There is a strong and rational inference that the NIE information was released and released in that particular form; to bolster the administration’s case. This much is common ground, I think.
The relevance for this in terms of discussing national security is that the consideration was ‘to bolster the administration’s case’. Thereby the due and paramount consideration, ‘national security’ was excluded. Moreover, probity and impartiality were overlooked. In other words, as I stated earlier, the declassification occurred indifferently to its consequences for national security.
Assuming that Bush followed the proper procedures in declassifying the information, why did he have them leaked instead of publishing them? If the press secretary or other person said that these declassified documents showed that Wilson was wrong, no one would object. But they chose to go the underhanded way.
And the incompetent underhanded way, since they gave them to Judy Miller, who, as Maureen Dodd mentioned yesterday, was not allowed to write about WMDs any more for being too gullible in the run up to the war.
BTW, the WH jihad on leakers is not limited to the Plame case. They had a fit about the leaks on the wiretaps also. The hypocrisy of the leak comes from their very audible anality about the leaking. It’s just more evidence of their untrustworthiness, which the press and the people have caught on to at last.
They were released to the media about 10 days after Libby claims to have discussed them with Miller. It looks like Miller might have been given a heads up, but I think the intention was to have them out there in the press to counter Wilson’s claims. I don’t know if that qulifies as having them “published”, but I think it amounts to the same thing.
Yes.
No. Even if we assume that the stuff was declassified for political reasons, that does not mean the administration was indifferent to national security issues. Lots of stuff remains classified for no other reason than that no one bothers to ask if it should be declassified. And since you can’t point out any risk to the national security posed by the release of those documents, your charge that national security issues were ignored is baseless.
Well I did answer your questions point by point. You obviously dont agree with what I’m saying. So that’s the end of that.
Let me rephrase my question: Do you have a problem with the manner and reason the material was declassified? If you dont think there’s any connection of the declassification to the effort to discredit Wilson, then I guess you dont. cheney effort to discredit
It is your belief that national security *issues *are under discussion that misleads. Rather, the argument is that national security was not a consideration, in the continued classification or declassification.
Another perspective may help: Although there is a clear public interest in the entire NIE, the administration determined to release only those parts which bolstered their case.
The correct principle is that classification/declassification is a balance of competing interests: National security and; the public interest in open government. Instead the administration ignored the question of national security vs public interest. The only principle in the declassification decision was partisan interest. Neither national security nor the public interest were served.
I’m stuck on something here. From the sounds of it, the information that was “leaked” was declassified so it technically wasn’t leaked. If this is the case, why this investigation into a non-leak? Why didn’t Pres or veep come forth and say that the information was declassified?
This whole thing is becoming a sort of Schrodingers Leak, isn’t it.
The investigation is into the leaking of Valerie Plame’s identity as a CIA agent. The information that was declassified was part of the NIE. Now, I’m not aware whether the NIE had any information about Palme’s identity, but that would be the explanation of the difference.
But unless you’ve seen the unclassified part, you don’t know that.
Look, I’m not saying that your scenario is implausible. Hell, it might even be likely. But you are asserting that it is the “best” explanation, without any concrete evidence to back that up.
Harborwolf: There really isn’t an investigation into the NIE. Libby is brigging this up in his defense, although it seems to be immaterial to what he charged with.