CNN's Ensor: "Very high intelligence officials" say suggestion "that Valerie Plame suggested her husband be sent to Niger ... just isn't true"
On CNN's October 28 breaking-news coverage of the indictment of vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on charges related to the investigation of the leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame, CNN national security correspondent David Ensor challenged the suggestion that Plame "suggested her husband [former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV] be sent to Niger" to investigate a possible deal to sell uranium to Iraq. Ensor reported that he had "talked to very high intelligence officials who say that just isn't true." Ensor then reported that the "very high intelligence officials" said that "it was senior officers above her [Plame] who had the idea of sending Ambassador Wilson" based on his past experience in Niger and as an ambassador elsewhere in Africa. Ensor noted that, according to his sources, Plame subsequently responded positively to the suggestion in an e-mail "to higher-ups at the CIA who suggested that Joe Wilson be sent.
Media Matters for America has documented numerous examples of reporters and commentators claiming that Plame was responsible for Wilson being sent to Niger.
From CNN's October 28 breaking-news coverage:
ENSOR: Secondly, the suggestion that's been out there quite a bit -- and there's even some discussion of it in the Senate Intelligence Committee report -- that Valerie Plame suggested her husband be sent to Niger. I have talked to very high intelligence officials who say that just isn't true. That it was senior officers above her who had the idea of sending Ambassador Wilson, knowing that he'd been in Niger before and was an experienced hand in Africa, a former ambassador on that continent. And they thought he'd be good. They then went to her and said, "Well, what do you think?" She responded with an email that said, "Yes, he'd be good for the following reasons." That was in response to higher-ups at the CIA who suggested that Joe Wilson be sent.
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Um, am I reading this right, this is a good thing, yes? So why is it here? Toshow that the MSM can respond to allegation and correct itself? Or to prove that MMFA isn't all negative? In any case, I approve. Give credit when they do get it right.
And another right-wing talking point wheezes it's last foul breath before dying...
brabantio - Friday October 28, 2005 05:35:08 PM EST
Would twere that it were so, these rightwing stories are useful for propaganda purposes therefore true for that reason alone. No amount of proof they are wrong is enough to stop them from being retold. Like the undead someone has to drive a stake through their hearts or they keep coming back over and over again no matter how effectivly debunked.
I know, but as these are the first real definitive remarks on this subject that I've seen, it's refreshing to get some ammo to counter the right-wing apologists.
Even if Valerie did play a big role in sending her husband to Africa, so friggin' what? She was a pro spook, he had experience for what the CIA wanted him to do there, and you'll never hear the Duhhbya toadies wanting to discuss these and other FACTS.
Also MIA from RNC talking points is the fact that for some very, very good reasons, the actual impact of Valerie's outing will likely never be made public.
Even if Valerie did play a big role in sending her husband to Africa, so friggin' what? She was a pro spook, he had experience for what the CIA wanted him to do there, and you'll never hear the Duhhbya toadies wanting to discuss these and other FACTS. -by draftedin68
***
What I find amusing is on one hand they want to claim she was nothing more then a pencil pusher and of no importance at the CIA and in the next breath they claim she had enough power to orchestrate and authorize this mission her husband went on.
I also like the implication that the charges of nepotism, even if they were true, somehow make Wilson's views less valid. This from an administration built on cronyism with a man at the helm who would be flipping burgers if his last name wasn't Bush.
I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I was reading it right, I rushed checked my calendar to make sure that it wasn't April Fools Day, and then I finally pinched myself to make sure that I wasn't dreaming.
Could this be true? Libby's indicted for lying under oath and obstructing justice, and someone on T.V. is speaking the truth about Valerie Plame? All in one day? What is this? It feels alot like Christmas?
Next, I think I will resort to slapping myself repeatedly in order to stay awake in this moment and not have to wake up tomorrow and find out I really am dreaming.
More like Fitzmas Eve.
Fitzmas Day happens when Rove is indicted.
Fox news is now stating (John Gibson and Page Hopkins) that Wilson introduced Valerie Plame as "my CIA wife" - evidence, which Fox proports, to show that she was outed before the official outing. I really can't believe that this is true. If Wilson did introduce her as such, it would have been after the official outing. I guess Rove has instructed Murdoch to rev up the slime machine. If Fox is making false statements about Wilson, can he sue them?
claudo:
Wilson not only CAN sue for defamation and loss of livelihood, he has announced his intention to DO so, after allowing Fitzgerald to complete his trial.
Thanks to the Republican's adjudicating against Clinton, there is now precedent that any public official can be sued while in office. Is there anyone who doesn't think Wilson and his wife have suffered damages as a result of the White House's attempts at defending Bush's false claims?
"Fox news is now stating (John Gibson and Page Hopkins) that Wilson introduced Valerie Plame as "my CIA wife" - evidence, which Fox proports, to show that she was outed before the official outing."
That's a logical fallacy in the fact that it's circular:
A+B=C so A(Must)=C
Unless they can prove Joe said that before the official outing, they don't have much to go on.
Neocons are remarkably shortchanged when it comes to logic.
Wilson could be Castro. Doesn't matter. Two wrongs don't make a right. But they do confuse the public.
Ensor hammered the GOP talking points on October 26 too.
CNN News, The Situation room with Wolf Blitzer, October 26, 2005
Blitzer: The Bush administration is feeling the fallout as top officials wait for possible indictments in the CIA leak investigation. But what about the fallout over at the CIA itself? Was the agency hurt by the outing of one of its operatives?
Let's turn to our national security correspondent, David Ensor. He's been looking into this story. David?
David Ensor, CNN National Security Correspondent: Well, just for starters, Wolf, the nation has lost the undercover services of a 20- year professional CIA officer.
(Begin Videotape)
Ensor (voice over): Forty-two-year-old Valerie Plame Wilson, mother of 5-year-old twins, is now the most famous female spy in America. Exposing her as a CIA undercover officer did damage to U.S. intelligence, U.S. officials say. They refuse to be more specific.
Michael Scheuer, Former CIA Analyst: To have someone exposed deliberately and, on top of that for political reasons, I think, yes, it probably sent a chill throughout the clandestine service.
Ensor: What made it worse is that she was not just an undercover officer. She spent part of her career as what's known as a NOC, a spy with non-official cover -- that is, without the protection of diplomatic status -- working, officials say, to recruit foreigners who knew about murky international weapons deals involving weapons of mass destruction.
Scheuer: It's usually a business of some kind, you know, whether it's an import/export, a bank, some kind of business is exposed. And it takes a great deal of time to build cover facilities so you can operate overseas.
Ensor: In Plame's case, the cover was Brewster Jennings & Associates, an energy consulting firm, a front company that apparently had no real address. That fact is only public because she listed it with the Federal Election Commission when she contributed $1,000 to Al Gore's presidential campaign.
NOCs are harder to train, can remain undercover longer than conventional spies, and can go places and meet people that other CIA officers cannot. But NOCs are also much more vulnerable than regular spies.
(End Videotape)
Ensor: (AUDIO GAP) name appeared in Robert Novak's newspaper column, at least two foreign governments reportedly assigned their spy-catchers to figure out whether Plame had ever worked on their soil, if so, what she had done there.
That is where the damage was most likely done, other nations tracking down Valerie -- Valerie Plame Wilson's contacts and sources and shutting them down.
isnt this old news? why was this even a factor? ?@&^%%$!!@! this is why Media Matters is necessary
I wonder how Wolf's payoff compares to Armstrong Williams and Jeff Gannon? Their qualifications are about on par that is for sure!