Papers: Cheney Aide Says Bush OK'd Leak

[PatrickHenry]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/sto...tm&floc=NW_1-T

Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case. Before his indictment, I. Lewis Libby testified to the grand jury investigating the CIA leak that Cheney told him to pass on information and that it was Bush who authorized the disclosure, the court papers say. According to the documents, the authorization led to the July 8, 2003, conversation between Libby and New York Times reporter Judith Miller. There was no indication in the filing that either Bush or Cheney authorized Libby to disclose Valerie Plame's CIA identity. <snip> Libby's participation in a critical conversation with Miller on July 8, 2003 ``occurred only after the vice president advised defendant that the president specifically had authorized defendant to disclose certain information in the National Intelligence Estimate,'' the papers by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald stated. The filing did not specify the ``certain information.'' ``Defendant testified that the circumstances of his conversation with reporter Miller - getting approval from the president through the vice president to discuss material that would be classified but for that approval - were unique in his recollection,'' the papers added.

Scooter Libby says he was authorized to leak classified information to the press by the President...

Who says the President isn't the Emperor?

[bishop]

wow... some people would suggest that libby's trying to frame bush, but i can't see that as being a realistic motive.

this already messy case just keeps getting messier.. i wonder how long it'll take for the real trial to begin.

*eagerly waiting to see bush and cheney indicted*

[Clarence]

Libby's participation in a critical conversation with Miller on July 8, 2003 ``occurred only after the vice president advised defendant that the president specifically had authorized defendant to disclose certain information in the National Intelligence Estimate,'' the papers by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald stated. The filing did not specify the ``certain information.''

...

[jose]

This is on TV here in Spain at this moment

[gr8fuldaniel]

Well, it looks like bush will be resigning any minute. Remember he said he would fire whoever leaked Plames name to press. He should be executed for this. Thats the penalty for treason. Right?

[Osborn F Enready]

Thanks Dan, I was hoping I wasn't the only one that remebered that.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready Thanks Dan, I was hoping I wasn't the only one that remebered that.

Fortunately the replacement wont be Cheney. Cheney will be named an accomplice.

[RickSp]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Fortunately the replacement wont be Cheney. Cheney will be named an accomplice.

It will take more than that to dislodge Cheney. Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton while Vice President and served out his term even while charged with murder.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: RickSp Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Fortunately the replacement wont be Cheney. Cheney will be named an accomplice. It will take more than that to dislodge Cheney. Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton while Vice President and served out his term even while charged with murder.

The 4th paragraph of the story Patrick posted :

But the disclosure in documents filed Wednesday means that the president and the vice president put Libby in play as a secret provider of information to reporters about prewar intelligence on Iraq.

One is no less guilty than the other. According to this, anyway. Actually Cheney is more guilty since bush cant even talk while Cheney drinks from a glass.

[Clarence]

Quote by: RickSp It will take more than that to dislodge Cheney. Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton while Vice President and served out his term even while charged with murder.

I knew Bush would be the fall guy in the end. I've always wondered about that. What if he got pissed about being used and lied to and got tired of being part of this mess? He could actually use his power to remove the others. Fantasy world. In a good movie, Bush would end up being an unlikely hero. Not counting on it, though. Wouldn't it be great if Bush suddenly felt like a man with morals and such. A real scrooge moment. Then just started kicking ass. Publicly, secretly and with truly good intentions. I wish...

[Zeebadee]

Hey, no problem here. The emperor has passed authority to the vice-emperor to declassify just about anything he wants:

"The Vice President's Declassification Authority

"Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?" Vice President Cheney was asked yesterday by Fox News' Brit Hume.

"There is an executive order to that effect," replied the Vice President."

more - http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006...eclassifi.html

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Well, it looks like bush will be resigning any minute. Remember he said he would fire whoever leaked Plames name to press. He should be executed for this. Thats the penalty for treason. Right?

Remember Ron Zeigler? I think some form of "that statement is inoperative" will come from the traitor-in-chief.

[Boetie]

What this all comes down to is Bush Jr and Cheney orchestrated a war we did not have to have. Three thousand American soldiers died, 17,000 American soldiers wounded, over 100,000 innocent Iraqis dead.

Bush Jr said to the People of the United States that he wanted to get to the bottom of who leaked Plames identity knowing all along the he was the one that ordered the leak.

No one and I mean no one has yet to answer the question, which is, why was Bush Jr angry about Wilson telling the truth about the Niger documents being fake?

We know he refused to show those documents to the weapons Inspectors until after the State of the Union speech. He refused to show the weapons inspectors because he wanted to lie to the People of the United States first.

A commander of chief that sends his soldiers to death for a war that was based on a lie is not fit to be commander of chief.

[rmnunez]

No Boetie, this doesn't "come down to" anything other than that Bush can declassify information and therefore divulging things like Ms Plame's identity might not be as portrayed by morons and other detractors.

[jose]

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of.

THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/relea...0030930-9.html

[Scribbler1]

That's the trick. He declassified it and then told Libby to leak it. If anyone is still unconvinced this is an imperial presidency they will NEVER be convinced.

Bush has shown time and again he can do whatever he wants because he alone can make legal his own actions. He is accountable to no one and the people who support him have saddled us ALL with this sort of government, forever! Don't think it will stop with Bush. No matter WHO comes after Bush, they will realize he has given ALL future presidents the ability to ignore the Constitution and the laws of this country.

[RickSp]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel The 4th paragraph of the story Patrick posted : One is no less guilty than the other. According to this, anyway. Actually Cheney is more guilty since bush cant even talk while Cheney drinks from a glass.

Get a clue, Dan. The action was arguably not illegal - not a good argument but an argument that the Bushbots will make. It was at least dishonest and immoral; not very different than most Bush/Cheney activities, in that regard.

This latest incident will not bring down the president or the vice-president. The best we can hope for is a drop in their already dismall approval ratings. We can also hope for more indictments, possibly even puppetmaster Rove, and even possibly a loss for the right wing during the mid-term elections. With luck all this might help prevent another needless war or some other Bushite madness.

[bishop]

heh, but at least this should strengthen the democrats' resolve, persuading them to support feingold's censure measure...

L O L

[Boetie]

rmnunez posts: No Boetie, this doesn't "come down to" anything other than that Bush can declassify information and therefore divulging things like Ms Plame's identity...

If this country was not dragged into this uneccessary war, Wilson would have no reason to tell the people the Niger document is fake.

If Wilson did not tell the people about the fake document, Bush Jr would have no reason to out Plame.

This unecessary war was premeditated long before 911. By continuing to frame this issue into a pre 911 post 911 point of view, Bush Jr is continuing his lies to the people. He is arguing this war is related to 911.

How can there be a pre 911 post 911 point of view; if Bush Jr's desire to go to war was in the makings before 911 even happened?

This blowing up a whole country just to oust a toothless old man that was in the pure sense harmless has got to be the most insane action from the most insane idiot, an idiot called Bush Jr.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Rick Get a clue, Dan. The action was arguably not illegal...

Admittedly the bigger crime here is the fabrication of evidence to justify the Iraq massacre. But that doesnt mean its legal to expose a CIA agent. To do it out of childish spite because her husband neutralized the only "valid" evidence for attacking a sovereign state.

We are talking about fixing intelligence to fit the policy of a rogue administration.

The whole pirate crew should swing by their necks on the WH lawn for an example to future monsters who would abuse our good name, our military, our treasure and our Constitution. May they be sprayed with White Phosphorous at dusk. While they swing.

Its not terrorism when Americans torture and murder, right?

"Arguably not illegal"? Lets let the Hague decide.