more on Anyone know if this is for real?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jeffrey Hunker <jhunker () andrew cmu edu>
Date: July 20, 2005 7:33:54 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Anyone know if this is for real?


If this isn't real, it should be. Having worked with members of our  
much maligned intelligence community for some years, I have numerous  
criticisms of the system, but only a few about its members -- and  
none about their loyalty and dedication.

What is notable is what no one has yet commented on -- the incredible  
ability of this Administration to manipulate the truth (or 'spin the  
media'). In one sense I admire them; in another, I am very very afraid.

Jeffrey Hunker
Professor of Technology Policy
Carnegie Mellon University

jhunker () andrew cmu edu



> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: "Casserly, James" <JCasserly () WILLKIE COM> Date: July 20, 2005
> 3:28:50 PM EDT To: dave () farber net Subject: RE: [IP] Anyone know if  
> this is
> for real?
>
>
> Believe so.  A .pdf of the letter is at
> http://talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/intel.officers.letter.pdf The  
> fellow who
> maintains that site, Joshua Micah Marshall, is in my experience quite
> reliable.
>
> -----Original Message----- From: owner-ip () v2 listbox com
> [mailto:owner-ip () v2 listbox com] On Behalf Of David Farber Sent:  
> Wednesday,
> July 20, 2005 3:20 PM To: Ip ip Subject: [IP] Anyone know if this  
> is for
> real?
>
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: EEkid () aol com Date: July 20, 2005 3:12:41 PM EDT To:  
> dave () farber net
> Subject: Anyone know if this is for real?
>
>
> CIA Agents Letter to US Senate and House
>
>
> 18 July 2005
>
> AN OPEN STATEMENT TO THE LEADERS OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF
> REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE.
>
> The Honorable Dennis Hastert, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
>
> The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader, U.S. House of  
> Representatives
>
>
> The Honorable Dr. William Frist, Majority Leader of the Senate
>
> The Honorable Harry Reid, Minority Leader of the Senate
>
>
> We, the undersigned former U.S. intelligence officers are concerned  
> with
> the tone and substance of the public debate over the ongoing  
> Department of
> Justice investigation into who leaked the name of Valerie Plame,  
> wife of
> former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV, to syndicated columnist  
> Robert
> Novak and other members of the media, which exposed her status as an
> undercover CIA officer. The disclosure of Ms. Plame's name was a  
> shameful
> event in American history and, in our professional judgment, may have
> damaged U.S. national security and poses a threat to the ability of  
> U.S.
> intelligence gathering using human sources. Any breach of the code of
> confidentiality and cover weakens the overall fabric of  
> intelligence, and,
> directly or indirectly, jeopardizes the work and safety of  
> intelligence
> workers and their sources.
>
> The Republican National Committee has circulated talking points to
> supporters to use as part of a coordinated strategy to discredit
> Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife. As part of this campaign a  
> common
> theme is the idea that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame was not
> undercover and deserved no protection. The following are four recent
> examples of this "talking point":
>
> Michael Medved stated on Larry King Live on July 12, 2005, "And  
> let's be
> honest about this. Mrs. Plame, Mrs. Wilson, had a desk job at  
> Langley. She
> went back and forth every single day."
>
> Victoria Toensing stated on a Fox News program with John Gibson on  
> July
> 12, 2005 that, "Well, they weren't taking affirmative measures to  
> protect
> that identity. They gave her a desk job in Langley. You don't  
> really have
> somebody deep undercover going back and forth to Langley, where  
> people can
> see them."
>
> Ed Rodgers, Washington Lobbyist and former Republican official,  
> said on
> July 13, 2005 on the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, "And also I think it  
> is now
> a matter of established fact that Mrs. Plame was not a protected  
> covert
> agent, and I don't think there's any meaningful investigation about  
> that."
>
>
> House majority whip Roy Blunt (R, Mo), on Face the Nation, July 17,  
> 2005,
> "It certainly wouldn't be the first time that the CIA might have been
> overzealous in sort of maintaining the kind of top-secret  
> definition on
> things longer than they needed to. You know, this was a job that the
> ambassador's wife had that she went to every day. It was a desk job. I
> think many people in Washington understood that her employment was  
> at the
> CIA, and she went to that office every day."
>
> These comments reveal an astonishing ignorance of the intelligence
> community and the role of cover. The fact is that there are  
> thousands of
> U.S. intelligence officers who "work at a desk" in the Washington,  
> D.C.
> area every day who are undercover. Some have official cover, and  
> some have
> non-official cover. Both classes of cover must and should be  
> protected.
>
> While we are pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice is  
> conducting an
> investigation and that the U.S. Attorney General has recused  
> himself, we
> believe that the partisan attacks against Valerie Plame are sending a
> deeply discouraging message to the men and women who have agreed to  
> work
> undercover for their nation's security.
>
> We are not lawyers and are not qualified to determine whether the  
> leakers
> technically violated the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
> However, we are confident that Valerie Plame was working in a cover  
> status
> and that our nation's leaders, regardless of political party, have  
> a duty
> to protect all intelligence officers. We believe it is appropriate  
> for the
> President to move proactively to dismiss from office or  
> administratively
> punish any official who participated in any way in revealing Valerie
> Plame's status. Such an act by the President would send an unambiguous
> message that leaks of this nature will not be tolerated and would be
> consistent with his duties as the Commander-in-Chief.
>
> We also believe it is important that Congress speak with one non-  
> partisan
> voice on this issue. Intelligence officers should not be used as  
> political
> footballs. In the case of Valerie Plame, she still works for the  
> CIA and
> is not in a position to publicly defend her reputation and honor.  
> We stand
> in her stead and ask that Republicans and Democrats honor her  
> service to
> her country and stop the campaign of disparagement and innuendo  
> aimed at
> discrediting Mrs. Wilson and her husband.
>
> Our friends and colleagues have difficult jobs gathering the  
> intelligence,
> which helps, for example, to prevent terrorist attacks against  
> Americans
> at home and abroad. They sometimes face great personal risk and  
> must spend
> long hours away from family and friends. They serve because they  
> love this
> country and are committed to protecting it from threats from abroad  
> and to
> defending the principles of liberty and freedom. They do not expect  
> public
>  acknowledgement for their work, but they do expect and deserve their
> government's protection of their covert status.
>
> For the good of our country, we ask you to please stand up for  
> every man
> and woman who works for the U.S. intelligence community and help  
> protect
> their ability to live their cover.
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
>
>
> _____________________________________
>
> Larry C. Johnson, former Analyst, CIA
>
>
> JOINED BY:
>
> Mr. Brent Cavan, former Analyst, CIA
>
> Mr. Vince Cannistraro, former Case Officer, CIA
>
> Mr. Michael Grimaldi, former Analyst, CIA
>
> Mr. Mel Goodman, former senior Analyst, CIA
>
> Col. W. Patrick Lang (US Army retired), former Director, Defense  
> Humint
> Services, DIA
>
> Mr. David MacMichael, former senior estimates officer, National
> Intelligence Council, CIA
>
> Mr. James Marcinkowski, former Case Officer, CIA
>
> Mr. Ray McGovern, former senior Analyst and PDB Briefer, CIA
>
> Mr. Jim Smith, former Case Officer, CIA
>
> Mr. William C. Wagner, former Case Officer, CIA
>
>
>
> http://www.crooksandliars.com/stories/2005/07/19/
> ciaAgentsLetterToUsSenateAndHouse.html
>
>
>
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