Analysis of the indictments and what they tell us

Indictment Day

So the indictments are out and Libby gets all 5.  What do they tell us?  What new information can be gleaned from this?  The important item in this investigation is who originally leaked the name PLAME?  That was Mrs. Wilsons undercover name and how that got leaked is a vital piece of information.

Well, the first thing we find is that Libby went to an "Under Secretary" of State.  Probably Bolton as early as May 29th, to find out who the ambassador was that was sent to Niger.

Then it tells us where Libby probably got the name PLAME.

On or about June 11 or 12, 2003, the Under Secretary of State orally advised LIBBY

in the White House that, in sum and substance, Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and that State

Department personnel were saying that Wilson's wife was involved in the planning of his trip.

7. On or about June 11, 2003, LIBBY spoke with a senior officer of the CIA to ask

about the origin and circumstances of Wilson's trip, and was advised by the CIA officer that

Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and was believed to be responsible for sending Wilson on the trip.

It is possible that on this day the name PLAME was first leaked to Libby.  It could have occured sooner, but if we go strictly by what Fitzgerald has learned, then it probably didn't happen before this day.  Of course, nothing proves that Libby heard the name PLAME on this day, just that he learned about Wilsons wife being CIA.  However, this is still the first possible day the name PLAME first surfaced.

The question is:  If he first learned of PLAME on this day, did he learn if from Bolton or "a senior officer of the CIA"?

The answer is:  Probably neither.  Why?  Because if he knew all about PLAME on June 11th, then why does Cheney need to fill him in on June 12th?

On or about June 12, 2003, LIBBY was advised by the Vice President of the United

States that Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation

Division. LIBBY understood that the Vice President had learned this information from the CIA.

So the next day, Libby learns Mrs. Wilson's role at the CIA.  It is most likely that this is the day he actually first heard the name PLAME.  And he heard it from none other than DICK CHENEY.  

One thing is for sure, at this point both Cheney and Libby knew that Plame was an operative. Why? Because EVERYONE who works in the Counterproliferation Division is a classified operative.

Of course, there is one more person Libby could have first heard the name PLAME:

Not earlier than June 2003, but on or before July 8, 2003, the Assistant to the Vice

President for Public Affairs learned from another government official that Wilson's wife worked at

the CIA, and advised LIBBY of this information.

That would be Catherine Martin. It's possible that Martin first told Libby who then went direct to Cheney and confirmed this.  Either way, however, this only goes to prove that by the time Libby learned about PLAME, Cheney (and Martin) were already fully in the know.

Next, of course, is the beginning of the leaks:

On or about June 23, 2003, LIBBY met with New York Times reporter Judith Miller.

During this meeting LIBBY was critical of the CIA, and disparaged what he termed "selective

leaking" by the CIA concerning intelligence matters. In discussing the CIA's handling of Wilson's

trip to Niger, LIBBY informed her that Wilson's wife might work at a bureau of the CIA.

Here is the first we know of a journalist being given classified information.  We now know Libby knew the name PLAME and that he passed that name on to Miller.  Why?  Because she jotted down the name Valerie Flame on the memo she kept of that day.

BTW, here is where you can bitch slap all those Republican talking parrots about Wilson claiming to having been sent by Cheney:

Wilson asserted, among other things, that

he had taken a trip to Niger at the request of the CIA in February 2002

And then comes an interesting tidbit:

Also on or about July 8, 2003, LIBBY met with the Counsel to the Vice President

in an anteroom outside the Vice President's Office. During their brief conversation, LIBBY asked

the Counsel to the Vice President, in sum and substance, what paperwork there would be at the CIA

if an employee's spouse undertook an overseas trip.

Trying to dig up more dirt?  Or trying to uncover some piece of information?  Perhaps smarter minds than mine could fill us in on the possible ramifications of this move by Libby and why Fitzgerald thought it pertinent enough to put in the indictments?

And here's where Fitzgerald has Libby by the balls:

LIBBY made the following materially false and intentionally misleading statements and

representations, in substance, under oath:

a. When LIBBY spoke with Tim Russert of NBC News, on or about July 10,

2003:

i. Russert asked LIBBY if LIBBY knew that Wilson's wife worked for

the CIA, and told LIBBY that all the reporters knew it; and

ii. At the time of this conversation, LIBBY was surprised to hear that

Wilson's wife worked for the CIA;

But you see, as Fitzgerald points out:

Russert did not ask LIBBY if LIBBY knew that Wilson's wife

worked for the CIA, nor did he tell LIBBY that all the reporters knew

it;

Which means that Libby is caught in a lie.  But let's look at Libby's lie:  One part of his lie to the GJ was that Russert said all the reporters knew.  But Russert didn't say that.  Why did Libby add this into his lie?  Because from that point on he claims he was telling Cooper and Miller that:

he had heard that other reporters were saying that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA but

LIBBY did not know whether that assertion was true.

But the fact was, Libby was again lying, he never told either Cooper or Miller that "other reporters were saying" bullcrap.  He told them flat out that Mrs. Miller was a CIA operative.

So why isn't Libby being charged with this?  Afterall, according to Fitzgerald:

A major focus of the Grand Jury Investigation was to determine which government

officials had disclosed to the media prior to July 14, 2003 information concerning the affiliation of

Valerie Wilson with the CIA, and the nature, timing, extent, and purpose of such disclosures, as well

as whether any official making such a disclosure did so knowing that the employment of Valerie

Wilson by the CIA was classified information.

And it is clear that Libby did indeed disclose to the media this information.  Obviously, Fitzgerald didn't charge Libby with these things because Libby agreed to turn states evidence.

During the press conference, Fitzgerald refused to speculate whether he knew that Libby knew that what he was telling the media was classified, he returned the answer about Libby may or may not have "appreciated" the importance of the imformation.  I think this is Fitzgeralds way of dodging the question because if he's turned Libby, he can't very well SAY that to the media, can he?