Rove Exonerated! He Learned CIA Agent's Name From Novak

[Naturalized-Texan]

Rove Learned CIA Agent's Name From Novak (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050715/D8BBQEVO0.html)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Chief presidential adviser Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he talked with two journalists before they divulged the identity of an undercover CIA officer but that he originally learned about the operative from the news media and not government sources, according to a person briefed on the testimony.

The person, who works in the legal profession and spoke only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy, told The Associated Press that Rove testified last year that he remembers specifically being told by columnist Robert Novak that Valerie Plame, the wife of a harsh Iraq war critic, worked for the CIA.

Rove testified that Novak originally called him the Tuesday before Plame's identity was revealed in July 2003 to discuss another story.

The conversation eventually turned to Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador who was strongly criticizing the Bush administration's use of faulty intelligence to justify the war in Iraq, the person said.

Rove testified that Novak told him he planned to report in a weekend column that Plame had worked for the CIA, and the circumstances on how her husband traveled to Africa to check bogus claims that Iraq was trying to buy nuclear materials in Niger, according to the source.

....................

Rove told the grand jury that by the time Novak had called him, he believes he had similar information about Wilson's wife from another member of the news media but he could not recall which reporter had told him about it first, the person said.

{More at the link above.}

[DoctorDoom]

These are the pertinent Novak columns.

Editor's Note: Robert Novak wrote a column on Oct. 1, 2003 in response to the story that began to unfold three months after this column originally ran.

WASHINGTON -- The CIA's decision to send retired diplomat Joseph C. Wilson to Africa in February 2002 to investigate possible Iraqi purchases of uranium was made routinely at a low level without Director George Tenet's knowledge. Remarkably, this produced a political firestorm that has not yet subsided.

Wilson's report that an Iraqi purchase of uranium yellowcake from Niger was highly unlikely was regarded by the CIA as less than definitive, and it is doubtful Tenet ever saw it. Certainly, President Bush did not, prior to his 2003 State of the Union address, when he attributed reports of attempted uranium purchases to the British government. That the British relied on forged documents made Wilson's mission, nearly a year earlier, the basis of furious Democratic accusations of burying intelligence though the report was forgotten by the time the president spoke.

Reluctance at the White House to admit a mistake has led Democrats ever closer to saying the president lied the country into war. Even after a belated admission of error last Monday, finger-pointing between Bush administration agencies continued. Messages between Washington and the presidential entourage traveling in Africa hashed over the mission to Niger.Mission to Niger (http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/printrn20030714.shtml)

WASHINGTON -- I had thought I never again would write about retired diplomat Joseph Wilson's CIA-employee wife, but feel constrained to do so now that repercussions of my July 14 column have reached the front pages of major newspapers and led off network news broadcasts. My role and the role of the Bush White House have been distorted and need explanation.

The leak now under Justice Department investigation is described by former Ambassador Wilson and critics of President Bush's Iraq policy as a reprehensible effort to silence them. To protect my own integrity and credibility, I would like to stress three points. First, I did not receive a planned leak. Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else. Third, it was not much of a secret.

The current Justice investigation stems from a routine, mandated probe of all CIA leaks, but follows weeks of agitation. Wilson, after telling me in July that he would say nothing about his wife, has made investigation of the leak his life's work -- aided by the relentless Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. These efforts cannot be separated from the massive political assault on President Bush.The CIA leak (http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/printrn20031001.shtml)

[Naturalized-Texan]

Even the Washington Post has exonerated Karl Rove:

Rove Said Columnist Told Him Name (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071500036.html)

White House senior adviser Karl Rove indirectly confirmed the CIA affiliation of an administration critic's wife for Robert D. Novak the week before the columnist named her and revealed her position, a lawyer involved in the case said last night.

The operative, Valerie Plame, is the wife of Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former ambassador who had publicly disputed the White House's contention that Saddam Hussein had sought to buy uranium from Niger for possible use in a nuclear weapon.

The lawyer, who has knowledge of the conversations between Rove and prosecutors, said President Bush's deputy chief of staff has told investigators that he first learned about the operative from a journalist and that he later learned her name from Novak.

Rove has said he does not recall who the journalist was who first told him that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, or when the conversation occurred, the lawyer said.

The New York Times reported the conversation between Rove and Novak in its Friday editions. The lawyer confirmed that account and elaborated on it. The account suggests that Rove could not have been Novak's original source but may have been a secondary source. Novak has refused to comment about his sources or to say whether he has cooperated with prosecutors.

And so has the NY Times:

Rove Reportedly Held Phone Talk on C.I.A. Officer (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/politics/15rove.html?hp&ex=1121486400&en=bac819afc84e3590&ei=5094&partner=homepage)

WASHINGTON, July 14 - Karl Rove, the White House senior adviser, spoke with the columnist Robert D. Novak as he was preparing an article in July 2003 that identified a C.I.A. officer who was undercover, someone who has been officially briefed on the matter said.

Mr. Rove has told investigators that he learned from the columnist the name of the C.I.A. officer, who was referred to by her maiden name, Valerie Plame, and the circumstances in which her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, traveled to Africa to investigate possible uranium sales to Iraq, the person said.

After hearing Mr. Novak's account, the person who has been briefed on the matter said, Mr. Rove told the columnist: "I heard that, too."

.....................

On Oct. 1, 2003, Mr. Novak wrote another column in which he described calling two officials who were his sources for the earlier column. The first source, whose identity has not been revealed, provided the outlines of the story and was described by Mr. Novak as "no partisan gunslinger." Mr. Novak wrote that when he called a second official for confirmation, the source said, "Oh, you know about it."

That second source was Mr. Rove, the person briefed on the matter said. Mr. Rove's account to investigators about what he told Mr. Novak was similar in its message although the White House adviser's recollection of the exact words was slightly different. Asked by investigators how he knew enough to leave Mr. Novak with the impression that his information was accurate, Mr. Rove said he had heard parts of the story from other journalists but had not heard Ms. Wilson's name.

[Warlady]

Federal law prohibits government officials from divulging the identity of an undercover intelligence officer. But in order to bring charges, prosecutors must prove the official knew the officer was covert and nonetheless knowingly outed his or her identity.

Then John Kerry should be arrested.

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

:hahaha:

Suck on that, Demonrats.

[tacitus]

Now will those that wanted Rove nailed to a cross apoligize? Personally I'll settle for them shutting up.

[TechnoPrincess]

Now will those that wanted Rove nailed to a cross apoligize? Personally I'll settle for them shutting up.

Of course they won't. Most likely they'll still try and find a way to make it look like the Bush administration was involved in it somehow.

[Warlady]

They don't know how to accept defeat graciously. They'll still call for Rove's head on a platter even though he did nothing wrong. If they had any class at all they would apologize but we know they don't because they've never exhibited it before. The most classless sore losers I've ever seen in my life. Man they are dense.

[TheIrishman]

Whoa! Apologize??? When has the liberal democratic party and members ever apologized for ANYTHING???

[Warlady]

I think Bill Clinton tried to when he was caught with the stain on the blue dress but other than that I can't recall ever hearing a Democrat apologizing for anything. The only reason Bubba apologized was because he was busted.

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

bump

[Naturalized-Texan]

bump

[EdmundDantes]

unfortunately the MSM doesn't care to report this little known fact. It might harm their carefully planned agenda.

[PaulRevere]

... traveled to Africa to check bogus claims that Iraq was trying to buy nuclear materials in Niger

"Honey, could you go to Niger to check out some bogus claims?"

"Glad to, my super secret undercover operative wife from an agency whose initials I dare not utter!"

IT IS NOT A FACT THAT THE CLAIMS WERE BOGUS, AND SOME ANTI-WAR PARTISAN HACK SITTING IN THE NICEST HOTEL IN NIGER LISTENING TO "REPORTS" OF WHAT HE WANTS TO HEAR DOES NOT MAKE IT SO.

[BuckeyeMike]

Now will those that wanted Rove nailed to a cross apoligize? Personally I'll settle for them shutting up.


Don/t forget, it's not important whether or not Rove was guilty of anything...."IT'S THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CHARGE THAT MATTERS"