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Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodward Sources

By Jeralyn, Section Valerie Plame Leak Case
Posted on Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 11:41:21 PM EST
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Bump and Update: The New York Times reports that the Washington Post editor has said if one of the other reporters figures out who Bob Woodward's source is, the paper might publish it. Woodward is still pushing the source for a full release.

Update: The Wall St. Journal(free link) says Cheney is not the leak.

Vice President Dick Cheney isn't believed to have talked to Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald since last year, nor has he given a waiver to Mr. Woodward. That removes him as Mr. Woodward's source.

The New York Times has more on the denials:

They included Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser; Marc Grossman, the former undersecretary of state; Douglas Feith, the former undersecretary of defense for policy; and Eric Edelman, the former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, who has succeeded Mr. Feith at the Pentagon.

In addition, a person knowledgeable about the investigation being conducted by the special counsel in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, said Mr. Cheney had not been Mr. Woodward's source. A spokesman for Mr. Cheney has said that the vice president would have no comment on a continuing investigation.

....Others who issued denials on Thursday included Carl P. Ford, the former head of the State Department's intelligence bureau; Alan Foley, the former head of the C.I.A.'s weapons and arms control center; and David R. Shedd, chief of staff and associate director of national intelligence who is the former senior director for national security matters on the staff of the National Security Council.

Those who have declined to comment include Robert Joseph, the undersecretary of state for arms control, who was previously a senior director on the N.S.C. staff. Aides to Mr. Rumsfeld; Mr. Armitage; and Paul D. Wolfowitz, former deputy secretary of defense, now head of the World Bank, have not replied to requests to comment.

Richard Armitage is a possibility. The Times reports:

Among other officials with whom Mr. Woodward is known to have interviewed for his previous books are Mr. Cheney; Ms. Rice; former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell; George J. Tenet, former director of central intelligence; and Mr. Armitage.

Washington Post Editor Leonard Downie said on CNN Wednesday that the source was one who had been interviewed many times for Woodward's 2004 book. Armitage reportedly is out of the country and has not replied to inquiries.

Kevin Drum has a handy new guide to those claiming not to be the source. Scrappleface has some comic relief on the topic.

************
Original Post 11/17

The White House is adding to its list of officials who deny being Robert Woodward's source for the leak of information about Valerie Plame Wilson. It says Stephen Hadley is not the source:

A White House official said on Thursday that national security adviser Stephen Hadley was not Woodward's source on Plame. According to current and former administration officials and lawyers, neither was: President George W. Bush himself, top political adviser Karl Rove, Libby, White House chief of staff Andrew Card, counselor Dan Bartlett, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former CIA director George Tenet, and former deputy CIA director John McLaughlin.

Many people are speculating it is Dick Cheney. Jane of Firedgoglake seems like she may be leaning that way. I don't think so. But the list is narrowing. Those who seem most likely to me are all included in this paragraph from the Sunday Herald (Oct. 30, 2005), written before Woodward's revelation:

All The President's Men has a resonance when you follow the links Libby has with other part of Bush's influential regime. Libby's deputy, John Hannah, one of Cheney's leading Middle East experts, had close ties to John Bolton, a former under-secretary of state for arms control; David Wurmser, a former Bolton aide, later joined Cheney's office. Robert Joseph was another hawk within the Bush administration who was a former director for nonproliferation on the National Security Council.

Bolton is now in New York as ambassador to the UN, and Joseph has a new role as under-secretary of state where his executive assistant is Frederick Fleitz, a former CIA officer, formerly John Bolton's chief of staff. Among those quizzed in relation to the leak of Plame's name and CIA role include Hannah and Joseph.

The answer may not be in Woodward's book, Plan of Attack. According to a April 29, 2004 article in The Independent, White House Braced for Latest Assault by Hardback, (available on Lexis.com)

This [Woodward's] volume involved interviews with 75 sources, only two of which - Mr Bush himself and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - are named.

I'll still go with David Wurmser, John Hannah or Fred Fleitz.

< Former CIA Official Calls Cheney "VP for Torture" | Fitzgerald Confirms New Grand Jury Will Continue Leaks Investigation >

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    Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodward Sources | 16 comments (16 topical)
    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    A White House official said on Thursday that national security adviser Stephen Hadley was not Woodward's source on Plame.
    (emphasis mine) Which suggests that the WH knows who the leaker is.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    What about Ari Fleischer? Although Wurmser and Hannah seem very likely...

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#3)
    by MiddleOfTheRoad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    Whatever happened to the mantra of the White House: "we cannot comment because of an ongoing investigation"? Rove's spokesperson came out and said he is not the leaker. Hadley is being denied as the source. Are they going to only talk about things that they feel are exculpatory?

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    This part I don't get. Just because someone in the WH says person X is not the leaker, we are supposed to believe them? Why? Recall Scottie's comments about Rove and Libby sometime ago in which he categorically denied their involvement. Perhaps I am not sophisticated in these matters. But I don't get it.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    I for one can't even recall half the details of this Plamegate scandal as presented by the mainstream press and a host of good bloggers on the left, but I do wonder why everyone is suddenly jumping to believe these new white house denials about who woodward's source is. obviously in the past almost every word coming out of the WH has been lies and more lies. so I agree with Ba'al. and why would any reader in the public believe any "unnamed source" "white house official" in this matter anyway? it's ridiculous, it's this speculative Beltway game. Fitz has the final say in all this and we'll know soon enough.....

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    "Are they going to only talk about things that they feel are exculpatory?" They always have. Loose lips sink ships, until Condie wants to go to the NYT and out the British-turned Al Qaeda mole inside the US in contact with a cell reportedly preparing an attack. She shut down the entire operation, with that leak? Why would she do that? They do guilt, but never make their case. The Lynching of Iraq is just another absentee non habeas prosecution and summary (in)justice. Thou shalt not bear false witness, Dickie. Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's oil wells.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#7)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    squeak - I just issued a press release:
    My friend Bob is not the leaker.
    So, by your standards I know who the leaker is... Logic, Squeak. Logic. et al - Starting to look like everyone in Washington knew... Now where have I heard that before???

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    Raw Story's sources are repeating their assertion that Hadley was the person who leaked to Woodward. In addition, they claim there is a record of the meeting between Hadley and Woodward. Hadley has not denied that he was the leaker. If it was Hadley, one wonders why he would come forward now, and whether he is in danger of a false statements charge for having omitted this information in earlier discussions with Fitzgerald. One possibility is that Hadley was also the original leaker to Novak. If Hadley was candid with Fitzgerald in admitting that he talked to Novak, Fitzgerald would likely excuse as an oversight any omission regarding Woodward, particularly if Woodward is correct that the mention of Plame came in "casually," at the end of a long interview on another topic.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#10)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:14 PM EST
    gramps-It does seem that Hadley has not denies anything.ere is what he had to said yesterday:
    Q Were you the administration official who talked with Bob Woodward about the identity of a CIA operative? MR. HADLEY: I have seen press reports that -- and only press reports -- that Bob Woodward has talked about, I guess, three sources from the administration that he had. I've also seen press reports from White House officials saying that I am not one of his sources. As you know, there is an ongoing investigation.....
    Perhaps Hadley is cooperating With Fitzgerald and has an immunity deal. If Woodward recently found out that his name came up in a conversation with Fitzgerald in relation to Cheney or one of his henchmen, he may be spinning to protect what little reputation he has left, before he is proven to be the lying hack that he has morphed into since his Nixon glory days. WH press briefing

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#11)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:15 PM EST
    Darkly - Glad to see that you agree with Cliff Nay and me that everyone in DC knew Mrs. Wilson worked for the CIA. Kinda makes the investigation silly, eh? Also glad to see that you now admit that Mrs. Wilson was up to her eyebrows in Mr. Wilson being selected to go to Niger. That's a new position for you.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:15 PM EST
    Darkly - Glad to see that you agree with Cliff Nay and me that everyone in DC knew Mrs. Wilson worked for the CIA. Except that the song-and-dance you are trying to sell is a position that isn't held by Cliff May these days, and it's really hilarious that you are behind in what his latest talking points are. Link to the column I referenced above. Kinda makes the investigation silly, eh? If it weren't for the fact that in the Libby indictment it is stated that Plames' status was classified, yes. Also glad to see that you now admit that Mrs. Wilson was up to her eyebrows in Mr. Wilson being selected to go to Niger. That's a new position for you. Sorry, but it has been ackowledged by Wilson that his wife sent a memo about his qualifications to the folks at the CIA. Aside from escorting him to the meeting, that was her total involvement in the matter. You do remember that the report by the full Senate panel did state that Plame wasn't responsible for the selection of Wilson for the mission, don't you? You should keep the following in mind: "We are entitled to our own opinions, but none of us are entitled to our own facts." Sen. Patrick Moynihan TTFN, Whizzy.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#13)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:15 PM EST
    DA, It's kind of like watching a Titanic victim grabbing any broken shards of the boat that float by, but drowning anyway, isn't it?

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#15)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:15 PM EST
    DA, we'll have to get him some "earthquake pills". If you've ever seen that cartoon you'd agree... :-)

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#16)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:16 PM EST
    No outside force can harm the Coyote - only his own ineptitude or the failure of the Acme products. The Coyote could stop any time - if he were not a fanatic.

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#17)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:16 PM EST
    PPJ-here is the Illustrated ACME Catalogue Earthquake Pills, Dehydrated Boulders, Building Disintegrators and more. Stock up now as all those commies and terrorists are breeding like bunny rabbits ACME

    Re: Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodwa (none / 0) (#18)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:16 PM EST
    Thanks for the link, Squeaky! Hey, Whizzy... Funded by the Pentagon, the ACME Anti Nightmare Machine was very effective in convincing young men to enlist in the armed forces during the 1950's and 1960's!

    Denials Come Streaming in From Could-Be Woodward Sources | 16 comments (16 topical)