Spies, spies, spies
Wed Dec 01, 2004 at 09:25:09 PM PDT
1) Remember back in August when the FBI began investigating a DOD analyst for passing classified data to AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group?
The investigation is still alive, with the FBI today completing a second search of AIPAC's offices and issuing grand jury subpeonas to four senior officials.
link
The probe involves allegations that a Pentagon analyst passed classified information to Israel through two employees of the organization, the sources said. CBS News, which first reported the story in August, said the FBI had developed evidence that included photographs and conversations recorded through wiretaps. (Full story). Government officials previously told CNN the information that allegedly was passed included a draft presidential directive on U.S. policy toward Iran. The network said the Pentagon analyst has ties to two senior Pentagon officials: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith.
2) Just two months earlier, the Chalabi/Iran scandal broke. Who can forget Chalabi, our favorite convicted embezzler-slash-first choice to run Iraq guy? He allegedly clued Iran into the fact that US had broken some of Iran's secret codes:
A small number of civilian Pentagon employees are being given lie detector tests in an effort to determine who told Iraqi leader Amhad Chalabi that the U.S. had broken secret codes used by Iran, according to the New York Times.
CBS News Correspondent Jim St reports FBI counter-intelligence agents are focusing on the highest levels of the Pentagon in the probe. The code break was a closely held secret known only to small group of key officials. Sources have told CBS News that Chalabi tipped Iran to the fact that the codes have been broken, saying he had gotten the information from an unidentified American.
The CIA had long distrusted Chalabi:
Chalabi has always had a history of mixed reviews from U.S. officials. The CIA blames him for some of the bad intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. However, the Pentagon has credited Chalabi with information that led to a quick victory over Saddam Hussein.
Not so DOD:
"We are getting some extremely valuable information from a whole range of Iraqi groups, including Mr. Chalabi's," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
3) The investigation into the contemptous Bush outing of CIA Ooperative Valerie Plame continues, but you won't be relieved to learn that incoming AG Gonzales has promised to recuse himself when sworn in.
Gonzales, currently the White House counsel, was more closely involved in the CIA leak case than outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft, who recused himself from the case nearly a year ago under pressure from Democrats. Gonzales has testified before a federal grand jury in the case and has given advice about it to White House personnel.. No conflict of interest here.
Such a tiny pool of the usual suspects, and yet the only folks in potential trouble are the reporters who DIDN'T leak Plame's name. Bush has won his war with the CIA, Rice and Gonzales have been promoted, and Bush is notably not fighting to pass the 911-commission recommendation bill. Who ARE these people that think Bush will keep us safe?
Permalink | 1 comment