I think it demonstrates just how lame the media is, and consequently just how easy it is for admin apologists (Rush, Hannity, NYSun, et al) to game peoples' perception about what occurred. What is interesting is that Fitzgerald, during the investigation, sent a letter to Libby's attorney's stating... In an abundance of caution, we advise you that we have learned that not all e-mail of the Office of Vice President and the Executive Office of the President for certain time periods in 2003 was preserved through the normal archiving process on the White House computer system. So the scotching of the emails isnt related to just the AttorneyGs. It also happened during the timeframe when a covert agent was outed.

> Now they just have to find and prove who is responsible...

Thats funny.


>That is the first time I have heard that (from a reliable source since the whole hulabaloo of guesses and rumours in the media). That definitely falls under the category of TREASON and should bring either the death penalty or life behind bars to whomever disclosed the information. Now they just have to find and prove who is responsible...
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>>She was covert. Rep. Henry Waxman (Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform) reading a statement from CIA Director General Hayden regarding Valerie Plame's role and work.
>>
>>http://oversight.house.gov/Documents/20070316104030-43341.pdf
>>
>>"General Hayden and the CIA have cleared these following comments for today's hearing."
>>
>>"At the time of the publication of Robert Novak's column on July 14,2003, Ms. Wilson's CIA employment status was covert."
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>>"This was classified information."
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>>"Her employment status with the CIA was classified information prohibited from disclosure under Executive Order 12958."
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>>"Some have suggested that Ms. Wilson did not have a sensitive position with the CIA or a position of unusual risk... I want to make clear, however, that any characterization that minimizes the personal risk Ms. Wilson accepted in her assignments is flatly wrong."
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>>"Ms. Wilson worked on some of the most sensitive and highly secretive matters handled by the CIA."
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>>"Ms. Wilson served at various times overseas for the CIA."
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>>"Ms. Wilson's work in many situations had consequences for the security of her colleagues, and maintaining her cover was critical to protecting the safety of both colleagues and others. "
>>_____________________
>>
>>CUMMINGS: Ms. Wilson, first of all, thank you for your service. Ms. Wilson, even today your work for the CIA is so highly classified that we’re not permitted to discuss the details, but we can clarify one crucial point — whether you worked undercover for the CIA. You said your position was covert but I’ve heard others say you were not covert. In fact, one of the witnesses who will testify a little bit later, Victoria Toensing, is making that same argument. In an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post on February 18, she says it quite bluntly. She says, “Plame was not covert. She worked at CIA headquarters and had not been stationed abroad within five years.” I know there are restrictions on what you can say today, but is Ms. Toensing’s statement correct?
>>
>>WILSON: Congressman, thank you for the opportunity. I know I’m here under oath, and I am here to say I was a covert officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. Just like a general is a general whether he is in the field in Iraq or Afghanistan, when he comes back to the Pentagon, he is still a general. In the same way, covert operations officers who are serving in the field, when they rotate back to a temporary assignment in Washington, they, too, are still covert.
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>>CUMMINGS: Is it possible that Ms. Toensing had more information than you do about your work or had access to secret document that you don’t?
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>>WILSON: I would find that highly unlikely, congressman, because much of that information about my career is still classified.
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>>CUMMINGS: On Wednesday night, I know that Mr. Waxman, our chair, and Congressman Reyes, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, spoke personally with General Hayden, the head of the CIA. And Mr. Waxman told me that Gen. Hayden said clearly and directly, “Ms. Wilson was covert.” There was no doubt about it. By the way, the CIA has authorized us to be able to say that. In addition, I understand that Chairman Waxman sent his opening statement over to the CIA to be cleared and to make sure that it was accurate. In it, he said, “Ms. Wilson was a covert employee of the CIA.” “Ms. Wilson was undercover.” The CIA cleared these statements. I emphasize all of this because I know that there are people who are still trying to suggest that what seems absolutely clear isn’t really true and that you weren’t covert. And I think one of the things we need to do in this hearing is make sure there isn’t any ambiguity on this point. Just three more questions, did you hold this covert status at
>>the time of the leak? Did you — the covert status at the time of the leak?
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>>WILSON: Yes I did, congressman. Yes.
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>>CUMMINGS: Number two, the Identities Protection Act refers to travel outside the United States within the last five years. Let me ask you this question. Again, we don’t want classified information, dates, locations, or any other details. During the past five years, Ms. Plame, from today, did you conduct secret missions overseas?
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>>WILSON: Yes I did, congressman.
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>>CUMMINGS: Finally, so as to be clear for the record, you were a covert CIA employee and within the past five years from today, you went on secret missions outside the United States. Is that correct?
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>>WILSON: That is correct, congressman.
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>>CUMMINGS: I want to thank you and I hope this committee now has cleared up the issue of covert, whether Ms. Plame was a covert agent, and I yield back.
>>
>>
>>
>>>As I responded to Alan:
>>>
>>>It is only a crime if the CIA agent is covert or has been covert in the past 5 years. The same holds true for those working in other governmental capacities in COVERT positions. She was NEITHER. It was much longer than that and she had a desk job since. Even if he had divulged her as a CIA agent (which he technically did not do), it was not illegal nor was it treason. It was however, DESPICABLE and he should have been fired and barred from working for the government in the future.
>>>
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>>>>>>This hold thing is about nothing and so was the CIA outing crap. It just ate up tax payer's money for nothing.
>>>>
>>>>What?? Just so you know, revealing the identity of a CIA operative in the field is a crime. It is called Treason and severy penalized. Do you have any idea of the seriousness of the act? In this particular case, we may never know how many people were tortured and lost their lives because they talked to her years ago.