Hard Rain Journal 7-4-06: Latest Report on Fitzgerald Investigation -- Bush Told Cheney to "Get It Out!"
By Richard Power
July 4th? No celebration. No flag-waving. Not until the debacle in Iraq has ended. Not until those responsible for it face the consequences, e.g., impeachment and/or war crimes tribunals.
Following up on the examples of Sy Hersh I posted on Sunday, and Greg Palast I posted yesterday, here is even more investigative reporting NOT being conducted (or even referenced) by the US mainstream news media....
Murray Waas, writing in the National Journal, offers some insight into Patrick Fitzgerald's June 2004 Oval Office interview with George W. Bush: Bush told prosecutors he directed Cheney to disclose classified information that would not only defend his administration but also discredit Wilson.
Here is an excerpt from the Murray Waas story, with a link to the full text:
President Bush told the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case that he directed Vice President Dick Cheney to personally lead an effort to counter allegations made by former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV that his administration had misrepresented intelligence information to make the case to go to war with Iraq, according to people familiar with the president's statement.
Bush told prosecutors he directed Cheney to disclose classified information that would not only defend his administration but also discredit Wilson.
Bush also told federal prosecutors during his June 24, 2004, interview in the Oval Office that he had directed Cheney, as part of that broader effort, to disclose highly classified intelligence information that would not only defend his administration but also discredit Wilson, the sources said....
One senior government official familiar with the discussions between Bush and Cheney -- but who does not have firsthand knowledge of Bush's interview with prosecutors -- said that Bush told the vice president to "Get it out," or "Let's get this out," regarding information that administration officials believed would rebut Wilson's allegations and would discredit him.
A person with direct knowledge of Bush's interview refused to confirm that Bush used those words, but said that the first official's account was generally consistent with what Bush had told Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald....
A senior government official familiar with the matter said that in directing Libby to leak the classified information to Miller and other reporters, Cheney said words to the effect of, "The president wants this out," or "The president wants this done."
Murray Waas, Bush Directed Cheney To Counter War Critic, National Journal, 7-3-06
NOTE: Patrck Fitzgerald has still not made any pronouncement, or clarification, on the legal status of Karl Rove. Therefore, Luskin's assertion, not corroborated by any documentation, that Rove is not going to be indicted, remains just that -- an assertion by a defense lawyer in a high-profile, high-stakes criminal case.
Richard Power is the founder of GS(3) Intelligence and http://www.wordsofpower.net. His work focuses on the inter-related issues of security, sustainability and spirit, and how to overcome the challenges of terrorism, cyber crime, global warming, health emergencies, natural disasters, etc. You can reach him via e-mail: richardpower@wordsofpower.net. For more information, go to www.wordsofpower.net
Plame, Rove, Cheney, Bush, Libby, Karl Rove, Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson, Partrick Fitzgerald, Murray Waas
