This act – apparently and allegedly ordered by Vice President Dick Cheney and perhaps President George W. Bush as well – constitutes a violation of our national security interests in the highest order. How many of Plame’s CIA peers and other contacts overseas were compromised by this act?
What is the definition of an action that violates the nation’s security interests during a time of war? Britannica Concise defines the “offense of attempting to overthrow the government of one’s country or of assisting its enemies in war” as treason. Were our enemies assisted by this act of disloyalty against our nation’s intelligence services? This is a question that must be answered.
What is the punishment for treason?: “Federal death penalty crimes are various degrees and types of murder as well as treason…”
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Journalists take stand in Libby’s defense
Bob Woodward and others say the Cheney aide wasn’t the one who told them about CIA agent Valerie Plame.
By Richard B. Schmitt and Greg Miller, Times Staff Writers
February 13, 2007
“Because his wife’s a [expletive] analyst at the agency,” ~ Richard L. Armitage to journalist Bob Woodward.
(Bob) Novak — whose disclosure of Plame’s name and CIA connection in a July 14, 2003, piece kicked off the original leak furor — said he had heard about Plame from White House political guru Karl Rove, as well as from Armitage.
Reporter Walter Pincus of the Washington Post also took the stand, saying then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer had given him the information.
Mikael Rudolphwww.ImpeachforPeace.org/blog
I take your question as both literal and rhetorical because we (meaning anyone who doesn’t worship at the mega-alter of ‘Rupert and Rush’) know instinctively that the spiteful — if poorly executed — actions of Bushney-co have aided our enemies… in so many ways and on so many levels.
Besides blowing Plame’s cover and leaving her cover organization, BJ&A, exposed to retribution by the very enemies on whom she was collecting intelligence, they suppressed Joseph Wilson’s basic message: the intelligence about the Niger uranium was based on forged documents. Had this message been received, Colin Powell could never have made his multi-media sales pitch, which – for the unconvinced, but ultimately gullible legions – was the thing that closed the sale. His words, sans Wilson’s input, convinced them to buy what Bushney-co was selling.
As a result of this war, we now have enemies that not even a paranoid-schizoid like Bill O’Reilly could have dreamed of. And having new enemies helps our old enemies.
The question is can we muster the righteous indignation necessary to hold them accountable for their actions? I take that back (the neo-cons have managed to lower the bar for what it means to be held accountable. Open your pie-hole and say these words: “I am sorry for hurting my friends and family.†Then blame it on beer and pledge to ‘check yourself in’ first thing in the morning.
The question is, can we muster the Constitutional courage to punish them for their treason?