Other Columns by Cliff Kincaid
Cliff Kincaid Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

Page 3 of 3

Under these circumstances, it was natural, as Miller recounts, for the conversation to turn to Wilson's wife, a CIA employee who recommended him for that Africa trip. Miller says the following about Fitzgerald's line of questioning: "Mr. Fitzgerald asked me whether Mr. Libby had mentioned nepotism. I said no."

This is important because Plame's role in recommending him for the Africa trip, as documented by the Senate Intelligence Committee, possibly violated federal nepotism laws. According to Miller, Libby apparently didn't offer an opinion on that. But that gets to the heart of what was going on in the CIA. Who in the CIA was orchestrating the Wilson affair to damage the Bush administration? Is Fitzgerald investigating that?

If not, a major miscarriage of justice is underway. The media, of course, are not interested in probing Wilson and Plame, only the Bush administration. The name of the game was and still is to "get" the administration through concocted scandals. This one involved an alleged effort to smear Wilson, whose wild and reckless charges should never have been published by the Times in the first place, by going after his wife. It's also probably the case that Plame and other CIA officials are trusted "sources" for the press. So why would reporters want to scrutinize them?

It's been repeated endlessly by Miller's defenders that Miller was ordered to testify about the case but never wrote a story about it. She should have. Her story exonerates the Bush administration and it should put the focus where it belongs - on Wilson, his wife and the duplicitous bureaucrats in the CIA.

The media are now clamoring for indictments of Bush officials, with CBS Evening News anchorman Bob Schieffer saying that it would look foolish for Fitzgerald to essentially drop the case after investigating the matter for so long. This kind of media pressure may be difficult to resist. But Fitzgerald should live up to his reputation and be independent enough to understand that he, too, has been manipulated by the media in this affair and that indictments of Bush administration officials would only serve to distract attention from the real problem - an out-of-control CIA.

------------

Cliff Kincaid is Editor of the AIM Report.

--------------------

Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.

>> Back -- Page 1 2 3