Bob Woodward, or at least Robert Redford playing Bob Woodward, is to me, the archetype of an investigative journalist. Give me the facts, I’ll get my story no matter what, junkyard dog tough, the public has a right to know, investigative journalist.
Judging from his disclosure last night that he was the first person to learn of Valerie Plame’s identity as a CIA analyst, I need to start looking for a new hero.
On Monday, November 14, I testified under oath in a sworn deposition to Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald for more than two hours about small portions of interviews I conducted with three current or former Bush administration officials that relate to the investigation of the public disclosure of the identity of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame.
The interviews were mostly confidential background interviews for my 2004 book “Plan of Attack” about the leadup to the Iraq war, ongoing reporting for The Washington Post and research for a book on Bush’s second term to be published in 2006. The testimony was given under an agreement with Fitzgerald that he would only ask about specific matters directly relating to his investigation.
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was first contacted by Fitzgerald’s office on Nov. 3 after one of these officials went to Fitzgerald to discuss an interview with me in mid-June 2003 during which the person told me Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA on weapons of mass destruction as a WMD analyst.
I have not been released to disclose the source’s name publicly.
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I also testified that I had a conversation with a third person on June 23, 2003. The person was I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, and we talked on the phone. I told him I was sending to him an 18-page list of questions I wanted to ask Vice President Cheney. On page 5 of that list there was a question about “yellowcake” and the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq’s weapons programs. I testified that I believed I had both the 18-page question list and the question list from the June 20 interview with the phrase “Joe Wilson’s wife” on my desk during this discussion. I testified that I have no recollection that Wilson or his wife was discussed, and I have no notes of the conversation.
Though neither Wilson nor Wilson’s wife’s name had surfaced publicly at this point, Pincus had published a story the day before, Sunday, June 22, about the Iraq intelligence before the war. I testified that I had read the story, which referred to the CIA mission by “a former senior American diplomat to visit Niger.” Although his name was not used in the story, I knew that referred to Wilson.
I testified that on June 27, 2003, I met with Libby at 5:10 p.m. in his office adjacent to the White House. I took the 18-page list of questions with the Page-5 reference to “yellowcake” to this interview and I believe I also had the other question list from June 20, which had the “Joe Wilson’s wife” reference.
I have four pages of typed notes from this interview, and I testified that there is no reference in them to Wilson or his wife. A portion of the typed notes shows that Libby discussed the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction, mentioned “yellowcake” and said there was an “effort by the Iraqis to get it from Africa. It goes back to February ’02.” This was the time of Wilson’s trip to Niger.
When asked by Fitzgerald if it was possible I told Libby I knew Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA and was involved in his assignment, I testified that it was possible I asked a question about Wilson or his wife, but that I had no recollection of doing so. My notes do not include all the questions I asked, but I testified that if Libby had said anything on the subject, I would have recorded it in my notes.
He knew something about this story for two years, and he never told us a whiff. But he kept going on Larry King and opining about how this scandal had not a hint of “Watergate.” I’m comforted. The archetype, who sells out for insider book deals and then submits questions in writing before asking the tough questions of our highest, and most corrupt officials. Way to go Bob. My faith in the Fourth Estate is restored.
Plus, it looks like he may still be carrying water for the administration officials on this matter. He says he told the Washington Post’s Pincus about Plame before Pincus wrote the Post’s article on the matter.
I testified that after the mid-June 2003 interview, I told Walter Pincus, a reporter at The Post, without naming my source, that I understood Wilson’s wife worked at the CIA as a WMD analyst. Pincus does not recall that I passed this information on.
Pincus, in the article by the Post explaining Woodward’s follies says, “No way that happened.”
Woodward’s statement said he testified: “I told Walter Pincus, a reporter at The Post, without naming my source, that I understood Wilson’s wife worked at the CIA as a WMD analyst.”
Pincus said he does not recall Woodward telling him that. In an interview, Pincus said he cannot imagine he would have forgotten such a conversation around the same time he was writing about Wilson.
“Are you kidding?” Pincus said. “I certainly would have remembered that.”
Pincus said Woodward may be confused about the timing and the exact nature of the conversation. He said he remembers Woodward making a vague mention to him in October 2003. That month, Pincus had written a story explaining how an administration source had contacted him about Wilson. He recalled Woodward telling him that Pincus was not the only person who had been contacted.
Pincus and fellow Post reporter Glenn Kessler have been questioned in the investigation.
So, do the Rove-Bush-Cheney cabal have another evil minion? A lackey purchased with bi-annual fluff books that tout the party line? Maybe so. And maybe Woodward’s addition to this investigation will ultimately doom the truth to burial so deep that the American people will never know what happened. But at least justice, in the form of Patrick Fitzgerald, appears to be hard at work. Still trying to bring this rat’s nest to public scrutiny.
Guess my new heroes can’t be journalist anymore. They have to be prosecutors. A sign of the times, I guess. Or a sign of Post.