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“NEWSPAPERS CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1985 on Oct. 7, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NEWSPAPERS CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION
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HON. GEORGE MILLER
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call my colleagues' attention to two newspaper editorials concerning the leak of a covert CIA agent's identity. These editorials, printed last Thursday in the Contra Costa Times, of Walnut Creek California, and the San Francisco Chronicle, address the very serious federal crime involving the leak of the name and occupation of a covert CIA agent who is the wife of a former U.S. ambassador who investigated and then revealed that the Administration had used false information to justify the war against Iraq. Both newspapers call for a special counsel to investigate the White House's role in this leak, and the Chronicle suggests that Congress might need to conduct its own inquiry. The Washington Post and ABC News recently conducted a poll that found that seven out of ten Americans support a special counsel to investigate this serious matter.
I support many of my colleagues in the House and Senate who have called for a special counsel for similar reasons as stated by these newspapers. It is not credible that the United States Attorney General, John Ashcroft, can independently investigate a potential crime by this White House when not only was he appointed by President Bush but he employed the president's top political adviser on numerous occasions to help him in his Senate election campaign. The credibility of this Administration is already low, when you consider their failure to revive the economy, the clearly misleading nature of the evidence they provided to justify a war in Iraq, and their failure to properly prepare for the post-war conflict. The Administration owes it to the public to ensure that the most independent investigation possible is carried out regarding the leak of the CIA agent's identity.
The articles appear as follows:
Independent Probe
If President Bush wants to find out who leaked information about a CIA officer to journalists he should support an investigation by an independent special council, not just one by the Justice Department. The leak is a serious matter involving the wife of a diplomat who was critical of Bush's assessment of Iraq's attempt to get uranium from Africa.
Joseph Wilson IV, in a July 6 op-ed piece in The New York Times, recounted his mission on behalf of the CIA in early 2002. He was investigating the possibility that Saddam Hussein was attempting to obtain uranium for Iraq's nuclear arms program. Wilson charged that the Bush administration twisted some of the information to make a case for going to war against Iraq.
Eight days after the commentary appeared, Robert Novak wrote a column that revealed Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA official. Novak attributed his information about Plame to two ``senior administration officials.'' Two other journalists from Newsday, Timothy Phelps and Knut Royce, expanded on Novak's column after confirming Novak's account.
Novak refuses to reveal his confidential sources. That is his right and obligation as a journalist. But we are suspicious of the motivation of Novak and those who leaked the information about Plame. It appears to be retaliation against Wilson and a warning to others.
The leak and almost gratuitous mention of Plame in the column put her and anyone she did business with in jeopardy. We wonder what Novak would have written in his column had some liberal columnist revealed the name of an undercover CIA officer.
The damage caused by the leak goes beyond the CIA and into the White House. Certainly Bush would like to unveil the leakers, and we trust that the Justice Department has competent investigators. However, it is important to avoid a conflict of interest, which would occur if the probe is handled by Justice, led by political appointee John Ashcroft.
The surest way to both nab the leakers and assure public confidence is through a special counsel. To do otherwise damages the credibility of the White House and leaves the door open for political demagoguery by the president's opponents.
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A Dangerous Leak
The Still Unfolding story that White House officials leaked sensitive information to silence a critic of the Iraq War is a troubling addendum to what so far has been the curious, if not exaggerated, reasoning behind the Persian Gulf foray in the first place.
This week the FBI launched a full-scale criminal probe to determine who disclosed the identity of an undercover CIA operative and whether federal law had been broken. A senior administration official has confirmed that two top White House staffers outed the agent to punish her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who forced Bush to back track on his State of Union assertion that Iraq may be building a nuclear arsenal with uranium from Africa. Two years earlier, Wilson investigated and found no such Iraq-Africa link, and pilloried Bush in a newspaper op-ed for implying that there was.
As revenge, someone at the White House leaked to the press the name and occupation of Wilson's wife, an undercover weapons expert. Aside from threatening her life, it further inhibits the effectiveness of the nation's intelligence operations.
Bush disavowed any knowledge of the treacherous deed, but failed to show the kind of outrage this warranted. Either a special counsel should look into this matter, or Congress should conduct its own inquiry.
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