Novak names names in Plame leak case

[kluge]

<p>gla - I’ll answer for FF, since he probably won’t. This is how the CIA director at the time explained it:

Portions of the State of the Union speech draft came to the CIA for comment shortly before the speech was given. Various parts were shared with cognizant elements of the Agency for review. Although the documents related to the alleged Niger-Iraqi uranium deal had not yet been determined to be forgeries, officials who were reviewing the draft remarks on uranium raised several concerns about the fragmentary nature of the intelligence with National Security Council colleagues. Some of the language was changed. From what we know now, Agency officials in the end concurred that the text in the speech was factually correct - i.e. that the British government report said that Iraq sought uranium from Africa. This should not have been the test for clearing a Presidential address. This did not rise to the level of certainty which should be required for Presidential speeches, and CIA should have ensured that it was removed.

The entire press release, explaining how the evidence of the Niger-Iraq uranium deal was viewed as unreliable in various ways, is at <a href=“https://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/press_release/2003/pr07112003.html[/url]”>https://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/press_release/2003/pr07112003.html&lt;/a&gt;
Tenet’s explanation has a real “meaning of ‘is’” quality to it, doesn’t it? Stephen Hadley, the deputy National Security Advisor, takes the blame for the 16 words, too. Per the BBC:

Mr Hadley said the CIA objections to including the allegations in Mr Bush’s October speech came in the form of two memos sent to him and presidential speechwriter Michael Gerson and at least one telephone conversation with Mr Tenet.</p>

<p>One memorandum said the CIA had “reservations” about the British reporting of the uranium claims, the Associated Press news agency reported.</p>

<p>As a result of the contact the references were removed from this speech.</p>

<p>However, Mr Hadley said he failed to recall these memoranda - which Mr Gerson is said to have found over the weekend - and phone calls when it came to Mr Bush’s later State of the Union address.</p>

<p>“I should have either asked that the 16 words dealing with that subject be stricken or I should have alerted Mr Tenet,” he says.</p>

<p>“And had I done so this would have avoided the whole current controversy.”

Or, as Steve Martin would say: “I forGOT! EXcuuuuse me!”</p>