"Outing Mrs. Wilson…Was Treacherous, if not Treasonous"

Such was the headline on a letter Rep. Henry Waxman sent to his colleagues in the House of Representatives:

"Outing Mrs. Wilson…Was Treacherous, if not Treasonous."
Retired CIA Agents Larry Johnson, Michael Grimaldi, and Brent Cavan (Oct. 24, 2003)

Dear Colleague:

Many Republicans are trying hard to minimize Karl Rove’s disgraceful conduct in outing the identity of a covert CIA agent. The fact is that Mr. Rove, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and the President’s closest advisor, and perhaps others in the White House, put politics ahead of protecting our national security.

Much has been written about this issue, but I want to make sure you have the following quotes as you think about this shameful breach. These comments, more than anything else I have read, explain why Karl Rove’s actions matter to every American. They are the views of former President and CIA Director George H.W. Bush and ten former CIA officials:

* "I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors." Former President and CIA Director George H.W. Bush, Washington Times (Apr. 27, 1999).

* "We also want to send a clear message to the political 'operatives' responsible for ‘outing’ Mrs. Wilson. Such action was treacherous, if not treasonous. ... This has set a sickening precedent. The "senior Administration officials" who did this have warned all U.S. intelligence officers and the Intelligence Community that any one individual may be compromised if providing information or factual analysis the White House does not like." Testimony of Former CIA Officials Larry Johnson, Michael Grimaldi, and Brent Cavan (Oct. 24, 2003).

* "The disclosure of Ms. Plame’s name was an unprecedented and shameful event in American history and, in our professional judgment, has damaged U.S. national security, specifically the effectiveness of U.S. intelligence gathering using human sources. Any breach of the code of confidentiality and cover weakens the overall fabric of intelligence, and, directly or indirectly, jeopardizes the work and safety of intelligence workers and their sources." Letter to House Speaker Dennis J. Hastert from Former CIA Officials Larry C. Johnson, James Marcinkowski, Michael Grimaldi, Brent Cavan, Marc Sageman, MD, Ph.D., James A. Smith, John McCavitt, Ray McGovern, Ray Close, and William Wagner (Jan. 20. 2004).

As an independent branch of government, we shirk our constitutional responsibilities if we continue to ignore this serious violation of our national security interests.

Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman
Ranking Minority Member