Cheney Discussed Inquiries Into Plame Leak, Obama Administration Trying To Keep Details Secret

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney talked with top White House officials about how to respond to reporters' inquiries into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative, according to a court filing.

Cheney told the FBI about his recollection of discussions with his former top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and other White House officials on the media's questions. But the Obama administration is fighting in court to keep the substance of what Cheney revealed to the FBI from the public.

The FBI interviewed Cheney in 2004 as it was investigating the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters the year before. Her name was revealed after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized the Bush administration's prewar intelligence on Iraq.

The leak touched off a lengthy inquiry that led to Libby being convicted on charges of obstruction of justice and lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters. Libby told the FBI it was possible that Cheney ordered him to reveal Plame's identity to the media.

The liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit last year seeking records related to Cheney's FBI interview.

In a court filing Wednesday, Acting Assistant Attorney General David Barron argued that parts of Cheney's interview should be kept secret because they involve confidential deliberations among White House officials. Barron said their disclosure could limit frank and open discussion about matters of national importance in the White House in the future.

He said Cheney's recollection of discussions with Libby, the White House communications director and chief of staff about media inquiries into the Plame leak were among those portions that should be protected. He also included Cheney's discussions with the CIA director about Wilson's trip and his role in resolving disputes about declassifying "certain information" in that category.

Barron's filing was first reported Thursday on The Washington Post's Web site.

Comments

[tdpubs]

It is perfectly understandable for the general public to get all hot and bothered about this issue. I for one keep hoping that the Obama administration continues to withhold this material as things heat up for the Cheney administration. President Obama has dropped so many hints to the people of this country as to his motivations. How much clearer can he say "I need you to stand up to the real power in Washington­."

As more stuff is uncovered about the atrocities perpetrated on us by that man and his cabal, we'll see more people become involved in the cry for justice. I say keep spoon feeding us more info, but hold back the details. That's the only way we'll get the general public so mad that they'll force the present administration to capitulate and release the damning materials.

We are a mentally lazy society when it comes to political action. We only woke up because the Cheney administration has brought us to the edge of the cliff. Keep speaking out loudly people.

But first, let's pass real health care reform.

[TLV]

Nice points. You seem to have a clear head on your shoulders.

[flossophy]

The prosecutor knew that Richard Armitage leaked Plame's name for 2 years... but still went after Scooter Libby anyways on a technicality.

The myth that Ch3ney was involved in this leak continues to be perpetuated by Nic0 and the pr0gress0 media. I don't think it'll ever d|e... simply because Ch3ney must always be portrayed as the boogieman.

sigh.

I would imagine the budding pr0gressives must be growing tired of their masters dist0rting recent history.

[Durango]

It would be very easy to exonerate Cheney.

Make the records public.

Then you will see just how delusional you really are.

But would you ever admit it?

[flossophy]

It was a political witch hunt... Wi|son |ied repeatedly about the whole affiar.

Armitage admitted that he leaked Plame's name.

But you wouldn't know this if your head is buried in the progress0m­edia...

[FunkyP]

Yes, Bush's Justice Department convicted Libby on the myth that Cheney was involved.
He orchestrated the leak, Libby covered for him, got caught lying and was convicted.
Cheney is not being portrayed as the boogie man. It is the facts that so label him.

[flossophy]

Richard Armitage leaked Plame's name... it had nothing to do with Ch3ney, R0ve or Scooter.

Look it up.

[TLV]

Did you ignore Cheney's lie after lie after lie while he was in office, too? My favorite was that they ALL had NO clue Al-Qaida would strike. No clue? 52 warnings were not enough to offer even one clue? Is that what you call superior defenses?

I recently ran across a video on YouTube wherein President Bush was speaking to reporters in the Rose Garden shortly after nine-eleven. He was telling them that members of Al-Qaida "planted" bombs in the Twin Towers so they'd go off at such a level in order to prevent the people from escaping to the roofs. Clever terrorists, eh? And Bush had such an amazing understanding of how they thought.

[flossophy]

Link me to that, genius... are you that easily f00led?

[Amunaka]

Who told armitage and why...


Armitage's Leak

BY ROBERT NOVAK
September 14, 2006

A peculiar convergence had joined Armitage and me on the same historical path. During his quarter of a century in Washington, I had no contact with Armitage before our fateful interview. I tried to see him in the first 2 years of the Bush administration, but he rebuffed me -- summarily and with disdain, I thought.

Then, without explanation, in June 2003, Armitage's office said the deputy secretary would see me. This was two weeks before Joe Wilson surfaced himself as author of a 2002 report for the CIA debunking Iraqi interest in buying uranium in Africa.

Neither of us took notes, and nobody else was present. But I recalled our conversation that week in writing a column, while Armitage reconstructed it months later for federal prosecutors. He had told me unequivocally that Mrs. Wilson worked in the CIA's Counter-Pr­oliferatio­n Division and that she had suggested her husband's mission.

As for his current implications that he never expected this to be published, he noted that the story of Mrs. Wilson's role fit the style of the old Evans-Novak column -- implying to me it continued reporting Washington inside information.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091301572.html

[PierreLeClerke]

Pride or profit?

Pick one or both.

There are NO other options

[Durango]

I need to make two points here.

First, the President Vice President and all the Executive Branch people are OUR Employees. They work for the public. EVERYTHING they do is in the public interest.

And as such they should not be keeping secrets from us.

Very little of what is declared secret is necessary. it is far more common to use secrecy to cover up illegal or embarrassing acts. Like what is going on here. Candidate Obama understood this. President Obama is getting some clearly bogus advice.

Second: this is a political opportunity of a generation. By exposing the corruption, the lies and the stupidity of the Cheney/Bush Administration they could be driving a stake into the heart of the Republican vampire.

President Obama and his Justice department need not take any action, yet. They simply have to allow the evidence of the gross negligence and stupidity to become public record.

The American people will build a groundswell of opinion to see that justice is done.

I understand how things look different from the White House. President Obama is afraid to do anything that might limit his power.

But the interests of justice good policy and excellent politics should trump any and all considerations.

[NoMercy]

I'm afraid i've gone negative on O now.

If he were just any other politician, I'd say "neutral", but because I invested hope in him, the loss counts as a negative.

Back to cynicism.

[flossophy]

You should've been listening to the conservatives last year... they were warning people of this.

Obama is a media fabricatio­n... the American Id0l presidency­... He released a CD that only has one good track out of 15.

[FunkyP]

You may be right, but the alternative was McCain, whose only hit was "bomb bomb Iran"

[Heavy]

He's afraid of the media storm this would create, and as he has said he is concerned for the wellbeing of the troops.
Be glad he is protecting your masters.

[ResistanceisFutile]

Conservsatives are shackels on the legs of progress. Always have been and always will be.

[Raziorizzo]

Has Obama done ANYTHING that was good?? He said unemployment would be higher tha 8% it the stimulus bill is not passed, it is now 9.5%. He will raise taxes on everybody, interest rates are going to SKYROCKET to pay for his spending, inflation will kick in big time . N.Korea and Iran don't care what he says, they are running circles around him, he has been an embarassment . The world is laughing at him and his policies. His healthcare plan is a mess, his VP is a loser and Hillary is totally useless.

[ReallyMe]

"His" spending..­. There would not have been any less spending under another Republican administration. chances are it would still have been targeted no pun intended on even more towards military industrial complex favorites.­..but it would not have been less.

[TLV]

I don't want to know exactly what as discussed. That might compromise national security. What I do want to know is - what are they going to do to Dick Cheney for breaking practically every law that exists on the books?

[drbillybob]

You guys are delusional. Instead of hyperbole ... let's just start with one law that Cheney broke. Anybody?

[Durango]

Leaking the identity of a CIA Agent?

i believe the law making that illegal was passed and signed by Daddy Bush.

[TLV]

Lying to start a war for oil profits. The Bush/Cheney justification - IN WRITING - included that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11! They would never have had even the too-small number of troops to go to Iraq without 9/11.

Read the PNAC manifesto. They got everything they demanded in that document and right wing Americans handed it ALL to them under threat of continued violence. Yes - even liberals were scared. Who wasn't? That, in itself, is terrorism. TERRORISM - pure and simple. Add THAT to the top of the list of his crimes.

[FunkyP]

As a major stockholder in Halliburton, Cheney made a fortune on the no-bid contracts he tossed to his "former" company. I believe it is illegal to profit from war crimes.
Lying to federal agents is also a crime: release the notes so we can all see what is true/not true.

[ReallyMe]

Well, we would have to be able to know what he did... before we could say what law he broke and as everything is been kept secret that's conveniently impossible isn't it.

[MNValley]

The Geneva Convention­...a treaty that we happened to sign

[flossophy]

Ch3ney broke no laws, sillyfoo

[FunkyP]

Neither did Libby. He just "misremembered"

[sueno]

This information needs o be released
and Obama should be careful not to
behave like Bush-

[momof3inGA]

The Obama Administration is p...ing me off with this one.

[dawlishgal]

Ahem, didn't we elect Obama primarily because he promised to not protect those who lied us into attacking a country that had done nothing to us?

I wish I had anticipated that Obama's desire to be like by everybody would cause problems like this one. Some people are not worth catering to, and if they dislike you for holding them responsible for their own bad behavior, SO THE BLEEP WHAT?

[ivegotblisteronmefingers]

This definitely an area where I get right off "give him some time......­he's looking at the bigger picture" defense of the president. Putting these guys in jail for their crimes is another.
I'm hoping that there is something that he sees that we don't. But there is very very little of that hope left.
I can't see any reason to let these guys off.
none

[momof3inGA]

I totally with you on that.

[flossophy]

You believe in a false narrative about Ch3ney... which is potentially dangerous. This misinformation urges you to advocate for the prosecution of predecessors, which is what they do in banana republics or s0cialist basketcases.

Don't believe everything the progresso media tells you about Ch3ney, the evi| boogieman.

[FunkyP]

Yes, somebody definitely believes in a false narrative.
The prosecution of criminals who committed war crimes is a little more than just the "prosecution of predecessors": it is rather the prosecution of perpetrators.

[Blink2X]

You've got some KoolAid on your chin.

[ivegotblisteronmefingers]

you've never even heard of Democracy Now and therefore you have never really listened to "progresso media"
just because countries that are not on our christmas card list do a thing doesn't make that thing bad
sorry

[Purcy]

Obama is wrong and his decisions regarding these issues are not consistent with his promise of transparency. It's more Bush BS

[Raziorizzo]

Obama and his administration is a joke. It is becoming clearer everyday what a mistake it was to select, Yes select not elect, Obama as President. He could hold a candle to President Bush. His one and only term with be a huge failure. His strongly diapprove numbers are already higher than his strongly approve numbers and it's only going to get worse from here. Everything Obama hs done so far has been a complete failure. But, Thanks to Obama, Republicans are going to be handed a huge victory in the 2010 midterm elections and Obama knows it. Thats why he is trying to push everything through now.

[IntelligentDesign]

Interesting take--for a complete id iot that is.

[Durango]

The Rethugs remain delusional to this day.

[taxandspend1]

I definitly miss having adults in charge.

[ondamony]

Are you reall that stupid?? I think you forgot the 'wink' at the end of your post. Good comedy.

[taxandspend1]

Just realistic.

[IntelligentDesign]

Bush and Cheney orchestrated a war crime under the cover of 9/11 that had thus far led to the violent deaths of in and around 600,000 people--the vast majority of which were innocent bystanders--and they have placed an albatross around the neck of this nation. Some one would need to explain to me why were ignoring that rather large elephant in our room; because I do not understand it.

[TLV]

The slippery-ness of Iraqi oil makes all criminal charges slide off their backs. Does that help?

[taxandspend1]

I guess that would mke the envirowacs complicit in the Iraq war since they have shut down domestic drilling.

[ddDinah]

No wonder the Oval office was bugged.

[Stilts9]

According to William Pfaff, half-million to a million people have been killed in Iraq, and that's not counting the number of children who have had their ear drums blown out.

Dick Cheney isn't a fool. He knew that if we invaded Iraq his friends would get filthy rich.

He's a American genius.

[TLV]

If you saw Fahrenheit 9/11, you'd know this to be absolutely true. The selling of that war for profit was so disgustingly gut-wrenching, I almost had to turn away from the screen so as not to get sick to my stomach. They conducted the sales pitch seminars like circuses. The smell of cash must be so strong it covers up the smell of blood, fire, and death.

[taxandspend1]

Nothing like a bipartisan source of info like fahrenheit 9/11 to base your opinions on.

[Stilts9]

Cheney wanted his friends to get rich so his power would incease, but he himself didn't care about the money. Cheney has always been concerned about his manhood. He has neer been able to face the fact that he dodged the draft during VietNam.