After Fair Game: The Story Valerie Plame Couldn't Tell

News: When I agreed to write the afterword for Valerie Plame's memoir, I faced a formidable task: Put together the former CIA operative's life story—including all the parts the government won't let her write about. Oh, and you can't talk to her (read an excerpt here).

By Laura Rozen

December 15, 2007

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When former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson got the redacted manuscript of her draft memoir back from the CIA Publications Review Board (PRB) earlier this year, her book publisher realized it had a problem. "We were looking at a manuscript where 20 percent of the author's story was deemed classified by her former employer [even though] much of the information was probably in the public domain," explains an editor at the publishing house, Simon & Schuster. "So the challenge was, if Valerie can't tell her own story because she is bound by her agreement, then how is this story going to be told, inside her own book, given the confines presented by the Agency and her confidentiality agreement?"

The publisher's solution was to hire a reporter to write an 80-page "afterword" for the book (which was published in October under the title Fair Game: My Life As a Spy, My Betrayal By the White House), based on interviews and any information that could be found in the public domain. Which is how, in May, I ended up with a draft of Plame's memoir, with all of the CIA's blacked-out redactions, and about six weeks to learn as much as I could, write and deliver essentially a biography of the famous former spy.

There was just one person I could not contact for the project: Valerie Plame Wilson, who had signed an agreement with the CIA that she would submit to their censorship for the rest of her days. It was a firewall that everyone involved with the book project took extremely seriously—making for a somewhat paradoxical situation: publishers, editors and writers, plus armies of lawyers and a literary agent, all sweating to make sure they were abiding by the rules of government censorship.

Not that they gave up without a fight. In May, Plame and Simon & Schuster sued the CIA and its director on first amendment grounds, charging the censorship went far beyond the requirements of preserving national security. The specific basis of the lawsuit involved a short letter. When Plame retired from the Agency two years after being outed by the White House, the CIA provided her a declassified letter listing the dates of her service, for pension purposes. After that letter had been entered into the Congressional Record, the CIA changed its mind and decided to reclassify it.

For purposes of the book, that meant that Plame could not refer to her government service before 2002. Plame had another court setback when a judge determined that the civil case she and her husband, Joe Wilson, had filed against administration officials for exposing her identity, did not fall under his jurisdiction. In updating her manuscript to reflect these developments, Plame had to submit any changes to the CIA—even as her lawsuits against it continued.

There were other challenges specific to the Afterword. Not only could I not talk to Plame, but the world she had worked in was opaque. Establishing the relevant coordinates on the CIA organization chart took some legwork. The publisher naturally wanted me to keep fairly quiet about what I was doing, even as I had to call up and interview dozens of strangers—from wary former CIA officers to Plame's family members and friends—to fill in the gaps in her story.

Such challenges aside, I was able to ascertain and confirm many facts about my subject's life and career. Valerie's mother, Diane Plame, an elegant former school teacher, turned out to have had a previously unreported role in launching her daughter's CIA career – sending her the newspaper ad that the CIA was hiring when Valerie was a senior in college trying to figure out what to do with her life.

A posse of Plame's CIA Career Trainee classmates and former colleagues, disturbed by how Plame had been treated by the government, agreed to talk with me on the record; Jim Marcinkowski's full account of how partisan operatives on the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee tried to suppress his testimony was especially arresting (see the accompanying book excerpt).

I also struck gold when I tracked down a former diplomat posted to the US embassy in Athens at the same time Plame was there: John Brady Kiesling, who had made international headlines when he resigned from the State Department to protest the march to war in Iraq. Friends of Plame's, including Janet Angstadt, helped paint a picture of Plame as a fundamentally decent, unusually down to earth person—in contrast perhaps to her glamorous public image—and made it clear that no one outside her immediate family had any idea where she really worked.

Plame's major foreign postings had been in Greece and Belgium. She had posed as a junior diplomatic officer while on assignment as a young CIA case officer in Athens, and, later, had had non-official cover (NOC) as an energy executive while based in Belgium. In 1998, she became one of a relatively few officers handpicked to work in the CIA's Counterproliferation Division, which helped take down rogue nuclear smuggler A.Q. Khan. In advance of the Iraq war, Valerie had served as the chief of operations for the Iraq task force in the CIA's CPD, as first reported by my colleague David Corn and Newsweek's Michael Isikoff in their book, Hubris. Her covert operational responsibilities—including devising ways to cultivate Iraqi scientists and graduate students living overseas—were significant.

But there were several aspects of Plame's work I never fully understood. Among the lingering questions: When she was in graduate school in London and Bruges between her Athens posting, and her nonofficial-cover posting in Belgium, was she working as a case officer, identifying potential recruits? Or just going to school? (A former CIA manager told me if it had been up to him, she would have been working.) Why do some documents filed in court in connection with the Libby trial seem to suggest that Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson did more work for the CIA than the two fact finding trips to Niger in 1999 and 2002 widely reported on? Even now, Wilson won't say; Plame has said in interviews that Wilson has made "several" trips for the CIA, suggesting more than two.

Another observation made over the course of basically triangulating Plame's story: in the intelligence world, where so much is opaque, it's not that everything will be revealed if only you find the right person who has the information. "I learned so many times with the intelligence and military communities that people don't know everything going on around them, but they think they do," says attorney Mark Zaid, who frequently represents Agency employees. "It's like you're driving in the dark and in your headlights you see a little to the right the top half of a deer. You presume you know what the other half looks like," but you may not. Officers in the operations division dismissing the Niger forgeries and Curveball were not aware that analysts in another unit were signaling through other channels that the information was credible. It doesn't always take a Curveball or a Libby to obstruct our unfettered grasp of a case.

At a party this past summer for United States vs. I. Lewis Libby book authors Jeff Lomonaco and Murray Waas, Anatomy of Deceit author and Libby trial blogger Marcy Wheeler asked me in passing if I had ever met Valerie Plame. I had just spent weeks intensively interviewing Plame's family, friends and of her former colleagues, and I was one of the few people who had read Valerie's (redacted) draft manuscript. I knew about her struggles with post-partum depression; about her brother, Robert, who had been badly wounded in Vietnam; about the strains on her marriage in the wake of her outing, and her husband's later learning from a Senate Intelligence Committee report that she had written an email to her boss recommending him for the Niger trip (though she did not initiate the idea and, as the parent of infant twins, was ambivalent about him going) But I wasn't allowed to talk about what I was doing. "No," I told Marcy, truthfully, I hadn't met Plame. "But I feel like I know her."

Read an excerpt from Laura Rozen's Afterword of Fair Game here.

Laura Rozen is Mother Jones' national security correspondent.

Comments:

Valerie Plame - what a wonderful, talented, beautiful, patriotic American woman. And how shamefully she was treated by vermin like Karl Rove. Why is that criminal not serving a life sentence in a federal prison??? He has more damage to American democracy than any single man since Joseph McCarthy. He needs to die in prison.

Posted by:The Conservative DeflatorDecember 15, 2007 8:48:10 AMRespond ^

Maybe they should publish the book using the redacted documentation.That anyone reading it could just make up their own stuff to fill in the blanks.Clubs could be formed and make a game of it.

Posted by:zqahttDecember 15, 2007 4:27:48 PMRespond ^

Any employee of the CIA, NSA or other intelligence organizations live in mortal fear of being "outed". A potential terrorist would be overjoyed at knowing the identity of even the lowliest janitor who would possess things like their security badge. There is no excuse on God's green earth that holds water for outing our own people.

Posted by:chuckDecember 16, 2007 3:51:39 PMRespond ^

Two stars were added to the DC mall: "Several Murders occurred after the Plame outing on people in the oil industry formerly stationed abroad in business capacities. Two names. Todd Staheli for Shell in Brazil as part of the emerging OPEC influence in South America. Paul Johnson in Saudi Abrabia who worked for Lockheed Martin." http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/8/91755/13039/384/128769

Posted by:Mr.MurderDecember 17, 2007 12:00:08 PMRespond ^

I feel bad for her because they treated her and her family's life so cheaply, sheerly out of political expediency. But I hate and do not believe in the games they play.

Posted by:XtinaDecember 17, 2007 12:19:43 PMRespond ^

The fact is that a very serious crime was committed and the perpetrators had the power to avoid the consequences of their crime. Outing a covert CIA agent in time of war is treason!

Posted by:PeteDecember 17, 2007 6:52:23 PMRespond ^

I suppose it is naive to assume that people in the highest reaches of our government, would not for reasons of national security and the threat to the lives of the people involved, reveal the identities CIA operatives. The callouness and cynicism of some of our officials is breathtaking, but pales in comparison to the laziness and disinterest of a majority of the populace. Truly dangerous and deliberately criminal behavior is at the heart of this story and to realize that those responsible will be pardoned by this president and not be brought to justice. The American people should have answers and our military should know that they were mobilized and sent into a trumped up war for profit and they are the principal pawns in that war. They and the Iraqi people.

Posted by:Jack GuyotDecember 18, 2007 3:39:59 PMRespond ^

Dirty little secret... Val was not a covert agent. Joe Wilson needs to be in jail. He drinks a lot of alcohol and does not tell the truth. When are we going to charge politicians, Denmocrats and journalist with treason. It is time

Posted by:BubbaDecember 20, 2007 8:37:12 PMRespond ^

Ok wasnt it really Armitage that supposedly outed her?

Posted by:archieDecember 20, 2007 8:37:30 PMRespond ^

What is evryone smoking the treason was committed by Wilson who Lied numerous times with the objective of underming a sitting president. Clearly more valid than the BS I hear from the Whitehouse outed her crowd...IT WAS ARMITAGE ANYWAY

Posted by:ArchieDecember 20, 2007 8:40:54 PMRespond ^

The author evidently did not learn much when doing his research. Valerie Plame Wilson was NOT outed by the White House. Lying Joe made that claim - just something else he could lie about. Valerie Plame Wilson was openly working at a desk job at CIA headquarters. How darned "covert" could that have been? She drove in every day through the front gate. Then there is the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the Lying Joe report (part of 26 pages covering his recommendation by his wife and his own report): "The report on [Wilson's] trip to Niger ... did not change any analysts' assessments of the Iraq-Niger uranium deal. For most analysts, the information in the report lent more credibility to the original CIA reports on the uranium deal." If anyone should be charged with outing Valerie Plame wilson, is should be Lying Joe. He was the one who drew attention to himself and his wife when he wrote his NY Times Op Ed. If that resulting attention to her was damaging to national security, put the blame on Lying Joe. Remember, his trumped up bag of nonsense in the NY Times was what started the problem. In addition to his wild claims, his article was in direct conflict with the debriefing report he had delivered to the CIA. The original "leaker" was State Department official Richard Armitage. He is in no legal jeopardy, nor should he be. Plame was not a covert agent at the time, and the so-called "leak" was a completely innocuous statement of fact made in passing. Novak identified Armitage to Fitzgerald as the "leaker" very early in the investigation, and Armitage didn't deny it. Fitzgerald prosecuted a peripheral figure in a supposed coverup of a "noncrime" in which he had no involvement and for failing to recall in detail conversations from months earlier. Like the original prosecutor in the infamous Duke rape case, the prosecutor in this case should be prosecuted himself. Now that the original conspiracy theory has been debunked, aome elements of the media are now keeping the public ignorant about that fact too. Hence, a large percentage of the public is still under the impression that the Plame episode exposed "dirty tricks" used by the White House rather than AGAINST the White House.

Posted by:CharleyDecember 20, 2007 10:27:55 PMRespond ^

"When Plame retired from the Agency two years after being outed by the White House" is false. Richard Armitage at the State Dept. was found to be the source. If the author can't get the most basic facts of the case right, why should I believe them on anything?

Posted by:JDDecember 21, 2007 1:48:47 AMRespond ^

Let's state the truth again and again, Valerie Plame (the un-covert super secret CIA agent) was outed by her lying husband, the slimy ex-diplomat Joe Wilson and Richard Armitage and a cast of 1000 other media and related DC Rats. The posters here that refuse to believe otherwise are living in some other reality. The real criminals that Joe McCarthy targeted are still in the Government and this Joe was a hero for his country...the truth is being revealed, ever so slowly...read Stanton Evans new book, Blacklisted by History and the Venona Secrets to begin to understand who is the real enemy we face! Wake up and smell the coffee!

Posted by:VaqueroDecember 21, 2007 4:12:53 AMRespond ^

"When Plame retired from the Agency two years after being outed by the White House" You guys might want to look into finding a new "national security correspondent." It seems Laura Rozen hasn't even been able to figure out that Armitage was the "leaker."

Posted by:TomDecember 21, 2007 3:10:34 PMRespond ^

I have never seen so many paid right-wing propagandists as are on this site starting with Bubba and Archie, etc. You are shameful anti-American whores...

Posted by:youngharryDecember 22, 2007 1:48:51 PMRespond ^

When I was a young apprentice I made the aquantance of a journeymen named Chic.The more I worked around Chic the more I realized he was craftsmen at "stiring the pot" He once confided that It's a good ideal to stir the pot quick and when it get's thick it's time to go, let some fool clean up the mess!Yes,Chic had a natural nack of winding people up,letting "Them" raise hell,but at the same time sit back in the shadows giggling like a little girl.In retrospect I'm sure Cheney had nothing but the best of intentions when he gave special permission to who-ever or which-ever weezil to discuss any CIA agent with a national journalist!!----Don't let the pott stick dick!!

Posted by:raar&rawDecember 31, 2007 3:39:27 AMRespond ^

P.S.we're about to find out who's been standing close enough to the pott to get a inhale.hold on,hold on.wait for it!

Posted by:raar&rawDecember 31, 2007 4:09:23 AMRespond ^

Ignorance or calculated lies by various responders here? The first public "outing" of Plame was done by Robert Novak in his column (not by "lying Joe" as some responders here claim) -- this can be confirmed by 1) reading the transcripts of the Libby trial, 2) doing an internet search for the first mention of her in the press with attention to the date of publication, 3) it has been admitted to by Novak himself, 4) the CIA has said it repeatedly, and it was the BASIS for their letter to the DoJ requesting an investigation of a possible crime, etc. Responders here also make repeated assertions that she was not even covert -- funny, even Libby's attorneys never made that claim, nor did any official in the Bush Admin, and the CIA itself confirmed her covert status on a number or occasions, including in the above mentioned letter to the DoJ. I would agree that Rozen is perhaps a LITTLE loose with the language in flaty saying that Plame was outed by the White House -- though that does not necessarily mean Bush: CHeney may not LIVE there but he certainly works there much if not most of the time. As for Cheney being involved, if one reads the Libby trial transcripts and other documents and statements coming from those linked to the affair, it would strain the imagination to believe that Cheney was not involved in the leak. As for any involvement by Bush, that is speculation, but I don't think that stating the White House promoted the leak is necessarily implicating of Bush -- Rozen might be more precise here. But given the clear propensity of Bush and those around him to engage in, or enable, or allow attacks of innumberable kinds of critics or perceived enemies (right down to putting tens of thousands of innocent war protesters, Bush critics, and Democratic Congressman on the No Fly List), I think that any informed person could certainly state a good case for believing Bush WAS involved even if no direct proof of that can be shown at this time. As for Plame's covert status, her outing by Novak/Armitage and not her own husband (an absurd contention on its face) -- those have been clearly proven to those who take the time to study the records. And incidentally, various high-ranking Republicans have bragged or otherwise aknowledged or mentioned on countless occasions that Republican operatives do work on a regular, systematic basis to monitor things like internet forums and blogs and to try to discredit stories such as this with propaganda, lies, distortions, and so on, and that there are many who are paid to do it. That, I think, is well-known by bloggers and such (and I would never claim or even think that there are not similar Democrat operatives -- if you think I might be one, forget me -- read the documents mentioned). But surely Republican operatives, or top party or WHite House officials, would never commit treason by outing a covert CIA operative...right, and I have some land for sale down in south Florida. What is it going to take for people to understand that "power corrupts" (anyone, almost) and that the real battle is not Repub vs. Dem or almost any other irrelevant dichotomy but rather People of Power vs. Powerless People? The Plame affair is just one (very good) example -- but so is most of history.

Posted by:Honest AbeJanuary 1, 2008 5:21:24 PMRespond ^

you suck

Posted by:dudeJanuary 8, 2008 11:32:14 AMRespond ^

I've worked NOC in denied territory, and basically it means that the hostile country's secret police can do whatever, WHATEVER, they want to you, because you have no diplomatic immunity. So what do you think would have happened to Ms Plame in some of these Middle Eastern and African nations? I'm sure these bastards didn't check to make sure she was safe at home before blowing her cover. I think Joe Wilson showed remarkable restraint in his reaction to what might have been the consequences----I would have been red hot for revenge. And if anything had actually happened, then I would have been in a very quiet, white hot rage, and taken action. It is called "Payback", and it can be a really bad surprise for people who think that the law is the only way people can get to them. But then, I was never the kind of guy who could take a joke about somebody putting my wife in danger of rape, torture and death...

Posted by:WaldoJanuary 9, 2008 10:37:21 PMRespond ^

Then why did the CIA, at times, allow her to use her real name, albeit with a ficticious background?

To me, that doesn't sound that the CIA was truly that concerned if she got outed or not.

Posted by:TexasDudeMay 30, 2008 10:39:53 PMRespond ^

This is pathetic. Really pathetic that all these commenters here think Armitage is/was responsible for Plame's leak and not Lewis Libby, which was where Armitage got his Plame info from (via a State Department memo that he saw but was ordered written by Libby to dig up all information on how Joe Wilson got sent to Niger).

Posted by:cjSeptember 26, 2008 3:19:30 AMRespond ^

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