White House Iran War Rhetoric Has CIA Nervous, Taking Precautions
Gallows Humor Sprouts “Outted Pool” At Langley; Agents Suggested To Warn Spouses Of Writing Critical Op-Eds
According to high-level sources, the Central Intelligence Agency has launched an internal program to protect themselves from the White House, as the Bush Administration begins building up plans to invade and go to war with Iran.
The Garlic has been told, that with the leaker of Valerie Plame’s identity still not apprehended, top officials at the agency don’t rule out that person, or persons, striking again, crippling additional covert agents and operations.
Wilson Demands White House ‘Come Clean”
It was Plame’s husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who launched the White House into action, defending their reasons to go to war in Iraq, after Wilson wrote and Op-Ed article that appeared in the New York Times, critical of the Bush Administration’s claims that Saddam Hussein was seeking to purchase nuclear materials.
In the process of discrediting and smearing Wilson, the name of his wife, Valerie Plame, covert CIA Agent, was leaked to the media. Wilson, appearing on the ABC News program "This Week with George Stephanopoulos” said "I think it is long past time for the White House to come clean on all of this."
One element of the precautions, ordered from Director Porter Goss, is that the CIA hasn’t ruled out giving the Bush Administration doctored, or dummied information, to see, first, if they cherry-pick or leak portions of it to bolster their version of any “threats”.
“They got burned pretty bad by the prelude for Iraq,” said Harold "Ace" Larson, an analyst for the counterintelligence think tank, 'Book'em and Beat'em', “and the Plame thing, They know it and they aren’t going to be put in that same position again.”
Larsen offers that steps have already been taken, from as early as when the Plame story first broke.
“Cheney is all but persona non gratis at Langley. Any calls from the Vice President, as well as Hadley [Stephen; Assistant to the President For National Security Affairs], and, formerly, Scooter Libby, were rerouted and monitored. They want a paper trail and documentation on any requests coming in from this crew.”
I. Lewis ‘Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staff, is currently awaiting trial, on Federal charges of lying and obstructing justice related to the leaking of Valerie Plame’s name.
Gallows Humor and New Pact With Reporters
Larsen, as well as additional sources say that the threat from the Bush Administration is viewed internally by the CIA as “above critical” and that gallows humor has set in among the agents in the field.
Covert agents have begun an “Outting Pool”, betting that, in the build-up to invading Iran, one of them, or their operations, will be disclosed by a member of the Bush Administration. The pool is said to be in the “high six-figures” and that intelligence agencies in Great Britain, Germany and Israel have similar pools.
Reportedly, the CIA has negotiated terms with Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Robert Novak that he will not plant in any of his writings the identity of undercover agents. It was Novak’s column that first disclosed Plame’s identity.
A similar agreement was reached with Time Magazine’s Matthew Copper, however, efforts to reach a similar accord with former New York Times reporter Judith Miller are stalled, apparently, on Miller’s refusal to commit to spending time in jail again, if subpoenaed by the Justice Department.
The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward refused to talk with the CIA, and would not confirm if he already has information that President Bush is planning on invading Iran, if he knows that the Bush Administration is planning on outting a CIA Agent related to war with Iran, nor would he say if he will write about it, or when he would write about it, if the situation were to develop.
CIA Memo Aimed At Protecting Agent and Agency
A memo circulated to all personnel last Friday suggested precautions agents and management could take, as the Bush Administration regurgitates its Iraq war rhetoric and applies it to Iran.
Among the actions highlighted, included;
- Don’t write, or have your spouse write, Op-Ed articles critical of the Bush Administration
- Don’t appear on any cable news programs (we’re still checking about Fox) and offer evidence refuting Administration claims
- Absolutely do not accept any fact-finding missions, or other assignments, from Vice President Dick Cheney
- If the White House puts pressure on you for intelligence, and no supervisors are present, provide them the G5 Shadow Scenarios until such time proper verification of the request can be made
CIA doesn’t know who to trust in the White House
One of the biggest threats the CIA fears is the newly launched White House Iraq and Iran Group (WHIIG).
This new group, and offshoot of WHIG – The White House Iraq Group – which was formed in the summer of 2002, to market the Iraqi War, or, as the group stated, to provide "public education" about Iraq's "grave and gathering danger" to the United States.
The White House has not publicly acknowledged WHIIG, and it is not known who the members are, or what their stated goals may encompass.
“What really worries the CIA,” said Larsen, “is that WHIG, or WHIIG, is a marketing group, it’s not policy ... And being based in the White House, or the Vice President’s office, they have, what amounts to, unlimited resources and budget ... The CIA can’t compete with that, even with their black holes and undercover business operations.”
“Right now,” added Larsen, “the CIA doesn’t know who to trust in the White House.”
Vice President Dick Cheney is said to be "persona non gratis" at CIA Headquarters
