David Johnston of the Times tells us that Fitzmas will be indefinitely postponed:
WASHINGTON, June 13 — The prosecutor in the C.I.A. leak case on Monday advised Karl Rove, the senior White House adviser, that he would not be charged with any wrongdoing, effectively ending the nearly three-year criminal investigation that had at times focused intensely on Mr. Rove.
The decision by the prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, announced in a letter to Mr. Rove's lawyer, Robert D. Luskin, lifted a pall that had hung over Mr. Rove who testified on five occasions to a federal grand jury about his involvement in the disclosure of an intelligence officer's identity.
In a statement, Mr. Luskin said, "On June 12, 2006, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald formally advised us that he does not anticipate seeking charges against Karl Rove."
Mr. Fitzgerald's spokesman, Randall Samborn, said he would not comment on Mr. Rove's status.
Let me gulp down some crow - last May 8, I pegged the probability of a Rove indictment at 70%; a few days ago, I marked that down to 50% - well, at least I had the trend right.
Two quick guesses as to why there was no indictment:
(a) The Libby indictment looks very much like a failed attempt to force Libby to cooperate, presumably by testifying against Dick Cheney. Evidently, the prospect of a second failed attempt held little appeal for Fitzgerald.
(b) The Armitage angle made a Rove indictment problematic except as a package deal (as I discussed on May 19). Briefly, Richard Armitage, former deputy Secretary of State, had apparently leaked about Ms, Plame's CIA affiliation to Bob Woodward in mid-June and Bob Novak in early July. However, he seems to have only testified about the Woodward leak *after* the Libby indictment was handed down in Oct 2005, despite reminders and requests from Bob Woodward during 2004. That looks a lot like obstruction and perjury, yet Special Counsel Fitzgerald has shown no interest in pursuing him. Well, fine, but how can what Rove did (which amounted to forgetting about his talk with Matt Cooper of TIME) be considered indictable if Armitage's behavior was not?
Well. I have no doubt my friends on the left will explain all this. [Corrected from "friend" to "friends", although if I keep up with the shameless gloating I will have the trend backwards].
MORE: This spin could work: Rove Cleared, Zarqawi Dead, GOP Doomed.
Decision '08 questions the timing of this announcement:
[M]y only regret is that this didn’t happen when the PlameGate panel was meeting at the YearlyKos.
Oh, we are snarky today, aren't we? That PlameGate Dream Team panel discussion ought to be a collector's item now.
ANOTHER COLLECTOR'S ITEM: On the same June 12 that Fitzgwerald was informing Luskin that no charges were anticipated, Jason Leopold was keeping hope alive at TruthNot:
Four weeks ago, during the time when we reported that White House political adviser Karl Rove was indicted for crimes related to his role in the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson, the grand jury empanelled in the case returned an indictment that was filed under seal in US District Court for the District of Columbia under the curious heading of Sealed vs. Sealed.
As of Friday afternoon that indictment, returned by the grand jury the week of May 10th, remains under seal - more than a month after it was handed up by the grand jury.
The case number is "06 cr 128." On the federal court's electronic database, "06 cr 128" is listed along with a succinct summary: "No further information is available."
We have not seen the contents of the indictment "06 cr 128". But the fact that this indictment was returned by the grand jury hearing evidence in the CIA leak case on a day that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald met with the grand jury raised a number of questions about the identity of the defendant named in the indictment, whether it relates to the leak case, and why it has been under seal for a month under the heading Sealed vs. Sealed.
We don't know either, but Sweetness and Light notes that the attached case number looks more like the civil suit involving the TIME subpoenas than it does the criminal suit. Of course, that only makes sense if someone messed up - why seal a case and then give it the appropriate (but supposedly secret) case number? And I can't quite get PACER to kick up the TIME file with that case number, but the "00128" is a match.
PROPS: To the EmptyWheel, who noted that a key point of the Monday status hearing on Libby was to resolve the question of how long Fitzgerald could hide evidence under the "ongoing investigation" blanket. Apparent answer - not much longer.
And is there a Newton's Law requiring that every "Props" has an equal and opposite "anti-Props"? How about this, from a Dream Team Plame panelist on June 9:
you don’t leave a defendant hanging. you either bring a charge or let the defendant know.
which brings us to karl rove. the investigation is ongoing. she says that because she heard pat fitzgerald say "the investigation is on going." and the judge presiding over the libby case said "the investigation is on going." so, she guesses the invesigation is still ongoing. (many chuckles in the room).
Or not, and who's chuckling now? (Besides me, and you should try typing while doubled over...). [Matt Drudge seems to be able to type and laugh!]
KEEP HOPE ALIVE! Christy Hardin Smith staddles this case like a mighty Colossus, admitting that Rove looks to be clear but refusing to accept it:
On the one hand, how could Luskin, Rove's attorney, dare to mislead us?
it’s not surprising that Luskin would pick the NYTimes as his outlet for announcing news of a letter freeing-up Rove (if, indeed, that is what it fully does…although, I have to say, in all honesty, as an attorney you would never make an announcement like this without something in hand from the prosecutor which purports to say this — you’d never be taken seriously in any other case otherwise…)
On the other hand, never lack for tinfoil:
I’ve said this before, and I will say it again: unless and until I hear it from Patrick Fitzgerald, the investigation continues to be ongoing. Which means that there are still potential developments down the road, should the evidence (like handwritten marching orders on the Wilson op-ed in Dick Cheney’s handwriting) lead there.
As I read this, she is saying that Rove may walk, but Cheney is still a target. Let me just say, I have no doubt Fitzgerald wanted Cheney, but he doesn't have him and won't get him.
In a further attempt to keep hope alive, note this misreading of Luskin's words. From the Times:
In his statement Mr. Luskin said he would not address other legal questions surrounding Mr. Fitzgerald’s decision. He added, "In deference to the pending case, we will not make any further public statements about the subject matter of the investigation.
And how does Ms. Hardin Smith interpet that?
Hmmm…interesting that Luskin, who has blathered about town about every hangnail that he’s ever witnessed on any person involved in this matter suddenly clams up, isn’t it? And that he mentions the ongoing investigation…
No, he did *NOT* mention the "ongoing investigation", he mentioned the "pending case". Now I understand that in somebody's fantasy, that is the pending case to be brought against Dick Cheney, but in my world, that is the pending case agaisnt Lewis Libby, a case in which Rove will almost surely be a witness. And since he will be a witness, he has been asked to pipe down about the "subject matter of the investigation", which again, is a phrase with a different meaning than "the ongoing investigation".
UNRELENTING: John Tabin of the American Spectator is enjoying the morning.
A QUICK CHANGE OF GEARS: Dan Froomkin makes the perfectly valid point that Fitzgerald's decision not to indict hardly represents a complete exoneration, and he urges the press to get some answers:
Senior White House political adviser Karl Rove's successful avoidance of criminal charges in the CIA leak investigation is a huge win for the White House.
It's also a massive blow to those who had hoped that special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald's investigation would end Rove's career as a cunning and outlandishly successful Republican strategist.
And finally, it means Fitzgerald probably won't be shedding any more light on Rove's role in the outing of Valerie Plame.
By all rights, that latter job should now fall to the press.
The White House has long maintained -- spuriously, I might add -- that the ongoing criminal investigation precluded them from answering any questions even vaguely related to Rove's conduct.
Now, without charges against Rove in the offing, the media should demand answers to a slew of questions. The overriding issue: Just because Rove wasn't charged with a crime doesn't mean his conduct meets the standards the public expects from its White House.
Yes, but - the press may well decide on their own initiative to pursue this. But after eight months of hearing from the left that the indictment of Rove was imminent, it is going to strain credulity for the left to grind through the gearbox and insist that this case really should have been pursued by the press after all. Not that straining credulity is something the left has avoided on this case.
But no worries - the latest dodge, as articulated by Luskin, is that Rove can't comment on the pending Lobby case.
CHUCK, FIND YOUR SONGSHEET: This AP story has Chuck Schumer off-message:
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said he accepts Fitzgerald's decision to not seek Rove's indictment but called on him to ferret out the person who leaked the name of then-CIA operative Valerie Plame and whether the disclosure amounts to criminal wrongdoing.
Schumer also said that Fitzgerald should issue a report on his findings and any decisions to seek the indictment of others. "I have every confidence in this decision because it was made by an independent and fair minded prosecutor," the senator told reporters at the Capitol.
"It is not good enough to simply have a case for perjury. We still need to know who did the leak," Schumer added. "We still need to make sure that anyone who did that is given the appropriate punishment."
Look, the fellow who leaked to Woodward and Novak is (IMHO) Richard Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State, and an indictment seems to be unlikely. I am not sure why that is, but I think that, in FitzgeraldWorld, Libby was part of a vicious White House conspiracy to make Joe Wilson cry; Armitage was just flapping his gums about a CIA operative. That's a big difference.
OK, more seriously, I don't think Libby or Armitage had criminal intent, and I don't think either of them could ever have been indicted under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, since neither of them knew that Ms. Plame was covert. However, Armitage's failure to come forward with his tale of the leak to Woodward threw a monkey-wrench in this investigation - why no indictment for perjury, or failed memory, or anything at all?
But let's go double or nothing - don't rule out Armitage as a candidate for indictment. More later.
OR IS "LATER" NOW? Is it just an extraodinary coincidence that Armitage is on the Charlie Rose show tonight? Some possibilities:
(a) Yes, it is an extraordinary coincidence; Armitage has made no news for months, but here he is.
(b) Armitage can't wait to tell the world about his impending indictment - who wouldn't be bubbling over with excitement?
(c) Armitage will accept the opportunity to do a bit of a mea culpa, clear up his role in this (he never did get back to the many folks who called him last fall about the Woodward leak), and anounce that he, too is in the clear.
Choice (b) makes no sense (unless Fitzgerald offered him a chance to tell the world himself first???). Go with (c), but don't bet the ranch.
""I must stop Fitzmas from coming!
But how?""
"You're a mean one,
Mister Rove..."
Posted by: richard mcenroe | June 13, 2006 at 08:23 PM
What Chris Mathews doesn't grasp.
I know that's a long list, but if his main complaint is that Rove, etc. OUTED a covert agent---HE HAS FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT ROVE OR LIBBY OR UGO (ARMITAGE MATHEWS GUESSES) KNEW SHE WAS COVERT.
So Chris, the person to blame are not those that may have talked about Plame , NOT KNOWING SHE WAS IN A CLASSIFIED POSITION OR WHATEVER....but it is Wilson himself that CAUSED THE WHOLE MESS BY GOING TO THE MEDIA AND LYING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
You can't blame the people who didn't have the information. Wilson had the information, his wife hasd to see the consequences of his actions.
So Chris, you need to point the finger at Joe Wilson, he had the knowledge and he was recklessly indifferent to his wifes position because he wanted an in with President Kerry.
If Wilson had told the truth, I knew nothing about forgeries, I have no clue if my information went to the decision makers, etc. but he didn't he lied his ass of to get noticed and then exclaims he's been wronged after his lies were exposed.
Every bad road leads right back to Joe.
Posted by: Patton | June 13, 2006 at 08:24 PM
Danking: I just got a GOP email with these video links:
Bush in Iraq videos
Rather than post them separately, you can get to them all from one page.
Posted by: Sara (The Squiggler) | June 13, 2006 at 08:24 PM
Patton,
Plame was so deep down double undercover that nobody knew she was covert,even she didn't know.
Posted by: PeterUK | June 13, 2006 at 08:27 PM
Wow check out the Bush to the troops video in via Sara's site. He was on his message.
Talking about the universality of the desire for freedom and the desire of Iraqis to leave their children a better world. Its powerful stuff.
Posted by: Dwilkers | June 13, 2006 at 08:31 PM
Anyone notice Tom McGuire's update regarding Schumer?
Boy, didn't he jump allo over Fitz! He's demanding Fitz to go after UGO or produce something.
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 08:31 PM
Um excuse me, Mr. 70/30?
"Let me gulp down some crow - last May 8, I pegged the probability of a Rove indictment at 70%; a few days ago, I marked that down to 50% - well, at least I had the trend right."
Not good enough.
And not even one post on the thread to properly take some lumps. Where were you? Crying with your new DU and Kos friends? Comforting and consoling one other? Hmmn? Hmmn?!
Personally, I feel that the board should come up with some sort of appropriate punishment.
Starting with a couple hundred "I shall not question Clarice, ever!"
Board, what say yee?
Posted by: danking70 | June 13, 2006 at 08:34 PM
Anyone notice that the university panel wanted Ward Churchill fired!
How are the upcoming elections (primary and governors)?
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 08:37 PM
And Mr. Mathews, why have you not told your viewers in the last THREE years that Joe Wilson believed Iraq had WMD and would use them against us and said so publicly right up to the war.
Posted by: Patton | June 13, 2006 at 08:37 PM
Chuckie wants Fitz to commit a crime. He can't write a report. He can't discuss GJ testimony (not put into evidence). But, hey...let's not let something like breaking the law stop us in our quest to frog march Rove. ::grin::
Posted by: Sue | June 13, 2006 at 08:39 PM
The Decline of the Democrats
is almost Complet
Hahaha!!
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 08:39 PM
Perhaps Daily Kos, Jason Leopold and Waas could take a lesson from those GITMO boys that assumed room temperature last week.
In the immortal words of Kos....SCREW THEM!
Posted by: Patton | June 13, 2006 at 08:41 PM
danking, I can't take on so much responsibility.
About that Webb speech:Kerry not only has a tin ear on politics, but he and his people manage to put together the most puerile speeches, and I say that in full recognition that American political oratory is really dreadful as a rule.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2006 at 08:46 PM
Hehehehehe...how about this One of Kerry's most puerile letters????
Read the comments! So grateful Kerry did not win '04.
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 08:49 PM
Jason Leowho?
Posted by: Tollhouse | June 13, 2006 at 08:52 PM
Talk about being out of touch ... and no wonder the Iraqi Defense Minister hates CNN ... Larry King's guest for the evening ... drumroll ... Al Gore.
Posted by: Sara (The Squiggler) | June 13, 2006 at 09:03 PM
"A Canticle for Leopold"?
Posted by: PeterUK | June 13, 2006 at 09:03 PM
Ah, Mac is right. It's going to be one heck of a summer!
Don't forget, we don't even have the CIA/NSA leak indictments. At this point, it will be the icing on the cake--or the last nail in the cofin--for any democrat hopes of reclaiming the house.
I hope they come down next week.
And just took a trip to David Corn's blog. Poor chap had to delete all of this AM's comments. Wonder why?
Can't wait to see what Corn writes when we all find out that, contrary to what he wrote--and he was the first journalist to do so-- Valerie was not covert.
Au contraire.
Time to cut the losses, get off the Wilson merry-go-round and MOVEON.
Posted by: verner | June 13, 2006 at 09:09 PM
Loved that CNN response! Remember how the reporters gave Scott McClellan a hard about about tuning to Fox News and nothing else?
Al Gore on Larry King's show? UGH. Anyone notice how puffy and red his face has gotten?
Strata-sphere has some excellent write ups about Iraq and indicated MORE leaks coming from the State. UGH!
Mac predicted that Bush went to Baghdad to discuss the handover to Iraq.
And...Pakistan Offensive Continues Against AQ!
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 09:10 PM
Al Gore for the hour!! With his lovely wife Tipper!
Don't even have to watch it..
Question Al won't get:
Hey Al, you ever hear of teleconferencing? oh inventor of the Internet?
Why do you have to fly a next generation killing internal combustion engine jet and gas guzzling limosine all over the globe to warn us about our affect on the environment??
Reminds me of all those Democrats last summer who went to the gas station in DC to oppose gas prices. THEY ALL SHOWED UP IN SUVs, TOWNCARS, HUMMERS, ETC.
Posted by: Patton | June 13, 2006 at 09:11 PM
Schuster speaks:
See: SHUSTER EXPLAINS HIS BOTCHED PREDICTION
Posted by: Sara (The Squiggler) | June 13, 2006 at 09:12 PM
Shuster LIED!, Rove not TRIED!
Shuster LIED!, Rove not TRIED!
Shuster LIED!, Rove not TRIED!
One thing he needs to ask himself is how many leftist nutcases are going to off themselves after going through two years of waiting for the inevitable indictment of Nazi Rove??
How many people did you kill Mr. Shuster?
Posted by: Patton | June 13, 2006 at 09:15 PM
Check Hannity and Colmes. Byron York is online with them.
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 09:17 PM
What you will never hear:
Al Gore joins us by Internet phone from his solar powered 900 Square Foot home in Tennessee, where he is pedaling a bike to generate the electricty for this very call.
Posted by: Patton | June 13, 2006 at 09:18 PM
Lurker,
My favorite comment...
"How can we stifle you if you won't shut up?"
...priceless.
::grin::
Posted by: Sue | June 13, 2006 at 09:18 PM
Very clever PUK.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2006 at 09:21 PM
Taranto summed up Al Gore perfectly: the only moment in public memory that Al Gore was brilliant, statesmanlike and at complete peace with himself was during his incredibly classy concession speech in 2000. This is clearly a man who does not want to be president.
cathy :-)
Posted by: cathyf | June 13, 2006 at 09:27 PM
That's good, because I don't want him to be President.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2006 at 09:29 PM
About the only thing you can say for Shuster is he isn't worth a damn reading tea leaves...
Posted by: Sue | June 13, 2006 at 09:29 PM
Don't sell Chuck short --- he's a moron, but he's an intelligent and crafty moron. Look what he did: he's come out (got himself on TV) and demanded (good with the Kossite base) that Fitz produce a report that the "American People deserve" (good with the Dem-leaning and a nice sound bite for TV ads) a report that might actually be embarrassing if it happened, but that Fitz cannot legally make. So he gets TV time and good face time for the Dem troops, while taking no risk that anything would actually come of it.
If he's really lucky, the Kossacks will start saying that Bush et al are "supressing" Fitz's report.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | June 13, 2006 at 09:33 PM
Well, well, well..the VIPS are back ..this time working with the Soros funded Human Rights Watch (see Haditha Massacre Hoax) to deny the Israeli claim that the explosion on the beach in Gaza was caused by the Palestinians and not by Israel. http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?/entry=21040_Mainstream_Media_Disgrace_of_the_Day&only> VIPERS & HRW Together Again
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2006 at 09:34 PM
"Mac predicted that Bush went to Baghdad to discuss the handover to Iraq."
Bad bet. No big draw down until after the big 'Shootout at Sunni Gulch'. Coming to a theater near you (if you live in al Anbar) soon.
Before the opening of NAS George W. Bush at Um Qasr and the opening of the Joint Iraqi/American Desert Warfare Training Center probably, but not 'til after the shootout.
It's not quite over yet.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | June 13, 2006 at 09:34 PM
I don't want Gore as our president either.
I see that the VA Senator primary election was won by Jim Webb over Miller.
The OH polls, being that polls have been known to be wrong 9 out of ten in the last few years, showed the democrats in the lead for governor (Strickland over Blackwell) and Senator (Brown over DeWine).
Ohio needs to stay RED.
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 09:35 PM
I know exactly why the Dems will lose in Novemeber. They can't handle good news for America.
It's all but this, and but that. Bush's polls went up when we got Saddam, Bush's polls went up after every election, they went up after we killed the Z-Man BUT they always go down again.
And when it's pointed out the REAL progress that has been made in Iraq: the new government, the standing up of the Iraqi army, and the Iraqi people ratting out the terrorists, all the Dems say is BUT if the Iraqi's are doing so well why are the troops still there?
One Dem strategist tonite even said Bush has NO PLAN.
Sheesh.
If the Dems could shut their traps for one day, one stinking day, they might gain some traction. They just can't help putting foot in mouth.
Posted by: Syl | June 13, 2006 at 09:39 PM
Thanks for the link, Clarice. The VIPS / HRW sure builds a spider web into everything, donja?
I was astonished to learn the number of UN resolutions generated against Israel versus Palestine. Most of the UN resolutions levied against Israel were unenforceable.
Ya think UN would be quick to write a new resolution against Israel after this? Not after Kofi's comment about a bomb found on a beach! Strange coming from Kofi.
Withdrawing from UN is part of the Texas Republican Party Plank and I agree with it.
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 09:43 PM
Me, too.
Marc Geralsco HRW was the guy who came forward with the CIA secret prisons in Poland story. He formerly was an intel officer on Iraq for DoD. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of him in the coming months.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2006 at 09:47 PM
Did you guys read about the Desecration of the Marine Corps Emblem? Check Flopping Aces and Hot Air. Flopping Aces is friggin pissed and I don't blame him.
Posted by: Lurker | June 13, 2006 at 09:47 PM
Starting with a couple hundred "I shall not question Clarice, ever!"
Good point. But I had the trend!
It took me a while, but I finally remembered the last morning I felt like this. Some fine day.
Posted by: Tom Maguire | June 13, 2006 at 10:05 PM
My favorite part of hardball was Scrummy saying getting Zarqawi and President Bush in Iraq was a photo-op and why wasn't Bush in a flight suit. No wonder he keeps helping dems lose elections-he's soft on terrorism.
The discussion with Vandehei was good -he doesn't believe in beating a dead horse-plus he's cuter than isikoff and dickersen.
Posted by: maryrose | June 13, 2006 at 10:12 PM
TM;
As I recall you made your Rove prediction AFTER visiting the dark-side -so- all is forgiven. Sue and Gary's comments have been tres amusant today.
Posted by: maryrose | June 13, 2006 at 10:17 PM
David Shyster is obviously still bitter, and will be for the rest of his life, that Fox News canned him for being a moron. I love it!
Posted by: Roger Dodger | June 13, 2006 at 10:22 PM
It is a really fine day, TM, and you did get the trend. It's all fine.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2006 at 10:28 PM
Wilsons' Rock Creek Boss is Palestinian.
Posted by: Rocco | June 13, 2006 at 10:29 PM
I wonder if Odeh and Elias are brothers? Wasn't Capital Trust involved in Oil For Food?
Posted by: Rocco | June 13, 2006 at 10:44 PM
Patton -
You are so right, of course. All roads in this sordid mess lead back to Joe. He is a mediocre career foreign service bureaucrat with an overinflated opinion of himself. He took his one chance at the brass ring by throwing in with the Kerry campaign, and his bait to them was his phony story about "what he didn't find in Niger." He saw a chance to convert what was a nothingburger career in the backwaters of Africa (foreign service stars never stay in Africa for long, it's the worst posting you can get) into gold. It was easy to convince the stooges in the Kerry campaign that he had a real "bombshell" story they could throw at Bush, and it was just as easy for the Kerry flacks to sell that phony story to the New York Times, which as we know has only a cursory acquaintance with the truth these days. I think Joe convinced dear Val that he would be a hero and no one would ever know about her until she became Mrs. Secretary of State. But in reality he was blabbing about her to everyone in Washington because he couldn't resist using her to pump up his own credentials.
I just wonder when the morons at the NYT and WaPo and MSNBC are going to realize they were had by this phony gasbag. And when the third wife is going to figure out she was had too. He is a bad man and he needs to rot in obscurity and poverty for the rest of his life.
Posted by: Wilson's a liar | June 13, 2006 at 10:46 PM
TM, it's back to "Rove, Unlikely to be Indicted." Which I think is fair and honest reporting.
Posted by: jerry | June 13, 2006 at 10:51 PM
Rocco -- 50 years ago left Bethlehem? Buried in All Saints Cemetary? They're Catholics. Driven out by the Islamonazis. Who are almost done -- most of the Catholics have been driven out of Bethlehem and the other historically Catholic villages of Palestine.
cathy :-)
Posted by: cathyf | June 13, 2006 at 10:57 PM
Still would like to see a JOM/KOS Plame debate/discussion on C-SPAN.
Posted by: jerry | June 13, 2006 at 10:59 PM
Armitage is Uncle Fester! I've always liked him.
Posted by: jerry | June 13, 2006 at 11:04 PM
Jeralyn has another very interesting post up, for me anyway, about sealed indictments and Leopold/Truthout:
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/015081.html
Posted by: jerry | June 13, 2006 at 11:10 PM
You guys, hanging on Armitage's every word! Let's hear the Bronx cheers!
Posted by: jerry | June 13, 2006 at 11:34 PM
OK...as usual, I am wrong! Odeh Aburdene and Capital Trust are not involved in the Oil For Food scandal.
In 99, Jack Kelley writing for USA Today reported that Mohammed Hussein Alamoudi headed Capital Trust and both were being investigated for funneling funds to Osama.
After Alamoudi's lawyers disputed Kelley's report, he corrected that allegation and I better do the same!
Posted by: Rocco | June 14, 2006 at 12:08 AM
Kelly's claim had to do with OBL's bank.
Since then Al Alamoudi was linked to the Taliban and to the OFF scandal.
Posted by: clarice | June 14, 2006 at 12:15 AM
Thanks cathy
I didn't mean to imply they were Muslim, just that they may be Pro Palestinian as is Wilson and his ilk.
Posted by: Rocco | June 14, 2006 at 12:17 AM
P.S. Al Alamoudi is Ethipian-Saudi and his nephew was convicted in Va for aiding terrorism.
Posted by: clarice | June 14, 2006 at 12:20 AM
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2006/06/no_charges_agai.html#comment-18489919>Herbie Wilkers, Virtual Mongol http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/watermark?doc=KRT%2Fkrtillustrations%2Fdocs%2F008%2F406&logo=krt>Hound!
Posted by: JM Hanes | June 14, 2006 at 12:20 AM
Abdurahman...wasn't he caught at Heathrow with 450K give or take?
Posted by: Rocco | June 14, 2006 at 12:30 AM
Sounds right, but I can't remember the details.
Anyway depending which Wilson cock and bull story you read, Al-Alamoudi gave him space in his office or was his boss.
Posted by: clarice | June 14, 2006 at 12:32 AM
I read that thread at TalkLeft last evening. I think Merritt did a good job of getting back into reality, although I note that in her update she squirms back into the pathetic 'TruthOut Told the Truth!' position she's been desperately clinging to.
She does do a good job of explaining the sealed case thing though.
What I found interesting was the second comment in the thread (the last comment that was up before I gave it up for the night), because I saw a lot of this yesterday on lefty sites. Check out this guy's riff:
Occam's Razor? More like Michael Moore's pretzel. This guy's moniker? "rational".
That's right, that tinfoil crap was developed and posted as an example of the application of Occam's Razor by a guy named rational.
You really cannot make this stuff up.
Posted by: Dwilkers | June 14, 2006 at 07:54 AM
Alamoudi is certainly someone who deserves further scrutiny. He has a number of companies, and if I'm not mistaken, was involved with a french oil concern in Iraq. He also owns half of Ethiopia.
One must wonder why he was so keen on Joe that he would allow him to use Rock Creek Corp. "office space." I think it's clear that Joe was employed by Alamoudi,whether he admits it or not. But what was Joe doing? He has avoided discussing his past business life like the plague, and nobody in the MSM seems to care.
The way arab families/tribes work, I doubt the nephew fell far from the Alamoudi tree--if you get my drift.
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