Cheney 'Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information

Cheney 'Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, testified to a federal grand jury that he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" in the summer of 2003 to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to go to war with Iraq, according to attorneys familiar with the matter, and to court records.

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Is this a surprise? No.

But I am surprised Libby confirmed it.

The train is slowly leaving the station....

Even Cheney is a patsy, IMO.

He just doesn't realize it quite yet. Or maybe he just did.

The players in the game are good, real good. The fattest fish are the ones who don't know their relative skill, compared to their friends/opponents at the table. Usually arrogance plays a part in that, along with greed.

The sharks are inconspicuous as ever, while Bush & Co. attract all the attention like lightning rods. They're temporary, expendable, and for the most part clueless about the role they're playing.

The good news is that the REAL manipulators might just have our best interest in mind.

We're on the same wavelength, loam.

Hmmm, let's see, the Vice President seems to think he has the power to betray field agents when their spouses say something he doesn't like. I can't see this as uniting our country.

This is why political "strategery" always fails in the end. You get backstabbed by somebody you trusted. Ouch! So it goes with people who seek power over others.

Originally posted by WyrdeOne


The good news is that the REAL manipulators might just have our best interest in mind.

Are you referring to the council of nine? A very mysterious group of hombres y mujeres to be sure, I hope you are right!!

Iv'e always thought that unbridled arrogance rubs the council the wrong way. To bad they didn't read and obey rule 62.

I may be mistaken, but I don't believe that Cheney has the authority to "authorize" someone to leak classified information. This would be a perfect example of an unlawful order and is a lousy defense. The best he can hope for is to take Cheney down with him.

You know Grady, that is an interesting question. Who decides what is classified?

There have to be many seats of authority for this....

Does anyone know more about how that works?

Grady
You're not mistaken, to my knowledge the VP has no such authority regarding classified material.

whaaa

Are you referring to the council of nine?

Nope, never even heard of 'em.

CNN/FOX/MSNBC have not been covering this story enough. All the media has been talking about lately is that Mom and Baby murder. Makes me sick how the media hides the major stories and only reports whats not really important to the average person.

I hope Scooter takes Cheney and Bush down.

Originally posted by loam

Cheney 'Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, testified to a federal grand jury that he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" in the summer of 2003 to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to go to war with Iraq, according to attorneys familiar with the matter, and to court records.

More...

Is this a surprise? No.

But I am surprised Libby confirmed it.

The train is slowly leaving the station....

If you had a choice of spending a good deal of time in jail or make a deal what would you do? If it comes out that Cheny did in fact authorize this he needs to be given jail time after Bush leaves office so no pardone can get him out. I do like Bush (he makes funny faces when he talks) but I don't like Cheney (he doesn't make funny faces when he talks) and politicians are there to entertain us because they are good for nothing else. IMO.

Under pressure from the media for proof of going to war, VP Cheney revealed information that supported the reasons for going to war? Is this not what people are asking for, disclosure and evidence of why the invasion occured.

However, Cheney did not authorize anything about the outing of the CIA op and her husband, and there is nothing in the article that says he did.


So I guess no matter what you do, what populace you try to appease, by giving proof and reasoning, you are still guilty of bieng a neo-con. You can't have it both ways folks.

Be still my heart!!! There must be some mistake. Not Cheney.

/off

I should have been a professional psychic.

Originally posted by esdad71
However, Cheney did not authorize anything about the outing of the CIA op and her husband, and there is nothing in the article that says he did.

The article doesn't say it, but that conclusion can be drawn by anyone with half a brain. It'll be exposed soon enough.

From the article:

But besides sharing details of the NIE with reporters during the effort to rebut Wilson, Libby is also accused of telling journalists that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, had worked for the CIA. Libby and other Bush administration officials believed that if Plame played a role in the selection of her husband for the Niger mission, that fact might discredit him.

A federal grand jury indicted Libby on October 28, 2005, on five counts of making false statements, perjury, and obstruction of justice, alleging that he concealed his role in leaking information about Plame to the media. He resigned his positions as chief of staff and national security adviser to Cheney the same day. Libby has never claimed that Cheney encouraged him to disclose information about Plame to the media.

[...]

Instead, the indictment charges that Libby had in fact learned of Plame's CIA status from at least four government officials, Cheney among them, and from classified documents. Indeed, much of Libby's earliest and most detailed information regarding Plame's CIA employment came directly from the vice president, according to information in Libby's grand jury indictment. "On or about June 12, 2003," the indictment stated, "Libby was advised by the Vice President of the United States that Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation Division."

Getting him to admit to Plame's outing is the whole point of this exercise.
American field agents are vulnerable, and they are key in America's defense. Revealing one like was done here is treasonous. This issue will be clarified, but since the case will be strung along all year, nothing resembling justice will be done, IMO.

You don't think Libby or Cheney had anything to do with Plame's exposure? Isn't that the real issue here?


[edit on 10-2-2006 by smallpeeps]

Libby does not, however, appear to be claiming that he was acting specifically on Cheney's behalf in disclosing information about Plame to the press.

But most outside legal observers say that Libby, because he was himself such a high-ranking official, will most likely face a much more difficult time than North did in arguing that, in some of his activities, he was just carrying out orders from Cheney or other senior White House officials.

"A defendant can make a claim that he is just a victim of Washington politics or doing the bidding for someone else," said Richman, the former prosecutor, "But there may be limits to a jury's sympathy when that defendant himself was so high-ranking. Given Libby's position in the White House, the jury is less likely to view him as a sacrificial lamb than as a sacrificial ram."

Either Cheney did it or not, it doesn't say. Don't you just love it when its so annoying.

and people with less than half a brain also come to short-handed and quick drawn conclusions based on hearsay, edited parts of articles and a subscription to prisonplanet.com


The real issue here has nothing to do with CIA outing, that was a secondary comment in the article because it has to do with Libby, the thread is talking about information leaked to prove the reason for the war in Iraq. There is nothing that LIbby is stating connecting Cheney to the CIA officer, and he seems to be denying it.

I don't understand this, you say jail these corrupt bastards because they keep everything sercet, and then you say jail this corrupt idiots becasue they are giving out classified information. Which is it? Cheney atmtepts to prove pre-war Iraqi intel with the media, as they want, and he still gets knocked.

Libby was simply doing his job, as was Cheney. Were is the conspiracy?

Libby testified that Cheney told him about Plame "in an off sort of, curiosity sort of, fashion," according to other information recently unsealed in federal court. Not long after that date, Libby, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, and a third administration official began to tell reporters that Plame had worked at the CIA, and that she had been responsible for sending her husband to Niger.

Source

You're right esdad, nothing to see here. Everythings fine. Except that Libby learned of Plame from Cheney and shortly afterward began releasing that info to the press.

I think the point is that Cheney released classified information because he thought it would help the administration's case for war against Iraq. Cheney didn't have the authority to release the info.

Can you imagine the outrage from conservatives if a democrat had of outed a CIA agent. But now all you hear from them is spin and excuses.
Something stinks bad and it smells like hypocrisy.

But for pointing out this hypocrisy I'll probably be called a traitor, terrorist sympathiser or moron. Who are really the morons here?

Libby testified that Cheney told him about Plame "in an off sort of, curiosity sort of, fashion,"

So this to you is confirmation that Cheney said out the CIA agent? Cheney I am sure talks to the Cheif of staff everyday, and I think he is privy to just about anything Cheney knows and he should keep his mouth shut. Why would Libby accept the resignation if he did not know that he screwed up and released something he should not have that was told in confidence. This is the more likely scenario. You don't quit as Chief of Staff to the president if you did nothing wrong.

There are no morons here, only truth. Read between the lines.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
I may be mistaken, but I don't believe that Cheney has the authority to "authorize" someone to leak classified information. This would be a perfect example of an unlawful order and is a lousy defense. The best he can hope for is to take Cheney down with him.

You bring a good point Grady I though that the vice president has the same powers as the president.

Perhaps that is the way Mr. Cheney thinks of himself, Or then again maybe Mr. Cheney is the one running the show after all.

Good point.

This is going to be very interesting unless the attentions can be diverted to something else in the world as to take The American minds of the big issue of who and why permission of this magnitude was given by a high ranking political leader.

[edit on 10-2-2006 by marg6043]

Originally posted by marg6043
This is going to be very interesting unless the attentions can be diverted to something else in the world as to take The American minds of the big issue of who and why permission of this magnitude was given by a high ranking political leader.

Yup, this pony trick didn't seem to work.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Cheney may not be fully in charge of classified information. That leaves Bush himself.

Over tea, maybe??? I am sure even Cheney has to check with President Bush about such matters.