The Washington Post’s Richard Leiby has seen an advance copy of Joseph Wilson’s new book, “The Politics of Truth.” In it, as promised, Wilson shares his thoughts on who he believes was responsible for outing his undercover CIA agent wife.
Wilson doesn’t know for sure, of course, but he has some theories. The names will sound familiar to those of you who’ve been following the controversy from the beginning.
Those hoping to solve the mystery of who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to columnist Robert Novak — a matter under investigation by a grand jury and a special prosecutor — won’t find a clear answer in the new book by former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, Plame’s husband. But in “The Politics of Truth,” set for release tomorrow, Wilson points to Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff, Lewis “Scooter” Libby, as “quite possibly the person who exposed my wife’s identity.”
There are other suspects in Wilson’s closely held book, a copy of which was obtained by The Post’s Linton Weeks. Citing unnamed sources, Wilson writes that a “workup” on his background was done by the White House in March 2003 after his public criticism of Iraq policy. “The other name that has most often been repeated to me in connection with the inquiry and disclosure into my background and Valerie’s is that of Elliott Abrams, who gained infamy in the Iran-Contra scandal during the first Bush administration.” (Abrams is on the staff of the National Security Council.)
But Wilson hasn’t given up entirely on his first suspect, Karl Rove, whom he said last summer should be “frog-marched” out of the White House in handcuffs. “The workup on me that turned up the information on Valerie was shared with Karl Rove, who then circulated it in administration and neoconservative circles,” Wilson alleges.
Interesting stuff, but these are the same White House officials everyone has suspected for a long while. Hopefully, Wilson has some details that will shed additional light on the matter.
And, just as an aside, I guess the Post isn’t taking this controversy very seriously anymore. This item about Wilson’s conclusions was on page C3. And Richard Leiby, who wrote up the item, isn’t a reporter; he’s the Post’s gossip columnist.
Not to be overdramatic about this, but the Bush White House is under a criminal investigation. They couldn’t squeeze this information into the A section somewhere?