-dave 47/divorced

You rock!

Conyers Writes to Bush and Cheney

February 10, 2006
The President
The Vice President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President and Mr. Vice President:

Yesterday, the National Journal and AP reported that the Vice President’s former Chief of Staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, had testified to a federal grand jury that as part of an effort to discredit Ambassador Joseph Wilson and defend your Administration’s use of prewar intelligence, he had been authorized by the Vice President and other White House superiors to leak classified information to journalists.1 Moreover, correspondence filed by Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald also reveals that Mr. Libby has asserted that he had been authorized to disclose to the media a still-classified portion of a National Intelligence Estimate about alleged efforts to develop nuclear weapons to the media.2

If this is true, I am concerned that it constitutes an abuse of power at best, and may be outright unlawful at worst. As I understand the applicable declassification regulations, they provide that “[i]nformation shall be declassified as soon as it no longer meets the standard for classification under this order.”3 Under these standards, it would appear that neither classified nuclear information nor Valerie Plame’s status as a covert agent or the name of her employer warranted declassification. This is why Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald has stated that these leaks were “a serious breach of public trust”4

As a result of these reports, I would like to ask you the following questions:

1. Is the report in the National Journal accurate? Have you or your staffs authorized Mr. Libby or other personnel within the Administration to declassify and leak information to the media relating to the Iraq war and the use of pre-war intelligence on any occasions? If so, please describe.

2. What is the legal basis for authorizing such declassifications and disclosures?

3. On September 30, 2003, the President declared, “[l]isten, I know of nobody – I don’t know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information … If somebody did leak classified information, I’d like to know it, and we’ll take the appropriate action.”5 Do you still stand by the President’s pledge and, if so, what action are you planning to take against any individuals who may have authorized the leaks described in the National Journal article?

To the extent you believe any of the information needed to respond to the above questions may be classified or sensitive, I am happy to meet with you or your staffs directly on these matters. I may be reached through my Judiciary Committee office at 202-225-6504, 2142 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.

Ranking Member

The ultimate head of the agencies involved is the President, isn’t it? That would give him the authority over any head of CIA?

Also, the last section of that EO defers the implementation of some key provisions for a period of 180 days.

Personally, I think the situation implies the weight of a conspiracy planned in advance.

In the language used by this administration, the easiest claim for them to make is that it was done in a time of emergency for the interest of national defense.

Truthdig: Generals Warn Against ‘Disastrous’ Iran Attack

Posted on Feb 4, 2007

Three former high-ranking U.S. generals have called on the Bush administration to pursue diplomacy with Iran, saying “an attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences,” a concern shared by a group of 22 physicists, including 12 Nobel laureates, who’ve asked Congress to restrict the president’s ability to use nuclear weapons against Tehran.

Diplomacy can still win Iran (published in the Sunday Times):

AS FORMER US military leaders, we strongly caution against the use of military force against Iran. An attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences for security in the region, coalition forces in Iraq and would further exacerbate regional and global tensions. The current crisis must be resolved through diplomacy.

A strategy of diplomatic engagement with Iran would serve the interests of the US and the UK and potentially could enhance regional and international security. The British government has a vital role to play in securing a renewed diplomatic push and making it clear that it will oppose any recourse to military force. The Bush administration should engage immediately in direct talks with the government of Iran without preconditions. There is time available to talk, we must ensure that we use it.

Lieutenant General Robert G Gard Jr
US Army (Ret), Former assistant to the Secretary of Defense, president, National Defense University

General Joseph P Hoar
US Marine Corps (Ret), Former Commander in Chief, US Central Command

Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan
US Navy (Ret), Former Director of the Center for Defense Information and currently Chairman, Military Advisory Committee