by
Larry C Johnson (blog/bio)
Boy, is that the best he can do? I refer of course to Bob "the Colostomy Bag" Novak's column today in which he demonstrates that he still does not understand the basics of CIA cover. I am working out of town this week on a terrorism exercise (I get the night shift) and am not able to post as I would like. But Novak's column demands a quick response.
First and most important, he does not dispute that CIA Director Michael Hayden authorized a statement read by Henry Waxman at last Friday's hearing that states very clearly: Valerie Plame Wilson worked in an undercover position since February 2002 until she was outed in Novak's column. Her status was covert and was considered to be classified information. And, as defined in the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, she carried out classified missions overseas during the period 2002-2003.
All Novak can do is whine about the fact that General Hayden would not give this same information to Republican Peter Hoekstra. Why would that be?
Well you fat dumb fuck, ever hear of the Scooter Libby trial? Hayden did not weigh in on the matter of Valerie's covert status as long as it was an issue that could surface in the criminal trial. He did not want to be in the position of having to go on the stand and divulge classified information. Once he started talking about Valerie and Brewster Jennings he would have been on a road that would expose more information that the CIA would rather keep secret.
Novak's stupidity continues unabated with his rhetorical question, "how could she be undercover if she drove to Langley?" Well Bob, here is a news flash. You still cannot divulge the real name of the Director of Operations, who goes by the name of Jose. Why? Because he is undercover. And, he drives to CIA Headquarters everyday just outside of McLean, Virginia. In fact, there are thousands of undercover personnel who drive thru the gates everyday.
This issue goes beyond the fact that Valerie Plame Wilson was betrayed by her own government while working to uncover Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. The heart of the matter is whether or not we can have a professional intelligence service that is staffed by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who will be permitted to do their job without being accused of partisan behavior. Most CIA officers check their political leanings at the door. They recognize that their job is to get the truth, no matter how unpalatable. Valerie Plame Wilson, working in an undercover capacity, did so as an American patriot, not a democrat. If men people like Robert Novak and Victoria Toensing have their way, they will create an intelligence corps that is first and foremost guided by politics and dedicated to serving the partisan inhabitant of the White House. We have seen this before. The Soviets called it the KGB.