Wilson: Questions Remain Over CIA Leak

(CBS/AP)  Former Ambassador Joe Wilson said Wednesday that he and his wife, Valerie Plame, feel a "sense of personal relief" at the conviction of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, but don't consider the case closed by any means

Libby, the former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of Plame's identity as a CIA operative. He was the highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since the Iran-Contra arms and money affair two decades ago.

Despite the conviction, Wilson said he and Plame are moving ahead with a civil suit, alleging the White House was behind the leak.

Wilson told CBS News' The Early Show that President Bush and Vice President Cheney "really need to step forward and reassure the American people that they had nothing to do with this - or explain to the American people what they had to do with it."

Wilson said he and his wife are going forward with their civil suit against the vice president, White House political adviser Karl Rove and others, because they "want the whole story to come out."

The trial revealed Cheney's eagerness to discredit Wilson, an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's Iraq war policy, as well as the administration's policies on talking to reporters and its strategies for dealing with a crisis.

But the case offered little new information about whether Mr. Bush was involved or whether he authorized any leaks. Defense attorneys never delivered Cheney or Libby to the witness stand as promised to discuss the White House effort to undermine Wilson's credibility, a campaign that resulted in the disclosure of his wife's job at the CIA.

Libby's attorneys offered few details about a supposed White House conspiracy to protect Rove from prosecution.

It also was never explained why former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who originally leaked Plame's identity, was never charged.

Now that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald says his investigation is complete, those questions are likely to go unanswered. Nobody will be charged with actually leaking Plame's identity. Libby was convicted of lying to cover up his conversations about Plame.

"The results are actually sad," Fitzgerald told reporters after the federal jury's verdict. "It's sad that we had a situation where a high-level official person who worked in the office of the vice president obstructed justice and lied under oath. We wish that it had not happened, but it did."

One juror said Libby was being made a scapegoat.

"There was a tremendous amount of sympathy for Mr. Libby on the jury. It was said a number of times, 'What are we doing with this guy here? Where's Rove? Where are these other guys?'" juror Denis Collins said. "I'm not saying we didn't think Mr. Libby was guilty of the things we found him guilty of. It seemed like he was, as Mr. Wells put it, he was the fall guy."

Libby's fate remains unclear. He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced June 5, but his federal sentencing guidelines are much lower. His lawyers promised to ask for a new trial and said they'll ask that Libby remain free while any appeals are fought.

"We have every confidence Mr. Libby ultimately will be vindicated," defense attorney Theodore Wells said. He said Libby was "totally innocent and that he did not do anything wrong."

And then there's the lingering question of whether Mr. Bush will pardon Libby, as the president's father did in 1992 for former Reagan administration officials caught up in the scandal that grew out of arms sales to Iran and the diversion of proceeds to the Nicaraguan rebels.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., immediately called on Mr. Bush not to pardon Libby. The White House wouldn't say what the president might do.

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[randalds]

Of course. And the Nuremberg trial redone.

Posted by abbe7 at 10:52 AM : Mar 08, 2007

I'm all for a new Nuremberg style trial, but this time with the new Nazi's, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld facing charges of crimes against humanity and waging a war of aggression. Both of those carry the death penalty you know. So after they're legally convicted of course and using the same type of trial methods they're using in Gitmo, let's broadcast the punishment on pay-per-view!

[abbe7]

"a good man and a patriot, Mr. Libby, has to rot for this much ado about nothing. President Bush - pardon Libby, and pardon Ramos and Compean, the two Border Agents unjust jailed.
If the Fascists and Botox Girl doesn't like it - tough.
Posted by Lieber1881


hey liebrsissy do you think Jonathan Pollard should be pardoned too? "

Of course. And the Nuremberg trial redone.

[abbe7]

Time to make other GJ testimonies public. Am I dreaming ?

[karlimhof]

a good man and a patriot, Mr. Libby, has to rot for this much ado about nothing. President Bush - pardon Libby, and pardon Ramos and Compean, the two Border Agents unjust jailed.
If the Fascists and Botox Girl doesn't like it - tough.
Posted by Lieber1881


hey liebrsissy do you think Jonathan Pollard should be pardoned too?

[iceman_1960]

"This fat pig Wilson deserves to face a firing squad, and his 'ho Plame needs to find a cathouse to suit her needs." - Lieber1881

Talk is cheap on the Internet, where the worst consequence of this kind of mouthing off is a painless banishment from the forum, and a re-registration that only takes a few seconds.

In real life, Lie-ber1881 would be hit with a lawsuit and wind up losing his trailer park home and moving to a homeless shelter.

But talk is real cheap here.

[karlimhof]

The Intelligence communities of the world have never backed off their claim that Saddam Hussein was indeed trying to buy Uranium ore in Africa just as the President said in his state of the Union address. Yes there were some forged dcocuments uncovered, but they did not invalidate the stroy - Seafang

To use your own words: what a crock of sh..., Seafang !

Michael Ledeen, through his italian contacts is most likely the source of the forged documents. The letterhead and stamp were stolen at the Niger emabssy in Rome - the only items missing. Mysteriously finding their way to M16 - to give them more credence.

Ledeen, neocon, Iran-contra hoodlum, AEI confidant, so-called "patriot" but in reality someone who despises our democratic system, believes in world dominion, like his cohorts Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, etc.

If the CIA had not called Cheney on this one, they could have closed shop. Good work! Now let's get the other criminal neocons still out there.

[j0hnwi11iams]

If they can get you to believe religion, they can get you to believe anything. "sought significant quantities of uranium from Niger". How exactly is this NOT a lie? The word "significant" is what makes this a lie, because as Joe Wilson proved, there is no way Saddam could have gotten uranium from Niger without alerting the entire world. The document was a forgery. This claim was made while cooking the intelligence to sell the idea that Saddam was a threat to the US.

[randalds]

seatang

Wow that's a long post. I looked and I couldn't find one true statement in it. Good job.


Posted by frankly6

This guy's new to the NEOCONMEN but he's good, eh?
Posted by bm6005 at 11:00 PM : Mar 07, 2007

It WAS amazing for a first effort. He/she/it has a big future as a Bush speech writer. Well for the next 20 months or so. ;-)

[wayfedup]

badaxhomomofo...

Would you PLEASE, for those who missed it awhile back, tell us ALL how the 200+ TONS of CASH that Bush GAVE the IRAQI people only amounted to about $35,000.00 U.S.? PULLLLEEEASE? ,I LOVED THAT ONE!!!

[bm6005]

seatang

Wow that's a long post. I looked and I couldn't find one true statement in it. Good job.


Posted by frankly6

This guy's new to the NEOCONMEN but he's good, eh?