[Mb-civic] Former CIA Official Larry Johnson Delivers Democratic Radio Address

[Jef Bek]

http://democrats.org/a/2005/07/former_cia_offi.php Former CIA Official Larry

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Johnson Delivers Democratic Radio Address

Washington, DC - This week, Larry Johnson, who worked previously with the
Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. State Department's Office of Counter
Terrorism, delivered the Democratic Radio Address.

To listen to the audio version, click here.

The transcript is below.


"Good morning. I'm Larry Johnson, an American, a registered Republican, a
former intelligence official at the CIA, and a friend of Valerie Plame.

I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985 with Valerie. We were members
of the Career Trainee Program. Senator Orin Hatch wrote the letter of
recommendation for me which I believe that helped open the doors to me at
the CIA.

 From the first day we walked into the building, all members of my training
class were undercover, including Valerie. In other words, we had to lie to
our family and friends about where we worked. We could only tell those who
had an absolute need to know where we worked. In my case, I told my wife.

 I knew the wife of Ambassador Wilson, Valerie, as Valerie P. Even though
all of us in the training class held Top Secret Clearances, we were asked to
limit our knowledge of our other classmates to the first initial of their
last name.

 So, Larry J. knew Val P. rather than Valerie Plame. I really didnt realize
what her last name was until her cover was betrayed by the Government
officials who gave columnist Robert Novak her true name.

 I am stunned that government officials at the highest level have such
ignorance about a matter so basic to the national security structure of this
nation.

 Robert Novak's compromise of Valerie led to scrutiny of CIA officers that
worked with her. This not only compromised her cover company but potentially
every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company or with
her.

We must put to bed the lie that she was not undercover. For starters, if she
had not been undercover then the CIA would not have referred the matter to
the Justice Department.

 Val only told those with a need to know about her status in order to
safeguard her cover, not compromise it. She was content with being known as
an energy consultant married to Ambassador Joe Wilson and the mother of
twins.

 I voted for George Bush in November of 2000 because I was promised a
President who would bring a new tone and a new ethical standard to
Washington.

So where are we? The President has flip-flopped on his promise to fire
anyone at the White House implicated in a leak. We now know from press
reports that at least Karl Rove and Scooter Libby are implicated in these
leaks and may have lied during the investigation.

Instead of a President concerned first and foremost with protecting this
country and the intelligence officers who serve it, we are confronted with a
President who is willing to sit by while political operatives savage the
reputations of good Americans like Valerie and Joe Wilson.

 This is wrong and this is shameful.

We deserve people who work in the White House who are committed to
protecting classified information, telling the truth to the American people,
and living by example the idea that a country at war with Islamic extremists
cannot focus its efforts on attacking other American citizens who simply
tried to tell the truth.

 I am Larry Johnson.

Thank you for listening.