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Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame

By Jeralyn, Section Valerie Plame Leak Case
Posted on Tue Jul 19, 2005 at 07:30:21 PM EST
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Crooks and Liars has the letter that eleven former CIA agents sent to Congress yesterday about the outing of Valerie Plame. They are angry. They explain that contrary to White House talking points, Valerie Plame most definitely was undercover.

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 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.

The agents are not making a judgment about whether disclosure violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. They acknowledge they are not lawyers.

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.

The letter ends,

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.

Here are the signers:

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

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    Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame (none / 0) (#1)
    by Al on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:24 PM EST
    I wonder how recruitment is going at the agency these days? Surely even Bush can understand that it doesn't precisely help the "war on terror" to discourage candidates for undercover intelligence work. I think he just doesn't care. Everything is politics for these people, politics in the narrowest, most self-serving sense.

    Re: Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame (none / 0) (#2)
    by swingvote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:25 PM EST
    Al, That's a good question, and one worth getting an answer to, not that we are ever likely to get one. But your comment on the political tunnel vision of "these people" seems odd. They are politicians, and as such their sole focus is politics. Can you name the last politician who acted differently?

    Re: Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:25 PM EST
    Dennis Kucinich

    Re: Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame (none / 0) (#4)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:26 PM EST
    The Swift Spook Veterans for Truth?

    Re: Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:27 PM EST
    justpaul: "They are politicians, and as such their sole focus is politics." That's a slander. There is no doubt that politicians do consider politics at a level hard to imagine if one isn't in politics. But to suggest it is the SOLE focus, as you have, is to engage in cynicism. It's blaming the persons in politics for the ruthless and harsh nature of politics, which is institutional and heavily corrupted by big money influences. When was the last politician who acted for truth instead of politics? John Conyers, when he went to work this morning.

    Re: Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame (none / 0) (#6)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:27 PM EST
    Still waiting for one Republican politician to come and say that Valerie did not deserve protection under the act and or she was not covert. It is cowardly to leak that assertion or allegation to their minions in the media and not go on record saying so themselves.

    Ex-CIA Agents Send Letter on Valerie Plame | 6 comments (6 topical)