The crime of character assassination politics

The Bush Administration decided, in a fit of petulant payback, to expose a covert CIA agent. Seems preposterous that a Republican administration would compromise our intelligence service? Mark A. R. Kleiman has a good summary of the situation.

Joseph Wilson, former Ambassador to Gabon, was sent by the CIA (at Dick Cheney's request) to Niger in February of 2002 to verify the story that Iraq was purchasing yellowcake (uranium oxide). He reported back no such thing had occured. By June of this year Wilson revealed the fact that the yellowcake story was false, yet the Bush Administration continued to use it to justify the war.

As retribution for revealing the truth, Administration officials exposed Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert CIA agent. This is reckless, petty and a criminal offense. And still, no outrage from the rule of law Republicans in the House of Representatives.

(via Uggabugga)

kherr @ 23:26 CDT | link | politics