After the Fitzmas “Fizz” I told you to look for greater activity of the those who ulimately hatched this half baked boondoggle. Actually they have been at work since the beginning. When it comes to sowing the seeds of disinformation, these people are…

Does anyone know how Valerie was announced? Was it Plame or Wilson or both?

First, how would this writer know if American law enforcement contacted him or not. Does the FBI take Josh Marshall into their confidence? And if you were trying to watch what someone is up to, you would not contact them. You would let them go about their business.

I am glad you pointed this out, because like you I thought it was weird that Marshall would know whether or not FBI spoke to the fella (and like you, I was not vexed that he was not spoken to (if he was or not)…I think it would be stupid taking this guys word at face value, Rocco on face value does not seem to be an up and up guy

Which is weird too, why would Marshall want to trust this guy so much. Seixon (blog to the side) has done some research about this (JMM) …Seixon might have answers as to why JMM seems to know so much.

(P.S. that was the reason I posted it…I thought it was odd of Marshall)

You quoted this Josh Marshall BELITTLING the significance of Martino’s “drama-filled/tragicomic” trip to the US. Maybe this is because Marshall is hoping to draw away interest from Martino’s American sojourn:

[Rocco Martino] “came, spent several drama-filled or tragicomic days, and then left. And no one from the FBI or any other American law enforcement or intelligence agency made any attempt to contact him in any way. Nor have they done so since….”
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/003490.php

First, how would this writer know if American law enforcement contacted him or not. Does the FBI take Josh Marshall into their confidence? And if you were trying to watch what someone is up to, you would not contact them. You would let them go about their business.

And second, the Italians [our friends] say they were watching Martino. Martino must have had a reason to come to the US. Maybe the Italians know what he was up to and who he met. And maybe the Italians told the Special Prosecutor what they learned.

“Silvio Berlusconi’s government has admitted that agents of Sismi, the Italian military intelligence service, tracked the movements in London of Rocco Martino, an ex-informer, in the autumn of 2001. It did not say whether the British authorities were informed, but admitted that Mr Martino was also followed by Sismi in the US, without the knowledge of the FBI.” http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article325155.ece

Personally, I think this is quite an admission. The Italian military intelligence is probably supposed to tell the FBI before they follow Italians in America, but they admit they didn’t. So maybe it was pretty sensitive. And it was deftly slipped into a left wing paper, as someone noted, so it may have more credibility in some circles than FOX News.

But I am no expert, don’t work in the intelligence field, and I haven’t followed this arcane topic for long. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn EXPRESS last night!

“…WEST POINT RALLIES AGAINST WILSON.
Lt. General Tom McInerney, USAF (ret), West Point ’59, will join his colleague Maj. General Paul Vallely, USA (ret), West Point ’61, on my show Monday 7 November (1005 pm Eastern Time on ABC Radio Network) to repeat and expand upon Vallely’s memory that Joe Wilson more than once in 2002 in the green room at Fox New Channel in Washington D.C. boasted about his wife the “CIA desk officer.” McInerney has the same memory and more, since both he and Vallely were on FNC between 150 and 200 times in 2002 each.

You will recall that Vallely received a threatening e-mail from Wilson’s attorney Christopher Wolf on Saturday 5 November, demanding Vallely retract his remarks on my show Thursday November 3, and to WorldNetDaly.com on Friday November 4. Vallely has not such intention.

Included in the threatening e-mail was an attached e-mail from Wilson himself, calling Vallely’s remarks “slanderous.”

Also, I have written my regular correspondent Victor Davis Hanson to ask after his reported memories of Wilson boasting to him in a green room meeting that Wilson’s wife worked at the CIA…

…n brief, why did Fitzgerald not investigate Wilson for the same concerns he investigated Libby and Rove and others?

Time for Fitzgerald to start again? New grand jury? Put Wilson under oath along with Vallely and McInerney and all others who remember Wilson’s boasting of his wife as a “CIA desk officer” prior to Novak’s publication?

For now: Monday November 7, 1005 pm Eastern Time, West Point rallies against Joe Wilson. Who is more credible, two decorated combat heroes with a combined five stars and nearly one hundred years living with their oath to defend the Constitution – or Joe Wilson”?

http://john-batchelor.redstate.org/story/2005/11/6/235210/851

Keep an eye on the French connection folks… Look at the SSCI report… Look at the French connections there…….. It’s looking very interesting to say the least!

I am the king of typos. You may take my crown any day you wish!

“…(The Italians were keeping a close eye on him. And through leaks to the press in Italy, they let it be known that Rocco had again gone to the US.)

But he came, spent several drama-filled or tragicomic days, and then left. And no one from the FBI or any other American law enforcement or intelligence agency made any attempt to contact him in any way. Nor have they done so since….”

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/003490.php

Here all RMartino posts by JMM

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?search=rocco&search.x=0&search.y=0

Don’t you wonder why this guy was running around in the US with Italian military intelligence right behind him?

I put my speculation on the FBI thread. But I have no particular expertise.

Sometimes those rabid leftwing papers are the best place to put important information. Who would believe it if it were on FOX News?

The trip to the US in fall of 2001 is news – but means little. The Independent is a rabid leftwing paper, and all the allusions are one way here. The woman at the embassy is also new. Will see what I can find.

The Guardian article is getting big play on the Left Wing sites, with the conclusion that the Docs were handed off to either Michael Ladeen or Daniel Feith.

I wonder if they read us and wonder what is wrong with us.

Please move my post to a better place if you wish.

The Independent article (Novemeber 6) is newer than the Guardian article (November 5).

Did anyone ever hear that this Martino was being tracked in America by SISMI? I thought that was something new. IT really caught my attention.

I did post about the FBI comments here. I will look at the earlier independent article when I get a chance