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Pincus article,Harlow, the former CIA spokesman, said in an interview yesterday that he testified last year before a grand jury about conversations he had with Novak at least three days before the column was published. He said he warned Novak, in the strongest terms he was permitted to use without revealing classified information, that Wilson's wife had not authorized the mission and that if he did write about it, her name should not be revealed.
Harlow said that after Novak's call, he checked Plame's status and confirmed that she was an undercover operative. He said he called Novak back to repeat that the story Novak had related to him was wrong and that Plame's name should not be used. But he did not tell Novak directly that she was undercover because that was classified.
Novak,
So, what was "wrong" with my column as Harlow claimed? There was nothing incorrect. He told the Post reporters he had "warned" me that if I "did write about it her name should not be revealed." That is meaningless. Once it was determined that Wilson's wife suggested the mission, she could be identified as "Valerie Plame" by reading her husband's entry in "Who's Who in America."
It had to obvious to Novak that Harlow did not want Plame identified. Novak could have just stated a CIA employee recommended Joe Wilson for the mission, but apparently wanted to emphasize that Wilson's wife was in some way responsible for his trip. So Novak went out of his way to disregard Harlow's warning and did want to "suggest" that Valerie Plame was responsible for sending her husband.
Posted at August 1, 2005 3:17 PM in response to LAME BOB NOVAK
