Cheney aide indicted on 5 counts in CIA leak probe

[Sean]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/...obe/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury investigating the public unmasking of an undercover CIA operative. Charges included making false statements, obstruction of justice, and perjury, court documents show. Indictments in the case were the first in a nearly two-year investigation into the public unmasking of an undercover CIA operative. Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has scheduled a 2 p.m. ET news conference. Libby -- a major player in the Bush White House -- was expected to step down from his post after an indictment. President Bush's top political strategist Karl Rove will not be indicted Friday by the federal grand jury investigating the leak, sources close to the investigation tell CNN. But, the sources said, Rove is not out of legal jeopardy as the matter is still under investigation.

[Boetie]

Also from the link Sean provided:

"Because if there are indictments, it will not only be people close to the president, the vice president of the United States, but they will raise questions about whether criminal acts were perpetrated to help get the country into war."

The only thing Wilson did was inform the public the Niger document was fake, which is true. Why would Bush Jr, Cheney, Rove and Libby be angry with Wilson's oped?

The only reason they would be angry is they wanted to continue to mislead the public and Wilson wrecked that for them.

They mislead the public by getting them to believe it was intelligence failure. But this retaliation against Wilson is not intelligence failure it is a knee jerk reaction that Wilson spoiled their little game.

Bush Jr, Cheney, Rove and Libby are murderers.

They are covering Bush Jr

[grandpa]

Quote by: Sean http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/...obe/index.html

Here is soem more information---
Libby Indicted on Five Counts, Resigns:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9837835/
WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, was indicted Friday on five charges that include obstruction of justice, making false statements and perjury in the investigation into the leak of a covert CIA agent’s name.

Text of Libby Indictment:
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/do...t_28102005.pdf

Cheney, Libby Blocked Papers to Senate:
http://nationaljournal.com/about/njw...05/1027nj1.htm
Vice President Cheney and his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, overruling advice from some White House political staffers and lawyers, decided to withhold crucial documents from the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2004 when the panel was investigating the use of pre-war intelligence that erroneously concluded Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, according to Bush administration and congressional sources.

Grandpa h.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Read the Indictment (pdf). Provided by RAW STORY. (The link to the Indictment is on front page today)

Libby cant resign, "We the People" give him the axe!!

[gr8fuldaniel]

I for one, am dissappointed. They are just throwing us a crumb. Fitzpatrick is just another Republican shill. He has had plenty of time and money. Lets see some major heads rolling. Including Bush, he is just as guilty as the rest.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel I for one, am dissappointed. They are just throwing us a crumb. Fitzpatrick is just another Republican shill. He has had plenty of time and money. Lets see some major heads rolling. Including Bush, he is just as guilty as the rest.

You are mistaken, Daniel. This is a major indictment of the architect of the War. I watched the press conference that Fitzgerald gave, and he is charging what he can prove. Fitzgerald is a smart prosecutor and this thing ain't over...

[gr8fuldaniel]

I caught the middle half of the press Conference. After/during that post, I have reservations. Rep Conyers makes a valid observation:

Link In many ways, it raises more questions than it answers. On page 4 of the indictment, who is the unnamed "Undersecretary of State" who was asked by Libby about Wilson's trip and then responded that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA? On page 7, Libby is said to advise "the then White House Press Secretary" that "Wilson's wife worked at the CIA." What did the Press Secretary do with that information? Who is "Official A" on page 8, who discussed Wilson's wife's occupation with Robert Novak? Most importantly, the indictment reveals -- as was previously reported -- that Vice President Cheney first told Libby that "Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation Division." (p.8) What other instructions, if any, did the Vice President give Libby at that time? The indictment details a flurry of activity in the Administration to discredit Wilson and, within the Administration, the wildfire-like spread of information about his wife's occupation. The Administration's defenders would have us believe that this all transpired without the awareness or assent of the President or the Vice President. Scooter Libby was apparently lying and obstructing justice. What was he trying to hide? The truisms of Watergate are the same: it is not the crime, it is the cover up and, when there is a cover up, there is a crime.

"On page 4 of the indictment, who is the unnamed "Undersecretary of State""?

I heard somewhere that it is John Bolton. Why wasnt he named?

[RickSp]

Quote by: PatrickHenry You are mistaken, Daniel. This is a major indictment of the architect of the War. I watched the press conference that Fitzgerald gave, and he is charging what he can prove. Fitzgerald is a smart prosecutor and this thing ain't over...

It would have been nice if Fitzgerald could have nailed Scooter for leaking. It also would have been nice if Dewey could have convicted Capone for murder. Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and Scooter may yet be convicted of perjury and obstruction.

More important than Scooter's fate is opening up a window into the cabal that lied us into war. If the truth comes out I could care less what happens to Libby. The trial should be interesting. I just hope they don't let Scooter plead out.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: RickSp It would have been nice if Fitzgerald could have nailed Scooter for leaking

It would be even nicer if Libby were nailed for forging the Niger Document. He took it real personal when it was exposed as a fraud.

The Downing Street Memo will have its day in court. Orchestrating facts around the PNAC war plot.

[tinybear]

Isn't this nice? A top aide of the Vice-President gets indicted. This is a shining example of the system of checks and balances in action and the rule of law prevailing in the United States. This sort of thing will never happen in China.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: tinybear This is a shining example of the system of checks and balances in action and the rule of law prevailing in the United States.

So far they have gotten away with thousands of murders, I dont see any substantial check and balances going on here.

Nancy Pelosi has a few choice words:

US Newswire "The criminal indictments of a top White House official mark a sad day for America and another chapter in the Republicans' culture of corruption. At the heart of these indictments was the effort by the Bush Administration to discredit critics of its Iraq policy with reckless disregard for national security and the public trust."

[shield772]

Did you ever think that maybe there were no other indictments because there is no proof, and if there is no proof then they are innocent, this is the way our legal system works. I fyou don't like it, do something, something more than posting your opinions to a message board, get active, run for office, lobby congress. Do something. If all you want to do is sit in a message board and complain, then shut up, your part of the problem not part of the solution

[Boetie]

I would like to mention that it is no secret to the people of this country that Bush Jr demands one thing of those whom are around him and that one thing is loyalty to him and that their chances of remaining around him is short lived if they find themselves at the fork of the road where one direction leads to loyalty to the United States and one direction leads to loyalty to Bush Jr and they chose loyalty to The United States.

We should be shocked to learn that journalists such as Judith Miller chose loyalty to Bush Jr when she mislead this country into war via her articles. We should be shocked when we learn that columnists such as Robert Novak and Thomas Friedman as well as others chose loyalty to Bush Jr rather than loyalty to America.

Bush Jr, Rove and Cheney knew Libby was going to lie and obstruct justice. They knew this. They knew they can count on Libby to serve them and not the United States of America.

Bush Jr lied to the people of the United States when he said that Libby served our country. Libby did not serve our country he turned his back on our country and chose to serve Bush Jr.

Long before Bush Jr took office, Cheney and Libby has been begging for war, they begged to Congress in the mid 1990's they begged President Clinton to go to war. America, these men including Bush Jr are well known to have zero diplomatic skills. To put them in power is equivalent to giving a five year old child a loaded pistol in a roomful of people. It's not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when" that gun goes off. It went off.

It isn't just a matter of charges against Libby, It's a matter of realizing that this country is diseased, diseased with people whom are still there loyal only to Bush Jr. This child still has the gun in his hand, and even though the gun went off, there are still more bullets in the gun and a roomful of people and a death you have to deal with. A stupid sensless death called, "the war in Iraq."

[Sonart]

Quote by: shield772 If all you want to do is sit in a message board and complain, then shut up, your part of the problem not part of the solution.

Then what the hell are you doing here? Is anyone on this board doing anything different than the 24/7 media punditocarcy? If you don't like people coming to a political discussion board and discussing politics, then just toddle off, ok cupcake?
.

[Milton Bradley]

Some of the most critical questions, and comment I have seen on this topic was on NOW last night.


http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/sources.html

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Milton Bradley Some of the most critical questions, and comment I have seen on this topic was on NOW last night.

From your link:

In May 2004, Lucy Dalglish, head of the Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press explained to NPR’s ON THE MEDIA that the media often rely on leaks, especially on national security issues. Dalglish said, “Journalists keep their ethical obligation not to reveal confidential sources. They value it just as much as doctors and lawyers and priests view their obligations to keep information confidential.”

Thats fine until it is revealed to be bogus, then we have a right to full disclosure. IMO. I could be wrong, and there could be extenuating circumstances, but when it goes to trial I believe the need for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth should outweigh some crooks desire for anonymity. Especially where murder/war is concerned. When the press becomes a propaganda branch of government, we need full transparency. If it embarrasses the fascist dictators, so-be-it.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: shield772 Did you ever think that maybe there were no other indictments because there is no proof, and if there is no proof then they are innocent, this is the way our legal system works.

No, the way the Federal justice system works is that indictments are required in order to prosecute. Until the indictments are brought, the party investigated should not be slandered by leaks from the prosecutor's office. Proof is a very high standard when we are speaking of a criminal sentence of up to thirty years for an official of the privileged class. But Fitzgerald apparently thinks he has strong evidence to prosecute an obstruction and perjury case against Libby.

Let's assume Scooter is guilty for a moment, even though he hasn't been tried yet. Why would he lie so determinedly to FBI investigators and a Grand Jury? Can you think of a reason that doesn't implicate wrongdoing by other officials or himself?

Quote by: shield772 I fyou don't like it, do something, something more than posting your opinions to a message board, get active, run for office, lobby congress. Do something. If all you want to do is sit in a message board and complain, then shut up, your part of the problem not part of the solution

What makes you think we don't, smart guy? And telling senior members here to "shut up" is asking for an ass-whupping. This forum is designed for debate and that's what we do. If you have something to contribute, then good, let's have it. We love debating. But telling us to shut up is useless.

I like this guy's analysis of the indictments: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/102805Q.shtml

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Sonart then just toddle off, ok cupcake?

chuckle-snort-chuckle

[shield772]

Quote by: Sonart Then what the hell are you doing here? Is anyone on this board doing anything different than the 24/7 media punditocarcy? If you don't like people coming to a political discussion board and discussing politics, then just toddle off, ok cupcake? .

well this is a typical democrat tactic, you took only part of what I said, if your not gonna get involved and all you want to do is whine on a message board then shut up. I am involved everyday, I volunteer, I am a member of the RNC, I sit on my counties Executive commitee, and when I get my degree in Political Science I will be more involved. What are you doing ?

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: shield772 I am a member of the RNC

Then I refer you to this thread: http://www.volconvo.com/forums/thread6471.html
Let me quote myself in the topic starter:

Quote by: PatrickHenry I hate the Republican Party. I think of them as a party full of liars and cheats. I think they are dedicated only to what gets them elected again, so real bedrock principles are secondary to campaign financing and cynical rhetoric with no commitment further than the election.

I have insulted your party and slapped your collective faces with the gauntlet of dishonor!
I'll see you there, Republican activist!