Oct 12 2007
Remember Mary McCarthy, CIA Leaker?
Remember Mary McCarthy, the CIA employee in the Inspector General’s office who admitted to leaking classified information to the news media – for political purposes no doubt. My posts on the issue are few since the story went into the black hole of classified information. Here they are for reference and a reminder that Ms McCarthy not only admitted her transgression, she was also tied to many big name Democrats associated with other CIA leaks and attempts by intelligence operatives to rig the Presidential elections in 2004. This story seems about to break open again as the Liberal media tries to rewrite history and frame the subject of their angst in terms of an administration effort to squelch safe guards:
The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, has ordered an unusual internal inquiry into the work of the agency’s inspector general, whose aggressive investigations of the C.I.A.’s detention and interrogation programs and other matters have created resentment among agency operatives.
A small team working for General Hayden is looking into the conduct of the agency’s watchdog office, which is led by Inspector General John L. Helgerson. Current and former government officials said the review had caused anxiety and anger in Mr. Helgerson’s office and aroused concern on Capitol Hill that it posed a conflict of interest.
Forget the NY Times spin. The fact is Mary McCarthy admitted to leaking information about the CIA detention and interrogation program. And McCarthty worked in the Inspector General’s Office, which is why her crime was so terrible. The office meant to enforce, laws ethics and general policies was found to be violating those very things. And we know this is going to be leading to a much wider cabal of ‘former and current’ CIA rogues because these same people are conveniently – again – the source for the NY Times spin.
Current and former intelligence officials said the inquiry had involved formal interviews with at least some of the inspector general’s staff and was perceived by some agency employees as an “investigation,†a label Mr. Gimigliano rejected.
Several current and former officials interviewed for this article spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the inquiry.
Does this include the Wilsons? How about Rand Beers who admitted Jow Wilson was on Kerry’s campaign when he started the lies about the Niger Forgeries (in his wife’s office safe in the CIA at some point)? The same Rand Beers who came to the defense of Mary McCarthy after she outted herself?
The fact is something is brewing and it is clear it is big. Why else do a story on an investigation inside the CIA that has not uncovered anything? Yet. Looks like a classic attempt to get ahead of the news to try and cover for a scandal. But honestly I don’t know what is going on except the NY Times is worried enough to write about it And is it any big surprise the NY Times was running McCarthy’s PR defense when the story broke? I strongly recommend reading through my posts around the initial event. They include links to others with a lot of good speculation and informaiton as well.
Update: Interestingly enough the LA Times story is not available right now. But here is a version of it in the Baltimore Sun. Wonder what caused that?
Of course, Mary McCarthy was fired back then, and there is no indication yet that the investigation has to do with any subsequent leak – none have been alleged. Rather, the IG is about to release its findings on agency practices re black sites etc. so the reverse investigation would seem to have a repressive effect on that information.
Hayden cites “friction” between the agency and the IG as a reason for the unprecedented investigation. That “friction” is there by design.
Finally, not to support the legality of Mc Carthy’s leaks, but it was of course preceded by the administration’s unequivocal statements that the U.S. did not engage in extraordinary rendition or have black sites.
Obviously something is wrong when even all the stories about the internal investigation are themselves based on leaks of information.
Nobody I am aware of is saying this news is based on a press release by the CIA.
Also, most are not aware that in today’s reality there are more contractors doing our intel work and analysis than there are analysists and agents at the CIA itself.