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PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher

By Jeralyn, Section Valerie Plame Leak Case
Posted on Wed Oct 19, 2005 at 10:34:38 AM EST
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Andrew Sullivan, who admits his sourcing is light, is talking about Colin Powell's possible cooperation with Fitzgerald with respect to the memo on Air Force One. I thought he did that a long time ago. But as I mentioned in one of my posts last week, I had no idea he might have given up Ari Fleischer.

Digby links to last Tuesday night's Hardball Transcript. I was reading it and noticed something I never quite caught before. Mitchell said it was Colin Powell who testified Ari Fleischer read the June 9 classified memo on Air Force One:

MITCHELL: We also know that, that paragraph, that document was circulated on Air Force One as the president was flying to Africa, that Ari Fletcher saw it, Colin Powell testified to that. And that could be one of the key facts in this.

< Myths About PlameGate | Raw Story: Wurmser Cooperating >

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    PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher | 5 comments (5 topical)
    Re: PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:08 PM EST
    Ari could blow the doors off the entire WHIG conspiracy. Witness protection is better than living as an unindicted traitor. Powell is the one who should stand up and confess his crimes, just so he won't be remembered as a COMPLETE coward. Stand up, Colin. Take off that Macho Man tool belt and show some REAL stones, like those stars mean something. Testify like an American.

    Re: PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:08 PM EST
    Here is a line from a July 18, 2005 news article regarding Ari Fleisher and the memo.
    On the flight to Africa, Fleischer was seen perusing the State Department memo on Wilson and his wife, according to a former administration official who was also on the trip.
    The article is worth a read. link via josh marshall

    Re: PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:08 PM EST
    Squeaky, we all read that article but it didn't say that the source was Powell. I never knew who gave up Ari. Has anyone reported that it was Powell before Mitchell's comment?

    Re: PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher (none / 0) (#4)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:09 PM EST
    TL-Not that I can remember, but I do remember when I read the article at the time that Powell seemed the likely "former administration official". We knew that Powel was on the trip as you posted TL July 11, 2005 and as josh marshall July 21, 2005 states:
    A few days ago a former high-level administration official who was on Air Force One going to Africa with the president (and think for a moment how many now-former administration officials were on that flight in a position to vouch for this fact) told Bloomberg News that he saw Ari Fleischer "perusing the State Department memo on Wilson and his wife."
    BTW- I meant to say the article is worth a re-read as I know all Plame addicts saw it when it was written, and you most likely had linked to it as well.

    Re: PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher (none / 0) (#5)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:09 PM EST
    Here is some more old news that seems fresh today:
    Yesterday, a senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife.
    Was the senior administration official Powell as well? It must have been from the Air Force One Plane, which is why Fitzgerald wanted the Phone logs. Was Powell cooperating with Fitzgerald early on? Mike Allen and Dana Priest Sept 28, 2003 WaPo via Swopa Allen repeats the line slightly altered in his July 17, 2005 WaPo article co-authored with Jim VandeHei. He changes Senior Administration Official to Senior WH Official.
    But in late September, a senior White House official was quoted as telling The Post at least six reporters had been told of Plame before Novak's column, "purely and simply out of revenge."
    The SWHO sounds like a current SWHO, but Allen is repeating his first statement not knowing that the undisclosed SWHA may no longer be a SWHO.

    PlameGate: Powell and Flesicher | 5 comments (5 topical)