WP - End of an Affair (1 Viewer)

[Stinger]

After all the huffing and puffing by many here the Washington Post (a most frequent critic of the Bush adminsitration) has the scrupples to admit who the real culprits were in the Plame affair.

"Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously."

And it is reported that in interviews when asked if they will now include the man who actually told Novak Plames name, Richard Armitage, in thier lawsuit Plane replied of course not, and in fact they have not. Proving this is just a continuation of thier polticial attack on the Bush administration.

Libby should be pardoned and the Plame lawsuit thrown out of court. Maybe many here should finally admit that the evidence in fact does show Saddam was searching for sources of yellow-cake in Africa just as the Bush adminstiration stated.

 

[Patrickt]

Hey, Richard Armitrage wasn't a target so this is officially a non-story now.

 

[Iriemon]

After all the huffing and puffing by many here the Washington Post (a most frequent critic of the Bush adminsitration) has the scrupples to admit who the real culprits were in the Plame affair.

"Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously."

Regardless of the merits of this incident, accusations of abuse of Govt power is something we should always be concerned about.

Libby should be pardoned and the Plame lawsuit thrown out of court.

Why should he be pardoned if he committed perjury?

 

[Stinger]

Regardless of the merits of this incident,

Of which there were none.

accusations of abuse of Govt power is something we should always be concerned about.

Since there was no government abuse here what does it have to do with anything?

Why should he be pardoned if he committed perjury?

Fitzgerald knew from the git-go who had informed Novak about Plame and who she was. There was no need for him to investigate the WH at all. The perjury indictment is shaky at best. The prosecutor overstepped his bounds.

 

[Stinger]

Hey, Richard Armitrage wasn't a target so this is officially a non-story now.

So why isn't Plame suing him?

 

[Iriemon]

Of which there were none.
Since there was no government abuse here what does it have to do with anything?

Therefore we should never investigate instances of govt abuse again? You trust the Govt far more than I.

Fitzgerald knew from the git-go who had informed Novak about Plame and who she was. There was no need for him to investigate the WH at all. The perjury indictment is shaky at best. The prosecutor overstepped his bounds.

If that is the case then I'm sure he'll be acquitted by a jury.

 

[Stinger]

Therefore we should never investigate instances of govt abuse again?

Go ahead, there was none here and never any evidence there was.

If that is the case then I'm sure he'll be acquitted by a jury.

Would not surprise me at all. The point is we know he wasn't the one who divulged her name, who cares if his memory differs from someone else's or that he didn't commit to memory the time of each and every conversation. He wasn't trying to obstruct justice so where is the perjury?

 

[Alex]

You left so much out if that story.

"That's not to say that Mr. Libby and other White House officials are blameless.As prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has reported, when Mr. Wilson charged that intelligence about Iraq had been twisted to make a case for war, Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney reacted by inquiring about Ms. Plame's role in recommending Mr. Wilson for a CIA-sponsored trip to Niger, where he investigated reports that Iraq had sought to purchase uranium. Mr. Libby then allegedly disclosed Ms. Plame's identity to journalists and lied to a grand jury when he said he had learned of her identity from one of those reporters. Mr. Libby and his boss, Mr. Cheney, were trying to discredit Mr. Wilson; if Mr. Fitzgerald's account is correct, they were careless about handling information that was classified."


Furthermore, this is an opinion piece and does not necessarily state the facts. You have a bad habit of trying to turn editorials into objective statements.

Oh, and please provide a source with a link next time. Another of your bad habits. Seems like you are afraid of people knowing your sources.

 

[Stinger]

You left so much out if that story.

"That's not to say that Mr. Libby and other White House officials are blameless.As prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has reported,

Then where are the charges?

when Mr. Wilson charged that intelligence about Iraq had been twisted to make a case for war,

Charges filled with lies.

Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney reacted by inquiring about Ms. Plame's role in recommending Mr. Wilson for a CIA-sponsored trip to Niger,

Quite reasonable that they would have asked who sent him on the secret mission the Niger about which he was now disclosing in public and spouting false information on top of that. Ended up being his wife.

Mr. Libby then allegedly disclosed Ms. Plame's identity to journalists and lied to a grand jury when he said he had learned of her identity from one of those reporters.

Alledgedly, but we now know the source was Armitage and by the time Libby was talking to anyone about it it was no longer a secret. So who cares, what is the material issue if his story conflicts with a reporter as to exactly when who said what to who? Who cares? What was the purposeful obstruction of justice that is necessary for it to be perjury?

Mr. Libby and his boss, Mr. Cheney, were trying to discredit Mr. Wilson;

No they were, rightfully so in fact following their obligation, to discredit what he was SAYING in the papers and leaking to columnist.

if Mr. Fitzgerald's account is correct, they were careless about handling information that was classified."

What they released was no longer classified and I don't think Fitzgerald is in a position to pass that judgement nor is it a concern of his.

Furthermore, this is an opinion piece and does not necessarily state the facts. You have a bad habit of trying to turn editorials into objective statements.

Well since you and other tend to discount my opinion on it's face or any other conservative opinion that is preciesly why I posted the opinion of the Washington Post which is based on and clearly states the supporting facts.

Oh, and please provide a source with a link next time. Another of your bad habits. Seems like you are afraid of people knowing your sources.

What was unclear about the Washington Post? You're going to have to go throught thier frontdoor anyway to get to the story. But here just to satisfy you

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083101460.html?sub=AR