The D.C. Witch-Hunt of 2005
This Karl Rove non-controversy is driving me nuts. I can’t seem to be able to grasp the desperate idiocy the Left is showing us. I can’t believe the utter panic the Left is showing us in trying to hang Rove over something he didn’t do. Yes, you read that correctly. Rove didn’t blow Valerie Plame’s supposed covert identity. He didn’t blow it to Robert Novak—the first person in the press to formally announce Valerie Plame—and he didn’t blow the cover to Matt Cooper. No, that honor belongs solely to Joe Wilson—her husband.
Valerie Plame—for those needing some "Cliff" notes—was an analyst at CIA in the WMD non-proliferation division within the agency. She was one of the lowest analysts in terms of her importance to the agency. She was, in short, a bean-counter. She wasn’t a covert operator, and she wasn’t a NOC (Non-Official Cover). So, the very idea she had a cover is monumentally laughable.
But Joe Wilson flapped his yap not only in his book, but his online biography he used to maintain. His wife was well-known in Washington, D.C. social circles for being in the CIA. Many people knew, intimately, what it was she did exactly. And she was the one that sent her husband over to Niger to investigate the allegations made by Great Britain that Iraq had attempted to purchase "yellow-cake" uranium. According to Wilson, there was no connection. No evidence showing that, and nothing found in Niger.
Joe Wilson was betrayed by his own hand, and his ego as to what his itinerary was like in Niger. Most of the time this guy sat around drinking tea, and talking to people that seemed to tell him exactly what he thought he would hear. No, there’s no evidence. Based on research that I’ve done that deals with our relations with other nations—especially relations with countries in that area of the world—intelligence gathering should be left to the professionals. Joe Wilson was two years removed from Niger, and while he might have still had some contacts, he had not idea whether or not those contacts were reliable.
But he took their assessment, over the assessment of an top-level intelligence agency like MI-5 or MI-6 in Great Britain. He decided that because he was told there was no evidence, that is was "Gospel truth." Worse, this trip didn’t occur at the behest of those in charge, but nby his wife. Tenet had no knowledge of the trip, nor did he authorize it. Cheney had no knowledge of the trip, nor did he authorize it. This was all done by Plame, herself. Whoops. Ms. Plame, have you ever heard ofg a chain-of command?
Regardless, even if one disregards his online biography, it can’t be disputed that this woman was anything but a covert operator. She was an analyst; nothing more. And he outed her. So did Novak. But Rove had nothing to do with the revelation that this woman worked for the CIA. Even part of that lies in her lap—so free with her lips on who she was in D.C.
The next question that has to be addressed is whether or not there was "harm" done. I say this because the Left is still seething that Rove committed a crime. There was no harm done to Wilson, Plame, or any member of their family. An argument could be made that the harm was her outing, but they both blew her cover long before this incident occurred; much like Abu Ghraib, blown completely out of proportion by the press. The MSM has proven over and over again that they are patently ignorant when it comes to subjects like this. They have hated our intelligence community as long as they have hated our military. And because of this hatred, they are blinded to the facts regarding that community. I’m no expert, and I’ve never delved into the field, but research, again, has a factor in my ability to speak about this intelligently.
And now we come to the meat-and-potatoes question: Did Rove actually commit a crime? The answer to that is an emphatic no. Why do I say that? Well, because the law that applies is an act enacted by Congress in 1982. It is the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
A) Disclosure of information by persons having or having had access to classified information that identifies covert agent Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
B) Disclosure of information by persons who learn identity of covert agents as result of having access to classified information Whoever, as a result of having authorized access to classified information, learns the identify of a covert agent and intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
C) Disclosure of information by persons in course of pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents Whoever, in the course of a pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the foreign intelligence activities of the United States, discloses any information that identifies an individual as a covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such individual and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such individual’s classified intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
D) Imposition of consecutive sentences A term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment.
I would like to point out that the "Title 18" mentioned above concerns the crime of treason, and that the emphasis above is mine.
Based on the law cited above, and my knowledge of the law, I see that Karl Rove committed no crime. As it stands right now. I say that because the investigation is still ongoing, but I still disagree with the Left when it comes to whether or not he committed a crime under the law of this nation. I could care less what a reporter or a Senator believes is the law. I just cited the law he would be affected by. He didn’t break it. Deal with it.
Was it improper. I leave that question to Karl Rove and the his employer, Pres. George W. Bush. Personally, I see no problem with what he did, in regard to Matt Cooper. Personally, Rove did what he did for the best interests and intentions of the people, the nation, and the nation’s interests. There is no crime in that.
Publius II
This Karl Rove non-controversy is driving me nuts. I can’t seem to be able to grasp the desperate idiocy the Left is showing us. I can’t believe the utter panic the Left is showing us in trying to hang Rove over something he didn’t do. Yes, you read that correctly. Rove didn’t blow Valerie Plame’s supposed covert identity. He didn’t blow it to Robert Novak—the first person in the press to formally announce Valerie Plame—and he didn’t blow the cover to Matt Cooper. No, that honor belongs solely to Joe Wilson—her husband.
Valerie Plame—for those needing some "Cliff" notes—was an analyst at CIA in the WMD non-proliferation division within the agency. She was one of the lowest analysts in terms of her importance to the agency. She was, in short, a bean-counter. She wasn’t a covert operator, and she wasn’t a NOC (Non-Official Cover). So, the very idea she had a cover is monumentally laughable.
But Joe Wilson flapped his yap not only in his book, but his online biography he used to maintain. His wife was well-known in Washington, D.C. social circles for being in the CIA. Many people knew, intimately, what it was she did exactly. And she was the one that sent her husband over to Niger to investigate the allegations made by Great Britain that Iraq had attempted to purchase "yellow-cake" uranium. According to Wilson, there was no connection. No evidence showing that, and nothing found in Niger.
Joe Wilson was betrayed by his own hand, and his ego as to what his itinerary was like in Niger. Most of the time this guy sat around drinking tea, and talking to people that seemed to tell him exactly what he thought he would hear. No, there’s no evidence. Based on research that I’ve done that deals with our relations with other nations—especially relations with countries in that area of the world—intelligence gathering should be left to the professionals. Joe Wilson was two years removed from Niger, and while he might have still had some contacts, he had not idea whether or not those contacts were reliable.
But he took their assessment, over the assessment of an top-level intelligence agency like MI-5 or MI-6 in Great Britain. He decided that because he was told there was no evidence, that is was "Gospel truth." Worse, this trip didn’t occur at the behest of those in charge, but nby his wife. Tenet had no knowledge of the trip, nor did he authorize it. Cheney had no knowledge of the trip, nor did he authorize it. This was all done by Plame, herself. Whoops. Ms. Plame, have you ever heard ofg a chain-of command?
Regardless, even if one disregards his online biography, it can’t be disputed that this woman was anything but a covert operator. She was an analyst; nothing more. And he outed her. So did Novak. But Rove had nothing to do with the revelation that this woman worked for the CIA. Even part of that lies in her lap—so free with her lips on who she was in D.C.
The next question that has to be addressed is whether or not there was "harm" done. I say this because the Left is still seething that Rove committed a crime. There was no harm done to Wilson, Plame, or any member of their family. An argument could be made that the harm was her outing, but they both blew her cover long before this incident occurred; much like Abu Ghraib, blown completely out of proportion by the press. The MSM has proven over and over again that they are patently ignorant when it comes to subjects like this. They have hated our intelligence community as long as they have hated our military. And because of this hatred, they are blinded to the facts regarding that community. I’m no expert, and I’ve never delved into the field, but research, again, has a factor in my ability to speak about this intelligently.
And now we come to the meat-and-potatoes question: Did Rove actually commit a crime? The answer to that is an emphatic no. Why do I say that? Well, because the law that applies is an act enacted by Congress in 1982. It is the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
A) Disclosure of information by persons having or having had access to classified information that identifies covert agent Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
B) Disclosure of information by persons who learn identity of covert agents as result of having access to classified information Whoever, as a result of having authorized access to classified information, learns the identify of a covert agent and intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
C) Disclosure of information by persons in course of pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents Whoever, in the course of a pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the foreign intelligence activities of the United States, discloses any information that identifies an individual as a covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such individual and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such individual’s classified intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
D) Imposition of consecutive sentences A term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment.
I would like to point out that the "Title 18" mentioned above concerns the crime of treason, and that the emphasis above is mine.
Based on the law cited above, and my knowledge of the law, I see that Karl Rove committed no crime. As it stands right now. I say that because the investigation is still ongoing, but I still disagree with the Left when it comes to whether or not he committed a crime under the law of this nation. I could care less what a reporter or a Senator believes is the law. I just cited the law he would be affected by. He didn’t break it. Deal with it.
Was it improper. I leave that question to Karl Rove and the his employer, Pres. George W. Bush. Personally, I see no problem with what he did, in regard to Matt Cooper. Personally, Rove did what he did for the best interests and intentions of the people, the nation, and the nation’s interests. There is no crime in that.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 6:38 PM
1 Comments:
Good blog. As I recall, the matter came before the 9/11 commission and it found that Wilson and his wife lacked creditabilty. Wilson was a Clinton appointment. He felt slighted by the Bush Administration. I agree with your assessment that Rove has committed no crime. Rawriter
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