Dick Cheney: Joe Wilson's mission was 'Amateur Hour out at the CIA' -- The PoliticoVice President Dick Cheney told federal prosecutors that he had “no idea” who leaked CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity to a newspaper columnist in 2003 – the episode that touched off the CIA leak scandal that brought down Cheney’s chief of staff, Lewis “Scooter” Libby.
Cheney’s exact role in the leak probe has long been a subject of speculation – and his May 8, 2004, interview with special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald does little to clear up the question, since Cheney expressed a lack of recollection about several key issues. In at least one instance, Cheney flatly refused to answer a question about what he had told President George W. Bush.
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My Comment: When I first learned about the Joe Wilson affair, details were scarce but I felt even at that time it was a poorly planned mission. Former ambassador Joe Wilson may have had contacts in the Niger Government, but he was not is a position to know if yellow cake was being exported out of the country or not. His information was coming from people who may have told him the truth .... or lief to him .... without him knowing exactly if the information he was being given was reliable.
On this issue the former Vice President is right .... this is another episode in which the CIA was being amateurish.
However, the media is missing the big picture. If Vice President Cheney strongly felt that the CIA was being amateurish at the time, what did he do to correct the situation. Did he advocate changes? Did he initiate oversight? Were people fired? I have a hundred and one questions .... but no one is asking them.