus is "old school" and has a strong reputation for soundly sourcing his reportage and not drifting into speculation without notification.

Strikes me that Fleischer has either opened himself to prosecution, not only on lying and obstruction, but on the underlying outing of CIA assets.
Or,he may insist on a plausible deniability of "I'm sorry-I forgot," thus giving Scooby some moral support for his "I forgot that I knew and forgot" defense.

[bullimiami]

4. ari took his immunity and is singing.

once the lies are cleared up we can get to the real criminal. cheney. and his boss that knew.

[tanyev]

5. Ari Fleischer then:

Was so excited after his lunch date with Scooter that he eagerly went and spread everything he knew about Valerie Plame to several reporters.

Ari Fleischer now:
Asked what he was feeling at the moment, Fleischer testified, "I was absolutely horrified. I said to myself, ‘Oh, my God, did I play a role in somehow outing a CIA operative... did I just do something that I could be in big trouble for.’"


He went and did Scooter's dirty work for him and Scooter never asked him out for another date again. Poor, used, discarded Ari.

[PhilipShore]

6. Fleischer was the CIA Leak Source for the Reporters....

and the only way Fleischer could of known was from Bush. The only reason why, I think they hung Libby was because Libby could be CIA -- and he was probably -- involved in some internal CIA wars -- so they had to get him out of the picture.

Libby probably has some powerful stuff -- that could get Bush impeached; but they could not get the ball rolling to quiet Libby with a deal unless Libby had something to worry about such as jail.

So they called their pal Fitz.

Libby is laughing all the way to the bank -- because even if he does a few years in jail for the staged trial, he will still make a fortune off a PNAC secret arms deal, and then when he gets out of jail -- cash in on his offshore bank account, and then write a book while he lives in another country.

[BuyingThyme]

7. So, Ari goes to the electric chair?

I wonder if they can get that done by next week.

BTW: If Pincus is an asset, is he a reporter?

[SoCalDem]

11. Well.. maybe they could "rendition" him to Iraq & just hang him..

They need more practice at it :)

[AnnInLa]

8. The 3 most influential men at the White House

Ari ( office of the Pres), Karl (office of the pres) and Libby (office of the VP)......all leaked the name of Plame. Coincidence??? I think not. This was a planned, concerted attack, involving the Pres and VP themselves. Since none of those 3 will give up that info, nothing can be done, I guess. Have I said lately how much I hate all of them?

[WillyT]

9. I Hate 'Em All Too, AND... I've Got A Little Link For You!!!

Link: http://www.bushflash.com/ihr.html

:hi::evilgrin::hi:

[AnnInLa]

12. Good lord, I feel as if I wrote that!!!

Thanks....just sent the link far and wide!

I think hate is vastly underrated and a great motivator.

[caligirl]

13. nd about Armitage? Novak said today he had been rebuffed by Armitage for a long time until

June or early July when they started leaking. Armitage does an about face and meets Novak, then leaks to novak, who then calls Rove for the confirmation, which Rove was expecting.