Mood:
happyTopic: "One Down, More Comin'"
When Robert Novak reported the name of an individual whom the CIA considered to be a covert employee, and whom he identified as an employee of the CIA, a technical violation of law took place. The CIA identified the problem to the Department of Justice, and requested that they investigate.
The law itself specifies that the disclosure must have occurred within 5 years of overseas service by the covert employee.
Valerie Plame, in 1998, was working in a clandestine setting as an agent of the CIA in Boston, Massachusetts. The disclosure of her identity took place in 2003. Falling within the time-frame specified by law, although not stationed overseas, Ms. Plame was still considered by the CIA to be a covert employee.
Assume, dear reader, for a moment that a covert employee has been overseas for a decade, and has finally come home. For however long might be necessary that employee will be de-briefed relative to information collected. At the same time, the contacts developed by this hypothetical will remain where they are, as confidential sources in a foreign land. Should Robert Novak, in the first week the employee is being de-briefed, for whatever reason, identify the employee, would he not be guilty of disclosure? Would not the safety of the foreign confidential sources be placed in jeopardy? Would not the utility of the covert employee forever be destroyed?
It costs lots of money to train a covert employee. It takes a long time to establish a covert employee. It takes the cooperation of lots of people to make a covert employee effective. All of this is done because it is important and it is necessary.
Frodo has a point to what has been written herein. In most of the world, and for the most of times, Robert Novak would have been placed against a wall and shot. "Scooter" Libby would, as one of the sources of information to Novak, stand against the same wall and suffer the same fate. Novak told the Special Prosecutor that he had more than one source.
Frodo almost gagged when he heard Sauron praise the efforts of "Scooter" Libby during "challenging times." Perhaps he would be well-advised to first ask "Scooter" to write the Citizens of Middle Earth a check for the fiscal cost. Then again, "well-advised" seems to be the whole problem, doesn't it? We all should first be grateful that, to the best of our knowledge, no innocent people died because they helped our country.
It is a bright and sunny day when a man leaves office who has brought dishonor to our flag, our Constitution, and to the men and women who serve us, in whatever capacity. Let us hope that Sauron doesn't want to give him a Medal, too.
Posted by loveysdaddyga
at 9:15 PM EDT
