Naeem Noor Khan -- the other shoe drops

[Squink]

@New Iskander

How can media blame it on WH without taking part of the blame?

Because the dudes at the white house have all signed an SF-312, the Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement:

3. I have been advised that the unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized retention, or negligent handling of classified information by me could cause damage or irreparable injury to the United States or could be used to advantage by a foreign nation. I hereby agree that I will never divulge classified information to anyone unless: (a) I have officially verified that the recipient has been properly authorized by the United States Government to receive it; or (b) I have been given prior written notice of authorization from the United States Government Department or Agency (hereinafter Department or Agency) responsible for the classification of the information or last granting me a security clearance that such disclosure is permitted. I understand that if I am uncertain about the classification status of information, I am required to confirm from an authorized official that the information is unclassified before I may disclose it, except to a person as provided in (a) or (b), above. I further understand that I am obligated to comply with laws and regulations that prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/formslibrary.do?viewType=DETAIL&formId=03A78F16A522716785256A69004E23F6

No matter how the press whines and pleads, the white house is legally obligated to say NO.

[The_Hamster_King]

@New Iskander

They went to WH in September '04 demanding proof there is any fresh intelligence to justify raising terror alert. WH gave out Khan’s name in response. Media publicized the name.

Goodness, couldn’t the WH just have said “No, we’re not going to discuss it”?

They’re tight-lipped enough when Karl Rove’s heinie is on the line. You think they’d show the same discipline with national security … .

[New_Iskander]

@Squink

No matter how the press whines and pleads, the white house is legally obligated to say NO.

Yes, that’s basically what Sen. Schumer said.

[Revtim]

@New Iskander

Don’t expect the media push that story, because the are complicit in the whole fiasco.

They went to WH in September '04 demanding proof there is any fresh intelligence to justify raising terror alert. WH gave out Khan’s name in response. Media publicized the name.

Now it turns out there was a chance to prevent London teracts if Khan’s name weren’t made public.

How can media blame it on WH without taking part of the blame?

WTF? Are you serious? This may be the most profoundly stupid thing I have ever read. The press has zero blame in this. It’s their job to ask for the reasons behind stuff like that, and if the answer cannot be given without violating secrecy, then the WH is not to give the reason. It’s absolutely insane to blame the press for this.

Are they to never ask any questions because the WH is too goddamn stupid to not know what’s a secret and what isn’t? How is the press supposed to know beforehand, even if you somehow give them the role of WH babysitter? If they knew they wouldn’t have to ask the questions, would they?

Christ almighty, what a goddamn stupid attempt to pass the blame.

[New_Iskander]

Dean again says politics behind terror alerts

Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean asserted again Wednesday that “ample evidence” exists that President Bush was playing politics when he approved raising the terror alert level Sunday – a contention Bush administration and campaign officials deny.

“In the last two days since I made this charge, they’ve been covering their you-know-what’s and trying to come up with additional information,” Dean said on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.”

Two senior U.S. government sources told CNN Wednesday that intelligence evidence found in Pakistan shows that suspected al Qaeda operatives there “contacted” an individual or individuals in the United States in the past few months.

**Dean said he believes that leak was designed “to try to deflect the charge” of political manipulation of the terrorism issue.

“I actually think the Bush administration is scrambling a bit on this one,” the former Vermont governor said.**

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced Sunday that the government was raising the terror alert level to orange, or high, for financial services buildings in New York City, Newark, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.

The bulk of the information that triggered the alert was obtained last week from Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, an alleged al Qaeda operative arrested in Pakistan in mid-July, sources told CNN.

In case some still are confused, Dean bragged about forcing the leak!

I understand how many here would like to concentrate on Bush, but answer this, if you please,

“Do you still think Dean is harmless?”

[New_Iskander]

@Revtim

WTF? Are you serious?

Yes. I have a serious problem with an attitude, “We can trash President all we want, but he must remain always perfect!”

[GIGObuster]

@New Iskander

Dean again says politics behind terror alerts
In case some still are confused, Dean bragged about forcing the leak!

I understand how many here would like to concentrate on Bush, but answer this, if you please,

“Do you still think Dean is harmless?”

Do you think the incompetents in this administration are harmless? Dean was just saying: “if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen” like Revtim said:

Og almighty, what a goddamn stupid attempt to pass the blame NI!

[Revtim]

@New Iskander

Yes. I have a serious problem with an attitude, “We can trash President all we want, but he must remain always perfect!”

Which has nothing to do with the points I brought up about your post. Care to address them?

[GIGObuster]

@New Iskander

Yes. I have a serious problem with an attitude, “We can trash President all we want, but he must remain always perfect!”

*We must overcome the notion that we must be regular . . . It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre.

– Uta Hagen*

[Revtim]

@New Iskander

Dean again says politics behind terror alerts
In case some still are confused, Dean bragged about forcing the leak!

I understand how many here would like to concentrate on Bush, but answer this, if you please,

“Do you still think Dean is harmless?”

Please explain how the fuck asking a question is FORCING them to give up a mole and not simply say that the reason is classified. Did Dean have a gun to their heads? Was he threatening to scream again?

[SteveG1]

Politics WAS behind all the terror alerts. Before the election, how many alerts were there? It seems there was an alert every time Bush’s ratings went down. After the election, not much activity.

[New_Iskander]

@Revtim

Did Dean have a gun to their heads? Was he threatening to scream again?

Well, with Howard you never know, do you?

And I am not trying to shift the blame. I stated explicitly that WH is responsible for this. However, quite a few more asses need grilling as well. Considering there is no lack of volunteers to beat on Bush, I undertake ungrateful task of keeping spotlight on the others.

[New_Iskander]

@Revtim

Which has nothing to do with the points I brought up about your post.

You see, it’s like this, If you seriously believe that your President is a criminal ape, then perhaps it behooves all of us to be all the more thoughtful and responsible. Kind of like concerned citizens.

[SteveG1]

Is “thoughtful and responsible” the new code phrase for “let them do anything they want”?

[Revtim]

@New Iskander

However, quite a few more asses need grilling as well.

You said the press is partially to blame. I said why I think the press is not to blame at all. Are you going to address those points? Or did I change your mind?

[matt_mcl]

@Tuckerfan

Did you see this in the ABC link?Jesus, fuck! Did they not take this seriously?

No more seriously than the August 2001 memo, apparently.

[New_Iskander]

@Revtim

You said the press is partially to blame. I said why I think the press is not to blame at all. Are you going to address those points? Or did I change your mind?

I did not say that media shares blame.

I made a prediction that media will not make it a big issue, because the are not going to come out looking good, either. Now, you just watch what happens in the next few days.

[SteveG1]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=944219

@ABCNews

WASHINGTON Jul 15, 2005 — After mentioning a CIA operative to a reporter, Bush confidant Karl Rove alerted the president’s No. 2 security adviser about the interview …
The July 11, 2003, e-mail between Rove and then-Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is the first showing an intelligence official knew Rove had talked to Matthew Cooper just days before the Time magazine reporter wrote an article identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA officer. …
The White House turned the e-mail over to prosecutors, and Rove testified to a grand jury about it last year.
Rove, Bush’s closest adviser, turned over the e-mail as soon as prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into who leaked Plame’s covert work for the CIA. …
“What it says is, Karl Rove wasn’t the leaker, he was actually the recipient of the information not the provider,” Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman said on Fox News. “So there are probably a lot of folks in Washington who have prejudged this, who have rushed to judgment who are trying to smear Karl Rove.”

Democrats, however, said that even if Rove wasn’t the leaker, someone still divulged Plame’s identity and possibly violated the law…

However, the question remains - If it wasn’t Rove, who IS the leak???

I don’t know how to link to my identical post in the Pit, so I copy-pasted instead. It keeps getting more convoluted. We all know there is a serious leak, a recurring one. I was sure who the leak was. Now, if this latest story bears out, I am back to Square One.

[elucidator]

Uh, Steve?

[SteveG1]

Yes? Guessing at what your question will be, Rove may be a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. I doubt he would deliberately incriminate himself (especially if it meant putting his own neck in the noose). I still despise him but…