Conyers Reports From Hearing

Via ConyersBlog Among other things, I was most interested in testimony about the ripple effects a diclsosure like this has on all of our intelligence gathering capabilities in the war on terrorism. Colonel Lang, among others, aptly described the trust that is necessary to recruit and retain foreign assets to help us gather intelligence. When it becomes known that the United States does not protect its own covert assets, foreign assets begin to have serious doubts about whether the United States will protect their identities. The disclosure of Mrs. Wilson's covert identity has other more immediate ripple effects as well. She had set up a front company, Brewster-Jennings, and the disclosure of her identity likely led to the disclosure of others affiliated with Brewster-Jennings and others affiliated with them. A web of connections literally can become unraveled when something like this happens. I know many of the most ardent White House defenders are in denial about this and want to say the leak didn't matter. They rely on misleading and out of context quotes and deliberate deceptions about how covert operations really work to try to sow confusion. Despite their level of contempt for the intelligence of the American public, the truth will eventually come out, and the White House, if they don't come clean soon, will face even more serious consequences. MORE.....