Sparky: As your PP Guru is having fun at SDCC it's more politics for now from Happy Ninja Island —

CBS: Wilson To Bush: Fire Rove

Joseph C. Wilson:

“If he's a man of his word he ought to do what he said he'd do and fire Mr. Rove.”

Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson

Joseph C. Wilson IV (born November 6, 1949) was a United States career foreign service officer and later a diplomat between 1976 and 1998. He served as ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe under President George H. W. Bush, and helped direct Africa policy for the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton. He was hailed as "truly inspiring" and "courageous" by George H. W. Bush after sheltering more than a hundred Americans at the US embassy in Baghdad, and mocking Saddam Hussein's threats to execute anyone who refused to hand over foreigners. As a result, in 1990, he also became the last American diplomat to meet with Saddam Hussein (Wilson, 2003).

Wilson achieved wide notoriety due to his involvement in the verification of intelligence regarding Iraq. In 2002 he was sent to Niger to investigate the possibility that Saddam Hussein had attempted to buy uranium-enriched yellowcake. Wilson concluded that Iraq had attempted to make such a purchase, but had been unable to complete it since yellowcake mining is managed by an international consortium and supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (Wilson, 2003).

Controversy ensued when the British government issued a white paper asserting a threat from Iraq, on the basis of intelligence that later proved to be non-specific with respect to time. In his 2003 State of the Union Address, President Bush referred to attempts by Iraq to acquire uranium from Africa. The Bush Administration explicitly affirmed (Fleischer, 2003) this was based on a reference to Niger, but the later Butler Report confirmed the existence of what they found to be credible intelligence that Iraq was attempting to acquire uranium from Niger, see Yellowcake Forgery, and less certain intelligence that Iraq was attempting to acquire uranium from the Democratic Republic of Congo. These statements were completely consistent with Wilson's report to the CIA.

Wilson criticized the President over the Niger claims, and shortly thereafter an anonymous source leaked the fact that his wife, Valerie Plame, was a covert CIA operative to columnist Robert Novak. Wilson accused the Bush administration of attempting to discredit and intimidate him, and the Administration accused Wilson of claiming that he went to Niger at the request of Vice-President Dick Cheney when his wife was the actual person recommending him for the mission. The U.S. Congress has set up an inquiry to determine who was involved with the leak, headed by U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

Valerie and John © Vanity Fair article (fair use)

Several months after the scandal broke, Senator Pat Roberts, joined by Senators Christopher Bond and Orrin Hatch, made "additional comments" following the release of the Report of Pre-war Intelligence on Iraq. In these comments they claimed, amongst other things, that Wilson's wife had "suggested her husband for the trip to Niger" and that Wilson had made statements which "were not only incorrect, but had no basis in fact." Specifically, the report said, "Interviews and documents provided to the Committee indicate that his wife, a CPD [Counterproliferation Division] employee, suggested his name for the trip."

Senator Roberts criticized Wilson for allegedly informing reporters that he had personal knowledge of the Iraq-Niger uranium documents and allegedly informing reporters that he had personal knowledge that the Iraq-Niger uranium connection had been "completely debunked," when in fact Ambassador Wilson lacked personal knowledge regarding those issues.[1]

Although Senator Roberts was clear that he and the Panel's democratic members disagreed about the inclusion of the statements above in the official report, he alleged that the panel agreed on "the underlying facts" regarding those conclusions. The other members did not confirm this alleged agreement. Apparently ignoring this dispute, many media outlets reported them as established facts from the report itself. Wilson responded to Roberts claims, pointing to numerous statements by the CIA indicating that his wife did not recommend him for the mission but never addressed that his wife lobbied to send him on the mission to Niger. The CIA considered Wilson's findings regarding the Niger link as incomplete.

In the imagination of partisans and others, Wilson became both a hero and a villain, depending on their opinions of the Bush administration and the nature of the evidence provided by Wilson and his detractors. He profited handsomely from a book about his mission to Niger, in any estimation.

Bush opponents claim Wilson is a brave man who spoke truth to power, a meme that is played up in the title of Wilson's website and his book ('The Politics of Truth'). They consider Wilson and his wife the victims of an ongoing smear campaign orchestrated by a vindictive White House.

Bush supporters consider subsequent revelations both to have reversed evaluations of Wilson’s professions of seeking truth-telling and to have portrayed Wilson as opportunistically pursuing political influence himself (as well as personal fame and money) at the expense of the credibility of the United States. They see the two considerations together as discrediting his conclusions concerning the administration's use of intelligence data concerning Iraq’s dealings with Niger as well as his claims of victimization (May, Schmidt, 2004).

References

• Wilson, Joseph (July 6, 2003). What I didn't find in Africa. New York Times reprinted at Common Dreams News Center
• Roberts, Pat (July 9, 2004). Press release. Basis for the Susan Schmidt, Clifford May, Robert Novak, and Matthew Continetti articles below.
• Wilson, Joseph (July 19, 2004). Response to Pat Roberts Reprinted at Alternet.

External links

• Wilson, Joseph (September 14, 2003). Seeking honesty in U.S. policy. San Jose Mercury News reprinted at Common Dreams News Center.
• Wilson, Joseph (October 1, 2003) "Neo-conservatives and religious conservatives have hijacked this administration, and I consider myself on a personal mission to destroy both." Washington Times.
• Bedard, Paul (October 20, 2003). Wilson adds ammo to hit war credibility gap. USNews.com “Washington Whispers” [not found in on-line archive]
• Wilson, Joseph (May 2, 2004). 'Administration went after me and my wife'. Miami Herald reprinted at Common Dreams News Center.
• Fleischer, Ari (July 7, 2003). Press gaggle. The White House.
• Schmidt, Susan (July 9, 2004). Plame's input is cited on Niger mission. washingtonpost.com, p. A09 [registration required]
• May, Clifford D. (July 12, 2004). Our man in Niger. National Review Online.
• Novak, Robert (July 15, 2004). Errant former ambassador. Townhall.com
• Wilson, Joseph (July 21, 2004). A right-wing smear is gathering steam. Los Angeles Times reprinted at Common Dreams News Center.
• Continetti, Matthew (July 26, 2004). “A little literary flair”. Weekly Standard suggests that Wilson made false accusations.

Quotes

• Neo-conservatives and religious conservatives have hijacked this administration, and I consider myself on a personal mission to destroy both. -- 2003 October 1
• "Iraq is a country that remembers its history, dating back millennia. [The Iraqis] will outlive this occupation. They will make our lives difficult there. At the end of it, I think the chances are really very good that the consequences will be far graver to our national security than they were going in."
• In the issue war in Iraq, it was very clear to me that the policies that were being espoused by neoconservatives were totally devoid of substance … but they marketed it wonderfully. -- 2005 February 15
• The spin overwhelms the substance. That’s very clearly what happened. -- 2005 February 15
• We’re not very good… Democrats are not very good at messaging. -- 2005 February 15
• As I’ve said repeatedly, Republicans are very good at describing things in black and white; Democrats are very good at describing the 11 shades of gray. -- 2005 February 15
• "If he's a man of his word he ought to do what he said he'd do and fire Mr. Rove."
  

Google News Briefs:

Ganging Up
Washington Post -
The sight of David Gregory, Terry Moran, John Roberts and other White House correspondents badgering Scott McClellan over Karl Rove has triggered some pretty strong reactions.

Bush mute on aide's CIA leak
Age (subscription), Australia -
US president George Bush has said he would withhold judgement on whether Karl Rove, his senior adviser and political strategist, had identified an undercover ...

Bush sends signal that Rove still safe Denver Post, CO - By Richard W. Stevenson. Washington - President Bush said Wednesday that he would withhold judgment on whether Karl Rove, his senior ...

GOP Watches Rove During CIA Leak Probe
San Francisco Chronicle, CA - 1 hour ago
By RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer. Republicans are nervously watching the fight over Karl Rove's involvement in a news leak that ...

CIA officer's husband calls for Rove dismissal CNN International - 2 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson called on President Bush on Thursday to fire deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, saying Bush's top-level aide ...

Wilson To Bush: Fire Rove CBS News - 2 hours ago (CBS/AP) Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson called on President Bush on Thursday to fire top aide Karl Rove for discussing Wilson's wife's role as a CIA officer ...

Wilson: Fire Rove for 'Abuse of Power' FOX News - 2 hours ago WASHINGTON — Amb. Joseph Wilson (search) on Thursday called on President Bush to fire his chief adviser, Karl Rove (search), for ...

CIA agent's husband sees W. House cover-up on leak Reuters - 3 hours ago By Sue Pleming. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The husband of a CIA agent whose identity was revealed amid debate over the Iraq war accused ...

Ganging Up Washington Post, DC - 3 hours ago By Howard Kurtz. The sight of David Gregory, Terry Moran, John Roberts and other White House correspondents badgering Scott McClellan ...

Bush to withhold decision on Rove until inquiry ends International Herald Tribune, France - 3 hours ago WASHINGTON President George W. Bush has said he will withhold judgment on whether Karl Rove, his senior adviser and political strategist, identified an ...

Wilson: The president should ‘fire Karl Rove’ MSNBC - 4 hours ago It was two years ago today, that columnist Robert Novak outed Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA operative. For the last eight months ...

CIA Officer Calls on Bush to Fire Rove Washington Post, DC - 5 hours ago WASHINGTON -- Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson called on President Bush Thursday to fire deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, saying Bush's top-level aide engaged ...

Bush's 'brain' leaked: Did Bush know? Asia Times Online, Hong Kong - 5 hours ago By Jim Lobe. WASHINGTON - Battered by sagging poll numbers, new doubts in the aftermath of the London bombings about the effectiveness ...

Reuters Politics News Summary Washington Post, DC - 6 hours ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush's personal credibility appears to be eroding at a time when Iraq has become the top public priority and the White House ...

Bush's offense goes on defense Chicago Tribune, IL - 7 hours ago WASHINGTON -- Karl Rove, a master of the political attack with added credentials as a cunning operative, suddenly finds himself playing an extraordinarily ...

Rove Isn't the Real Outrage Washington Post, DC - 7 hours ago By Richard Cohen. If I were a nicer person, I would have some sympathy for Karl Rove. After all, in a town where many of the people ...

NEWS ANALYSIS President unlikely to abandon Rove San Francisco Chronicle, CA - 7 hours ago Washington -- President Bush promised months ago to fire anyone from his administration who leaked the identity of a spy. Yet no ...

Rove knows the game Newsday, NY - 8 hours ago Oh, what wonderful, delicious irony in the case of White House superstar Karl Rove and the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. The ...

President declines to defend Rove, citing ongoing investigation Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), GA - 8 hours ago Washington --- Thirty-two years into a relationship that has endured five election campaigns and left its imprint on history, President Bush on Wednesday ...

Plamegate Turns DC Upside Down CBS News - 9 hours ago (CBS) Dotty Lynch is the Senior Political Editor for CBS News. E-mail your questions and comments to Political Points. Pity the ...

'Fair game' question for Bush Newsday, NY - 8 hours ago Has the president asked Karl Rove, his indispensable aide, about his role in the Valerie Plame case? BY HAROLD MEYERSON. Harold Meyerson ...

PERSPECTIVES ON KARL ROVE AND THE WHITE HOUSE Miami Herald, FL - 9 hours ago The White House continues to cover up political advisor Karl Rove's involvement in leaking the identity of an undercover CIA agent to the press. ...

ROVE RAGE: HE'S NOT THE VILLAIN Yahoo News - 9 hours ago CIA operative's identity, conveniently distracts from the real story here — and it's a tale that shows the Bush-bashers at their most disingenuous. ...

Bush backs away from backing Rove Newsday, NY - 10 hours ago WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush passed up a chance yesterday to express confidence in senior aide Karl Rove in a political fight over a news leak that ...

The man behind the man: Rove is the White House's key player Seattle Times, WA - 9 hours ago By Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten. WASHINGTON — President Bush once said he would fire any White House staffer who had leaked ...

Bush talks Detroit Free Press, MI - 10 hours ago On Rove: President George W. Bush said Wednesday he would withhold judgment about top aide Karl Rove's involvement in leaking the identity of a CIA operative ...

Democrats urge Bush to sack Rove People's Daily Online, China - 11 hours ago Democratic Party leaders called on Tuesday for the dismissal of President George Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, after evidence surfaced implicating ...

Karl Rove feeling the heat Houston Chronicle, TX - 11 hours ago The Bush administration is not being truthful concerning Karl Rove's involvement in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Rove ...

CIA agent's outing sidetracks his budget session Houston Chronicle, TX - 12 hours ago By BENNETT ROTH. WASHINGTON - The controversy over President Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, has become at least a temporary ...

CIA 'outing' might fall short of crime USA Today - 12 hours ago By Mark Memmott, USA TODAY. WASHINGTON — The alleged crime at the heart of a controversy that has consumed official Washington ...

Wilson's Iraq Assertions Hold Up Under Fire From Rove Backers Bloomberg - 13 hours ago July 14 (Bloomberg) -- Two-year old assertions by former ambassador Joseph Wilson regarding Iraq and uranium, which lie at the heart of the controversy over ...

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A Letter To The Terrorists, From London

Just fucking poetic I say ... Bless Electricinca for pointing it out.
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Hitler News for Today's Holocaust Deniers

Sparky: Canadian Jewish community up in arms over sale in Montreal of architectural sketches by Nazi dictator

Hitler's sketches go up for auction; Canadian Jews outraged

MONTREAL - A Montreal auctioneer has put four sketches by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler up for sale, sparking outrage and condemnation in Canada's Jewish community.


Montreal auctioneer Iégor de Saint Hippolyte:
"My mandate says get me the best price for those pieces,
whatever they are by Hitler, by Stalin [or] by Lenin," he
said. The current owner of the six pieces chose to remain
anonymous.

Iegor de Saint Hippolyte said on Tuesday that the private auction, which also includes two Christmas messages from the Nazi leader, would take place on July 19 and last only for a few minutes.

He said the current owner of the six pieces wishes to remain anonymous, and he declined to say how much he expected the sale to bring.

Asked about the morality of selling articles by and from Hitler, he said: "I am simply doing my duty, which is to transmit history to other people and to preserve objects that are important for humanity."

Hitler, German chancellor from 1933 to 1945, unleashed World War II when his armies invaded Poland in 1939. His racial policies led to the Holocaust, the organized massacre of some 6 million European Jews, largely at concentration camps such as Auschwitz.

The Canadian Jewish Congress said the sale of the sketches and of the two messages from Hitler was offensive.

"This is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of Hitler's regime, and there are still ... 15,000 in Canada who will be legitimately outraged by this desecration of the memory of what they suffered and of those who died," Max Bernard, an honorary vice-president of the Congress, said in a statement.

The four architectural sketches on auction in Montreal were made in charcoal, colored pencil and ink. One includes corrections Hitler is believed to have made to the design for an opera house in Linz, Austria, near where he was born, Saint Hippolyte said.

The opera house was designed by Hitler's chief architect Albert Speer, who subsequently became Germany's wartime armaments minister. Speer was tried at Nuremberg after the war and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The two holiday greeting cards are dated 1935 and 1938, and bear Hitler's personal seal and signature.

Saint Hippolyte, who is affiliated with the Paris auctioneers Drouot, said he is aware of the backlash against the auction, but intends to press ahead.

He said he was considering whether to donate his auction fees to a humanitarian organization.


Hitler drawings up for auction
Ynetnews, Israel - 8 hours ago
By Reuters. MONTREAL - A Montreal auctioneer has put four sketches by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler up for sale, sparking outrage and ...

Hitler drawings to go on sale in Canada Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Jul 12, 2005 By Robert Melnbardis. MONTREAL (Reuters) - A Montreal auctioneer has put four sketches by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler up for sale, sparking ...

Montreal auction house to sell Hitler’s art Canadian Jewish News, Canada - 10 hours ago By DAVID LAZARUS. The man who will be taking bids on several sketches and postcards by Adolf Hitler at a local auction later this ...

Auction of Hitler sketches raises concerns Ottawa Citizen, Canada - 11 hours ago MONTREAL - Despite the concerns of German historians and the Canadian Jewish Congress, a set of Adolf Hitler's architectural sketches are to be auctioned on ...

Jewish Congress objects to auction of Hitler sketches CBC Nova Scotia, Canada - Jul 11, 2005 The Canadian Jewish Congress is calling for a stop to an upcoming auction in Montreal of sketches by Adolf Hitler. Montreal auctioneer ...

Hitler drawings to go on sale in Canada Metro Toronto, Canada - 21 hours ago A combination of undated handout photographs shows four architectural sketches by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler that will be sold in an auction in Montreal later ...

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Gotta wonder why Novak isn't in jail as well ... I guess the media is going to have a lynching party on the old spinmeister and his newsstooge ... - Sparky o&o