Scylla argues otherwise. It’s the first I’d heard that anyone was contesting that aspect of the Plame story.
Is it an established fact (or, as established as it can be, given that the CIA won’t confirm or deny that sort of assertion) that Plame was a CIA employee working under non-official cover at that time, or is there a credible argument that that wasn’t the case?
First off, it does not matter. It is a violation of law. Whathisname needs to go to jail.
Secondly, it does not matter. If she had been a member of the Clandestine Service in the past and met with people, bringing her name into the public would allow every security service to go through the records. “She visited who? Who was she with? Let’s arrest some people.”
Thirdly, the FBI was snooping around about this issue a year or two ago. The Washington Post said her neighbors dod not know she was an operative. So in fact it seems she was clandestine.
To me, it still makes no sense to be operating under nonofficial cover where you can be killed if compromised, and to do so under the same name in which you operated under official cover.
If you arouse suspicion and somebody checks it would seem that your ass would be grass.
You would think that the NOC cover identity would not include a stint working at the embassy. Or rather, I would think that. I would think they would cover their ass and build a strong cover that does not tie you back to suspicious activity.
Apparently, I am mistaken. Rustmann claims she operated as a Noc. Plame makes the claim. Johnson makes the claim, and Wilson makes the claim.
At some time after her posting in the Athens embassy and before she was called back to Langley in '97 it appears she did work as a NOC.
OK then, I guess we can close this thread. Nothin’ to see here, or at least nothing to debate.