Josh Marshall (TPM) on Wilson Part of Niger Story

[Dudley_DUright]

The most interesting bit of reporting I've seen today on the White House's concession about the fraudulence of the Niger-uranium documents comes at the tail end of a wire story from Reuters ...

A U.S. intelligence official said Wilson was sent to investigate the Niger reports by mid-level CIA officers, not by top-level Bush administration officials. There is no record of his report being flagged to top level officials, the intelligence official said.

"He is placing far greater significance on his visit than anyone in the U.S. government at the time it was made," the official said, referring to Wilson's New York Times article.

The message here seems pretty clear: Joseph who? Wilson, this 'intelligence official' is saying, is some small-time operator who got sent to Niger by some mid-level functionaries at the CIA. All the people who counted had no idea he'd even gone on his trip. And they certainly didn't know about his vaunted report.

<snip>

The White House seemed to go to great lengths to find some outside authority to base its uranium sales claims on. The State of the Union speech ended up basing the claim on what the Brits had said.

more...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/july0302.html#070803903pm

[kentuck]

1. Who's running the show? How many loose cannons are out there ?

Do the low level CIA guys go anyplace in the world and do anything they wish without approval of higher ups ??

[KC21304]

2. Josh has the latest and greatest info.

I check in with him first thing everyday and through out the day.

[Dudley_DUright]

3. I concur

I hope he is working the Wilkinson angle as well.

[DrBB]

4. But will TPM pick up the Wilkinson story?

I've got nothing against capitolhillblue, but I'd really like to see whether that leak is going anywhere. Because if it has cred, it is FAR worse than Wilson's Op-Ed, damaging as that was.

edit: Oops--I see we think alike, DD.

[trumad]

5. I emailed Josh the Wilkinson piece yesterday morning...

So we'll see....