White House Denials in CIA Leak Probe
Associated Press
Previous denials by White House spokesman Scott McClellan that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and presidential political adviser Karl Rove were involved in leaking the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. Reporters posed the questions during White House briefings.
Oct. 7, 2003
Q. Scott, you have said that you personally went to Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and Elliott Abrams to ask them if they were the leakers. Is that what happened? Why did you do that? And can you describe the conversations you had with them? What was the question you asked?
McClellan: Unfortunately, in Washington, D.C., at a time like this there are a lot of rumors and innuendo. There are unsubstantiated accusations that are made. And that's exactly what happened in the case of these three individuals. They are good individuals. They are important members of our White House team. And that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not involved. I had no doubt with that in the beginning, but I like to check my information to make sure it's accurate before I report back to you, and that's exactly what I did.
___
Oct. 10, 2003
Q. Yes, Scott. Earlier this week you told us that neither Karl Rove, Elliott Abrams nor Lewis Libby disclosed any classified information with regard to the leak.
I wonder if you could tell us more specifically whether any of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.
McClellan: Those individuals — I talked — I spoke with those individuals, as I've pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. And that's where it stands.
Q. And none of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.
McClellan: They assured me that they were not involved in this.
Q. Scott, to follow up?
McClellan: Yeah, go ahead, Ed.
Q. Not involved in what?
McClellan: The leaking of classified information.
Q. Did you undertake that on your own volition, or were you instructed to go to these _
McClellan: I spoke to those individuals myself.
___
July 17, 2005
Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper's comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" about his conversation with Libby:
Cooper: On background, I asked Libby if he had heard anything about Wilson's wife sending her husband to Niger. Libby replied, 'Yeah, I've heard that, too' or words to that effect.
Q. Did you interpret that as a confirmation?
Cooper: I did, yes.
Q. Did Mr. Libby say at any time that Joe Wilson's wife worked for the CIA?
Cooper: No, he didn't say that.
Q. But you said it to him?
Cooper: I said that she was involved in sending him, yes.
Q. And that she worked for the CIA?
Cooper: I believe so.
Q. The piece that you finally ran in Time magazine on July 17th, it says, "And some government officials have noted to Time in interviews as well as to syndicated columnist Robert Novak that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, is a CIA official who monitors the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These officials have suggested that she was involved in her husband's being dispatched to Niger."
Some government officials — that is Rove and Libby?
Cooper: Yes, those were among the sources for that, yes.
Previous denials by White House spokesman Scott McClellan that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and presidential political adviser Karl Rove were involved in leaking the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. Reporters posed the questions during White House briefings.
Oct. 7, 2003
Q. Scott, you have said that you personally went to Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and Elliott Abrams to ask them if they were the leakers. Is that what happened? Why did you do that? And can you describe the conversations you had with them? What was the question you asked?
McClellan: Unfortunately, in Washington, D.C., at a time like this there are a lot of rumors and innuendo. There are unsubstantiated accusations that are made. And that's exactly what happened in the case of these three individuals. They are good individuals. They are important members of our White House team. And that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not involved. I had no doubt with that in the beginning, but I like to check my information to make sure it's accurate before I report back to you, and that's exactly what I did.
___
Oct. 10, 2003
Q. Yes, Scott. Earlier this week you told us that neither Karl Rove, Elliott Abrams nor Lewis Libby disclosed any classified information with regard to the leak.
I wonder if you could tell us more specifically whether any of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.
McClellan: Those individuals — I talked — I spoke with those individuals, as I've pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. And that's where it stands.
Q. And none of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.
McClellan: They assured me that they were not involved in this.
Q. Scott, to follow up?
McClellan: Yeah, go ahead, Ed.
Q. Not involved in what?
McClellan: The leaking of classified information.
Q. Did you undertake that on your own volition, or were you instructed to go to these _
McClellan: I spoke to those individuals myself.
___
July 17, 2005
Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper's comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" about his conversation with Libby:
Cooper: On background, I asked Libby if he had heard anything about Wilson's wife sending her husband to Niger. Libby replied, 'Yeah, I've heard that, too' or words to that effect.
Q. Did you interpret that as a confirmation?
Cooper: I did, yes.
Q. Did Mr. Libby say at any time that Joe Wilson's wife worked for the CIA?
Cooper: No, he didn't say that.
Q. But you said it to him?
Cooper: I said that she was involved in sending him, yes.
Q. And that she worked for the CIA?
Cooper: I believe so.
Q. The piece that you finally ran in Time magazine on July 17th, it says, "And some government officials have noted to Time in interviews as well as to syndicated columnist Robert Novak that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, is a CIA official who monitors the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These officials have suggested that she was involved in her husband's being dispatched to Niger."
Some government officials — that is Rove and Libby?
Cooper: Yes, those were among the sources for that, yes.
posted by Jamie @ 3:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home