Libby: My 'superiors' authorized leaks...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/09/cia.leak/index.html

Libby: My 'superiors' authorized leaks
Prosecutor says Libby shared classified intelligence with media

Friday, February 10, 2006; Posted: 12:27 a.m. EST (05:27 GMT)

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is accused of lying to police about how he learned the name of a CIA operative.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, told a grand jury he was "authorized by his superiors" to disclose classified information from an intelligence report to reporters, according to the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case.

In a letter to Libby's lawyers, obtained by CNN, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said it is his understanding that Libby testified he was "authorized to disclose information about the National Intelligence Estimate to the press by his superiors."

The letter does not name who the superiors are. But the National Journal, which first reported on the Fitzgerald letter, named Vice President Dick Cheney and other White House officials as authorizing Libby to disclose the classified material.

A legal source involved in the case tells CNN that Libby did not testify to and has never suggested that anyone in the administration -- including Cheney -- authorized disclosing the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

Libby was indicted in October on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators looking into the July 2003 exposure of Plame, whose husband had emerged as a critic of the pre-war intelligence backing the invasion of Iraq.

Libby has pleaded not guilty, and a judge has set a trial date for January 2007.

His lawyer, William Jeffress, told The Associated Press, "There is no truth at all" to suggestions that Libby would try to shift blame to his superiors as a defense against the charges.

According to Fitzgerald's letter, Libby met with Judith Miller, a reporter for The New York Times, on July 8, 2003, to "transmit information concerning the NIE."

A former top U.S. intelligence official said it's unusual for National Intelligence Estimates to be declassified by the president or vice president without consulting the CIA director.

The former official adds that some key judgments of that intelligence report were declassified on July 18, 2003 -- 10 days after Libby's meeting with Miller.

Plame is the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was sent by the CIA to the African nation of Niger to check out an intelligence report that nuclear material was being sold to Iraq.

Plame's identity was disclosed shortly after her husband said he found no evidence to support the intelligence report and accused the Bush administration of skewing intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.

When asked to comment at Thursday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "Our policy is we're not going to discuss this while it's an ongoing legal proceeding, and that remains our policy."

On September 30, 2003, President Bush said, "If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is, and if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of."

Fitzgerald's investigation is ongoing.
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ah the sweet smell of impeachment is getting stronger.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, told a grand jury he was "authorized by his superiors" to disclose classified information from an intelligence report to reporters, according to the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case.

So he told a grand jury that he was "authorized by his superiors" to disclose classified information from an intelligence report to reporters?

special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said it is his understanding that Libby testified he was "authorized to disclose information about the National Intelligence Estimate to the press by his superiors."

So once again, "authorized to disclose information about the National Intelligence Estimate to the press by his superiors." So what's the hold up?

The letter does not name who the superiors are.

Well, duh! He is Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, who do they think his superior was?

A legal source involved in the case tells CNN that Libby did not testify to and has never suggested that anyone in the administration -- including Cheney -- authorized disclosing the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

But what about the first two statements? A little refresher, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, told a grand jury he was "authorized by his superiors" to disclose classified information from an intelligence report to reporters, according to the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case.

His lawyer, William Jeffress, told The Associated Press, "There is no truth at all" to suggestions that Libby would try to shift blame to his superiors as a defense against the charges.

I think the statement that he was authorized by his superiors (who of course was Dick Cheney) is "truth" enough to suggest that Libby is trying not to take responsibility for his actions, thereby shifting blame.

Plame is the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was sent by the CIA to the African nation of Niger to check out an intelligence report that nuclear material was being sold to Iraq.

Interesting.

Plame's identity was disclosed shortly after her husband said he found no evidence to support the intelligence report and accused the Bush administration of skewing intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.

Who (or what administration) would try to cast a smokescreen by exposing a CIA agent in order to cover up what an Ambassador might have found (or not found) regarding an illegal war pushed by him and his administration? Oh...uhmmmm, never mind.

On September 30, 2003, President Bush said, "If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is, and if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of."

That is about as hollow a gesture as raising a banner on an aircraft carrier and declaring victory.

Originally posted by PVS
ah the sweet smell of impeachment is getting stronger.

It will never happen, although it should, this guy gets away with everything. Either everyone has gotten really stupid, really apathetic, or they are afraid of him. Bill Clinton must be freakin' thinking, "they called me Teflon Bill but this guy is f*cking unbelievable!!"

Originally posted by KharmaDog
Well, duh! He is Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, who do they think his superior was?

apparently some other guy who shall be named later and blamed for everything.
i guess there is a CHIEF chief of staff for cheney running business on capital hill.

i think your both Temporal Coadjutors. IMO.

If this leak leads to the death of a CIA operative because his cover was compromised, then heads are gonna roll.

the strategic leak lead to the deaths over 2000 american soldiers and over 30,000 iraqi lives.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
If this leak leads to the death of a CIA operative because his cover was compromised, then heads are gonna roll.

actually, since the leak revealed Plame's front company (which was investigating nuclear arms deals in iran and syria), details are classified and sketchy, but there are unconfirmed rumors flying around that as many as fifty people have been killed in connection with this.

300,000,000 people have also been endangered since the CIA has lost a valuable source of information on WMD's and homeland security.

The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
— Abraham Lincoln

I know that's an ironic quote, but Bush is no Lincoln