It is well known that the Bush administration favors firing any government employees that don't fall in line with their agenda, but I didn't realize that a CIA agent had actually been fired leading up to the '03 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. And much to my surprise, the Scooter trial isn't the only courtroom where testimony is being heard on pre-war intelligence.
From US News:
A federal judge has ruled that a CIA agent identified only as "Doe," allegedly fired after he gathered prewar intelligence showing that Iraq was not developing weapons of mass destruction, can proceed with his lawsuit against the CIA. The judge has ordered both parties to submit discovery requests–evidence they want for their case–to be completed by March 15, according to the CIA agent's lawyer and a spokesman for the Justice Department, which is defending the CIA in court.
Emphasis mine.
It turns out that Joe Wilson wasn't the only one connected to the CIA and the US government that had evidence that Saddam was not developing WMD's. And the CIA is going to great lengths to shield the identity of this agent. More:
Krieger, described as an extraordinary, secret status conference by telephone this afternoon that lasted nearly a half an hour. So concerned was the CIA about the agent's identity becoming public that the Justice Department prevailed upon the judge to issue a highly restrictive order regarding press contacts by the agent and Krieger. The order barred them from "requesting, allowing, encouraging, or directing" any members of the media from appearing at Krieger's office or even within a two-block vicinity of the building where he works or of any other location of the status conference, until two hours after the conference was completed.
Krieger and his client were also barred from notifying the media ahead of time about the status conference or its location. The judge sealed her order until 2 p.m. today.
As I read further, I became infuriated. This agent was such an asset that the CIA is bending over backwards to keep his identity hidden. And yet this incompetent administration fired him? Modus Operandi for this administration. Purge the intellectuals and professionals and replace with utter incompetence. How critical is this agent to our National Security?
"They are worried about his photograph being taken or his likeness being sketched," Krieger told U.S. News, "because if his appearance became public, we are told we will lose one of our most valued assets because [the asset has] been publicly associated with him."
I think that we deserve to see some of this evidence he/she provided proving Saddam was not making any WMD. If it is proven that this information was given to Bush and Cheney, and I have no doubt that it was, then it seems to me that we have a duty and an obligation to impeach them for high crimes and misdemeanors.
We simply have no choice. To paraphrase Gerald Ford, "it's time to end this long national nightmare."
Explosive Update: I don't know why this didn't hit me harder the first time around, but Kossack goverup1 asked what the basis of the lawsuit was and that caused me to go back and re-read. That's when this info on Judge Kessler's ruling stuck out to me:
Kessler said that the covert agent could plausibly argue that his firing was based on allegedly false information placed in his personnel file.
Wow. Just wow.
Second update: Big hat tip to willb48 who just tipped me to this long buried story from
Democracy Now which provides a few more details:
Thursday, December 16th, 2004
CIA Agent Says Bosses Ordered Him To Falsify WMD Reports
We turn now to the story of how a senior intelligence officer was targeted by the CIA after he refused orders from his superiors to falsify his reports on weapons of mass destruction.
The senior CIA operative charges in a lawsuit made public last week that a co-worker warned him three years ago that "CIA management planned to 'get him' for his role in reporting intelligence contrary to official CIA dogma."
And just how did they go after him? With their typical sleaze:
According to the undercover agent, the CIA management retaliated against him by launching investigations of allegations that he had a sexual affair with a female asset and that he stole money meant to be pay off for sources.
Funny that the Bush administration accused him of stealing, yet they seem unconcerned about the billions of missing dollars in Iraq.
One last nugget about "Doe's" attorney:
Roy Krieger, DC-based lawyer representing the undercover CIA operative filing the lawsuit. He specializes in national security cases and has represented scores of people in the CIA.
Thanks again to willbe48 for the link. There is a link to the PDF of the lawsuit at the Democracy now link above.