Justice Dept. Seeks Name of CIA-Leaker

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department announced that it has begun an investigation into the name (or names) of the CIA personnel who leaked classified information to the New York Times regarding a top secret wire-tapping program. The wire-tapping has been conducted by the National Security Agency since 9/11 and has been aimed solely at suspected terrorists.

While the Justice Department did not specifically say it suspects personnel at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), it seems likely that the Agency will come under intense scrutiny. Since 2003, there have been blatant covert attempts by some at the CIA to undermine the Bush administration, and they have repeatedly used the media to accomplish their subterfuge.

The CIA has been in an uproar since 2001. The agency came under attack first, for its inability to "connect-the-dots" prior to the tragic events of 9/11. Some at the CIA then apparently adopted a "bunker mentality" and became very self-defensive. They have sought to throw the blame back at the Bush administration ever since.

Then, there's "Plamegate", where Valery Plame (a CIA analyst) sent her husband (Joe Wilson) to Niger in February of 2002 to follow up on rumors that Iraq was seeking uranium there. Joe Wilson, who spent little time investigating and lots of time schmoozing, found no evidence of the rumor... and submitted a report to that effect.

In his 2003 State of the Union message, Bush announced that British Intelligence did indeed have evidence of attempted uranium purchases. This of course put Wilson and Plame in an awkward position. The implication was that British Intelligence found something that the CIA didn't find, and Wilson-Plame were primarily to blame. So Wilson-Plame retaliated with their own story that Bush had "twisted" the intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. Wilson wrote a famous Op-Ed article dated July 6, 2003 that was published in the NY Times.

When no major stockpiles of WMDs were found in Iraq, the CIA again took a beating. In April, 2004 author Bob Woodward published a book called "Plan of Attack" about the lead-up to the war. In it, Woodward revealed that CIA Director George Tenet had told Bush that finding WMDs in Iraq would be "a slam dunk". The CIA had obviously embarassed itself and the administration. Although Bush said he supported Tenet, George Tenet resigned as Director of the CIA in June, 2004 under a cloud.

George Bush appointed Porter Goss to take Tenet's place, and he was confirmed by the Senate in September, 2004. Goss has sought to "clean house" at the CIA, which has resulted in more blowback from the rank-and-file CIA bureaucrats who are apparently more interested in their own jobs than in the security of the United States.

It was no doubt CIA personnel themselves who revealed to the press, that the CIA has been holding terror suspects in secret prisons. If you read this Washington Post article, you will notice that there is an awful lot of info revealed about the CIA. Then, at the end of the article, an unnamed "intelligence official" is quoted whining and moaning. In fact, the article suggests it is a "CIA officer".

Why would I not be surprised if this investigation by the Justice Department leads straight to Langely? Go to page 2 of this article to read the following...

According to Goss' supporters, the agency has been out of control, recently leaking negative stories to the press to undermine the White House.

"The CIA has got to be kept out of partisan politics," said Stansfield Turner, who was CIA director under President Carter. "And it appears that they were leaking information to influence the (2004 Presidential) election. Porter Goss has now got a difficult problem."