WHY DID THE WHITE HOUSE EXPOSE PLAME?

[TruthIsAll]

[H2O Man]

1. Good poll!

Well done. Thanks!

[WildClarySage]

2. it was too good an opportunity for all of the above to pass up

[Imagevision]

16. Man! is this ever getting redundant!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Imagevision]

17. I ge the feeling the Dems are weak as sh*t - all talk no action

including Kerry and freegin Hillary!

[kentuck]

3. It was simple reckless collateral damage...

As they were intent on going after their political enemies, just like Nixon.

[Peace Patriot]

6. "simple reckless collateral damage..."?

Joseph Wilson used that phrase, "collateral damage," in regard to his wife and Judith Miller ("collateral damage" in the Bush regime's war on dissent), but I don't know. Maybe Wilson needs to be protective (of his wife) and isn't aware of certain things about Miller.

Here is something that keeps nagging me:

May 22, 2003: Brit chief WMD expert, Dr. David Kelly, begins whistleblowing anonymously to the BBC on the Blairites' "sexing up" of Iraq WMD intel.

July 6, 2003: Wilson article published.

July 7, 2003: After hunting him down within gov't, Brit intel interrogates Kelly and tells Blair that Kelly "could say some uncomfortable things" ("COULD say," not HAD said.)

July 14, 2003: Plame outed by Novak.

July 18, 2003: Kelly found dead, under extremely suspicious circumstances. No Brit intel protection or surveillance, apparently, as he cut one wrist, took painkillers and bled to death all night outdoors in the rain near his home; his office searched, his computers confiscated.

July 22, 2003: Plame/CIA front company on WMDs outed, all projects and agents disabled and put at risk.

Why did they do the SECOND outing (of the company), greatly increasing their risk of treason charges, if the purpose was to "punish" Wilson for his dissent?

Here's what I think happened: Kelly, who had supported the war, had a change of heart in April-May 2003 about the false intel because of something he found out. My guess: a plot to plant WMDs in Iraq (and gain huge political benefit thereby). This was the main thrust of the "uncomfortable things" that he hadn't yet said, that Blair was warned of (on 7/7). This caused a panic on Air Force 1 (all players present, on trip to Africa 7/5-7/12), resulting in calls to at least SIX reporters to get the disabling of Plame (long planned) done NOW. This was accomplished on 7/14 (Novak). Kelly (after his name is outed to the press) is sent home without protection, and is soon found dead. His computers are searched, resulting in the second outing (of the entire CIA company) on 7/22 (Novak).

Condi Rice: I recently read a Wilson interview, in which he said that he'd called Condi Rice (prior to his whistleblowing) to try to get the regime to disavow the false Iraq/Niger nuke claim. She (through intermediaries) replied that she was not interested in his information, but, if he was so concerned, why didn't he publish it? Seems very like she was baiting him, and that his marriage to Plame was an item in a long planned plot to out Plame and disable the CIA's ability to monitor WMDs worldwide. He published (7/6) but then something ELSE happens: they find out who the BBC whistleblower is (Brit chief weapons inspector) and that he knows something truly dangerous to them (7/7)--not just argument about the wording of WMD intel docs.

Thus, the outing of Plame becomes awkward and precipitous, and involves many people--because it was quite urgent--and the search of Kelly's computers possibly connects to Brewster Jennings (the CIA front company), or to mutual contacts within the nether world of illegal weapons shipments, posing the danger that this CIA eyes and ears network on WMDs will find out about the plot to plant WMDs in Iraq. And so--at greater risk of treason charges--they out the entire company and all projects and contacts in a way that points right back to them as treason.

If there was a plot to plant WMDs in Iraq, it was foiled. My candidate for sainthood, in that regard, is David Kelly.

Judith Miller: Chief Bush regime propagandist for WMDs in Iraq, running all over Iraq with US troops after the invasion, "hunting" WMDs that all the insiders know are not there. Still, this big show. Would Bushites just sit around waiting to be exposed to the public as liars? Not likely. Judith Miller has a special "embed" contract signed by Donald Rumsfeld. Her reward is to be the "scoop" when the WMDs that are being planted are "found." But they never are found.

David Kelly: One of his last emails is to Judith Miller. In it, he expresses concern about the "many dark actors playing games." In the various emails he sends just before his death, he says he's looking forward to his daughter's wedding, and returning to Iraq. Despite his "dark actor" forebodings, he thinks the controversy surrounding him will blow over in a week. (My guess: he told Brit intel he would NOT disclose their worst secret, and thought that was an end to it.) Judith Miller had used him as a major quoted source in her book, "Germs" (about germ terrorism). In the news article she wrote about Kelly's death (NYT 7/21/03), she fails to disclose her connections to Kelly, and fails to disclose the "dark actors" email (later disclosed by his family). She also, in the article, places in HIS mouth (but not in quotes) a criticism of US troops for not looking hard enough for WMDs in Iraq. Serves Miller's purpose (at that point--i.e., "bungled" hunt for WMDs). But this statement doesn't at all fit with whistleblower Kelly and his state of mind in May 2003 (about to disclose the "sexed up" intel to the BBC). It's my suspicion that she put words in a dead man's mouth. But it's bad enough that she didn't want readers to connect any dots between her and Kelly, after his death.

And, of course, Miller was in the thick of the Plame outing (probably as the launderer of Plame's identity to other reporters, to protect Cheney, Libby and/or Rove).

There is no question that the Bush regime wanted to silence dissent about the war. But the dissent they wanted to squash was mostly INTERNAL, not the dissent in the public venue (which they were loftily and completely ignoring, much helped by the corporate news monopoly war profiteers). Both Wilson's and Kelly's public dissent could be handled by more lies, and by smears. In fact, Wilson's dissent may have been PLANNED (the Condi Rice baiting). (It's interesting that the Blairites initially used the same P.R. tactic on Kelly that the Bushites used on Plame--that they were minor players; complete rubbish, in both cases.)

But Kelly's dissent was not planned--and NOT PREDICTABLE. He was an insider tough guy, legendary for facing down Saddam Hussein and the Russians on WMD issues. He supported the war; he wanted Saddam ousted. He was also a brilliant scientist (from all reports), working on the WMD issue for 20 years. (Ahem...slashing one wrist out in the cold and rain?). (...more rubbish.) He had tried to get the Brit intel docs more accurate (without the "sexing up"), but hadn't whistleblown on it before the invasion. Why did he do so two months afterwards (late May 2003)? Why would he wish to undermine political support for the thing he advocated and wanted? I think this sequence of events clearly points to SOMETHING happening--his discovering something--that turned him around.

To those of us who were against the war from the beginning (58% of Americans--polls in February 2003--I will never forget that stat), it seems logical and reasonable that someone would turn against the war. It also seems quite believable that someone who whistleblew on the war would turn up dead. I think these assumptions have blinded us to the glaring coincidence of these dates:

July 14, 2003: Plame outed.
July 18, 2003: Kelly dead; computers confiscated.
July 22, 2003: Plame/CIA company outed.

Maybe my guesses here are wrong. There is no concrete evidence for a plot to plant WMDs in Iraq (although it makes overwhelming political sense). And Wilson himself has said things that contradict my speculations here. Still, I think it is a good working hypothesis that helps bring order out of the chaos of Rovegate details--leaks, clues, misdirections, emerging facts, numerous participants, ongoing investigations, and many speculations by others on many different issues and people.

Rovegate itself is likely a misdirection--a believable cover story of Rovian political revenge, mainly designed to point away from Cheney, on, a) treason--deliberately blinding the CIA to illicit arms deals around the world that Cheney had planned to use to justify the invasion of Iraq (planting nukes there), and had long range plans to use to start wars with Iran, Syria and others, and--an increasing probability, in my book--b) ordering or arranging the murder of David Kelly.

Panic on AF-1. The Brits chief weapons expert KNOWS--and he is off the reservation. Got to shut him up. Got to prevent Plame and her WMD network (already known to be sniffing around the illicit arms deals) from finding out. (Urgent! Call EVERYBODY; call in all chips; get this done NOW. We'll cover your back on treason; don't worry about that; just get it published RIGHT NOW.) (--at least six calls; most demurred; one agreed.)

Maybe a novel. Maybe not. Time will tell. IF this is what occurred, then we owe a lot to Dr. David Kelly. The Bush Cartel's FAILURE to "find" WMDs in Iraq is one of the main reasons why Bush's approval rating began sinking like the Titanic after the invasion, and why they had to go to such lengths to steal the election--Diebold & ES&S, plus Ohio, plus the falsification of the exit poll data (Kerry won) on everybody's TV screens that night-- making it all too obvious what they did. David Kelly may have given us our last chance to save this democracy.

Talk about "collateral damage."

[jurassicpork]

10. Great post, Patriot

I'd virtually forgotten about Dr. Kelly's death. This whole thing is beginning to assume a Robert Ludlum feel.

JP
http://jurassicpork.blogspot.com

[LonelyLRLiberal]

13. Excellent analysis, Patriot

I don't read DU often enough to know if you have posted this to start a thread, but if you have not done so, you should. Thanks.

[TahitiNut]

22. I completely agree. This is the nucleus of the plot, I'm certain.

When (and if) this is exposed it'll spread back all the way to the Graduating Class of Iran/Contra, include "incubator babies," include "Curveball," and show a cabal focused on this for two decades.

[Booster]

28. Peace Patriot, please start a thread with this exact information

and we will all nominate it. Hoping you don't mind, I have copied your post and sent it to everyone I know that's follwoing the story. I believe you have gotten probably ALL of the story correct and this is what I believe happened also, altough I could have never put it in words the way you did. Very, very good job - and, unfortunately, I think you're right on the money.

[Pooka Fey]

29. Fantastic post. Thank you, Peace Patriot. n/t

[leesa]

32. Do you remember the reports that came out within a few months of the start

of the Iraq war of troops on a secret mission who were showing up at hospitals with a mysterious pneumonia and dying like flies? I remember speculation that they were transporting WMDs and that there had been an accident...they were shelled by US or coalition forces. I remember hospital staff saying they were told to keep mum about it, but I remember the casualties were high and hush-hush, with verbage by hospital staff implying some sort of WMD exposure.

Anyone remember when this took place? Was it about this time?

[democrat in Tallahassee]

4. you left out "cause they are assholes"

[radfringe]

5. The real crime here remains the sending of American men and women to Iraq

"...The real crime here remains the sending of American men and women to Iraq on fictitious grounds. Without it, there wouldn't have been a third-rate smear campaign against an obscure diplomat, a bungled cover-up and a scandal that - like the war itself - has no exit strategy that will not inflict pain."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4179242

[Imagevision]

18. Wrong!! the President lied us into a phoney war that is the crine!

[Imagevision]

19. We, by now know Bush lied us into a phoney war for oil - Fitz

he's our only hope at this point!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. 1 and 2, primarily, in my view.

[Al-CIAda]

8. It was certainly at least 3 of the above. n/t

[TruthIsAll]

9. Sunday kick for more votes...

/

[DemonFighterLives]

11. Number 3

It was all done to take dowm an investigation that was getting too close to the players providing the world with nuclear armaments. Side benefit- attempt to keep the war lies from being revealed.

[Peace Patriot]

12. And so, TIA, I didn't vote in your poll. I think that the poll choice,

"To destroy Plame's (Brewster-Jennings) investigation of global WMD money flow" comes closest to what I believe. I certainly think they had this long term intention. But I think that when and how they did it had a specific motivator that accounts for their stupidity in involving so many people, and such high risk of treason charges. (They could have been a lot more subtle than planting this info in a Novak column. That speaks to urgency--as does the multiple phone calls.) If my theory is correct, it wasn't just "money flow" they were worried about; it was actual weapons movements, with a particular goal--getting them into Iraq (and/or, using them to instigate further wars).

I disagree with radfringe that the "real crime" (or the "worse crime") was sending American men and women to Iraq. That was a crime, surely--and every one of those 2,000 deaths should be considered murder. But the WORSE crime is the slaughter of over 100,000 innocent Iraqis (according the British doctors' report), to get their oil, to get Saddam (for trading in euros), to protect Israel and to make billions and billions of dollars in war profits. That will go down as one of the worse war crimes in history--and Americans' current understanding of it, as unjustified and based on lies, is probably attributable to whoever it was who stopped covert Bush Cartel shipments of WMDs to Iraq, sometime in the March-July time period--thus denying Bush and Blair what would have been their most triumphalist "talking point" of this entire disaster, fooling many people and removing dissent to the fringes.

And, as I said, my candidate for that heroic action is David Kelly. There may be others--perhaps some of the Brewster-Jennings covert WMD contacts who are more than likely dead now. But his death is the one we know about, and that resonates with meaning--occurring, as it did, three days after the first Plame outing, with the wider outing (of the company) occurring four days later.

[sunnystarr]

23. Isn't it possible that Kelly was somehow connected with

Valerie Plame and Brewster-Jennings and that he was killed because she was outed? We've been told that she had dealings with contacts in many parts of the world. Since they both dealt in the area of WMD it's possible that they were connected.

[Peace Patriot]

14. What should we be doing?

There isn't much we can do about David Kelly's death, unless we are private investigators (and there are some whistleblowers on it in England--dissenting forensic experts, etc.). (There are a whole lot of people who don't believe the official "suicide" story.) As for Treasongate, we can support prosecutor Fitzgerald however we can, demand impeachment proceedings, and continue educating ourselves and others.

But the main thing that I think we should be doing is election reform. Our best chance at election reform--and possibly our last chance to save this democracy--is at the state/local level, where the power over election systems still resides, and where ordinary people still have some say. The bipartisan corruption in the big business of electronic voting machines is daunting...

See Amaryllis' post on the hogfest at the Beverly Hilton, sponsored by Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia, planned for this August...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4179468&mesg_id=4179468

...but the bipartisan corruption in Washington DC on war issues, and on many other issues including electronic voting, is much harder to fix, especially without the right to vote.

Paper ballots, hand counted at the precinct level!

and, in the meantime, whatever auditing capability we can achieve with...

Paper BALLOT (not "paper trail") backup of electronic voting, strict recount audits and strict security, and NO SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code! (...jeez!)

Join your local election reform group--or form your own--and start helping to achieve transparency and verifiability in our elections, and restoration of our right to vote.

Because, right now we have...

War.
Looting.
Treason.
Taxation.
And state-imposed religion.
Without representation.

[Peace Patriot]

15. KICK! n/t

[DanCa]

20. Conservatives hate men of peace

Wilson wouldn't play ball and doctor intel war so they outted his wife.

[Peace Patriot]

21. I don't think they are "conservatives." They are an extremely radical

fringe, into war profiteering and global piracy. Conservatives CONSERVE--whether it's the social order based on a hundred years of hardwon social consensus, or peoples' savings in S&L's, or forests, or water and air, or other resources upon which society depends for the well-being of all, or community infrastructure (hospitals, schools, roads), or time-honored programs such as Social Security, or time-honored principles such as the separation of church and state, a "balance of power" in government, and transparent elections, or the peoples' collective tax money. Conservation. Thought for the future. Planning. Distrust of radical, crack-brained schemes. Distrust of foreign adventures. Reverence for tradition and continuity. Maybe it keeps some people rich and some people poor, but not too much so. Not with billionaires and homeless. Not with fat-cat $100,000-a-plate dinners and hungry children. Balance. Equity. Gradual progress.

Sound like Bushites?

I really think we should strip them of this cover--the word "conservative." (Same for "mainstream media"-MSM. Not mainstream. Not even close. Corporate news monopolies who dish out propaganda for the war profiteers and the super rich.)

[troubleinwinter]

26. "war profiteering and global piracy" says it. Nominated-excellent thread.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

24. WHY IS THE TITLE OF YOUR THREAD IN ALL CAPS?

Just asking...

[TruthIsAll]

25. WHY DO YOU CARE? Just asking...

/

[smoogatz]

27. You forgot: Because they're evil fascist bastards n/t

[leesa]

30. The money flow because it heads right back to the Bush Crime Family.

[Independent_Liberal]

31. All of the above...

I'm sure of it.

[Lannes]

33. Hubris

They've been like teflon for so long that they thought they could get away with anything and so far they have been right.

[Paula Sims]

34. Instant karma's gonna get you

My apologies to John Lennon. . .

What amazes me is the hubris with which all of this was executed. I work in fraud investigation and it NEVER ceases to amaze me that it's always the hubris that makes them make a mistake and get caught. Then they eat their own to save their skins.

I always told my husband that people get it in the way they give it (don't mean Gannon here!). What I mean is that this WH was always proud of their dealings, the loyalty they demanded, and the secrecy in which everything was done. What will hurt them and especially * the most? NOT being loved, revered, and frankly thought of as inconsequential. Sometimes apathy hurts more than hate.

What goes around. . .The unfortunate part is the innocents that have gotten hurt or killed.

Paula

[Zorbuddha]

35. Who the fuck knows?

I'm just glad it happened. It's a gift.

(apologies to the victims)

[liberalla]

36. Number 3, also

Brewster Jennings working with/infiltrating ARAMCO had to be stopped.

[TruthIsAll]

37. Monday, Monday

Keep voting.