The long awaited testimony of Judith Miller begins. She starts by recounting her history of working with NYT.
Then she tells of meeting w Libby-said CIA was conducting war of leaks-he mentioned Wilson. He had been sent overseas. VP’s office had asked questions about reports Iraq was trying to buy uranium and Joesph Wilson had been sent-not by the VP’s office -to investigate. Libby said the Vice President did not know Wilson and had not gotten a readout about Wilson’s report.
Libby said agency had taken it upon itself to send Wilson to investigate. Referred to Wilson as “a clandestine guy.”
Conversation about Wilson wife? “Yes. He said, “˜His wife worked in the bureau.’ I was unsure of what he meant by that. I thought it might mean the FBI — but in context of discussion was clear he as referring to CIA… maybe the non-proliferation bureau.
Wrote in notes in parentheses — Libby mentioned it as an aside, or I was puzzled by it. Libby seemed unhappy and iirritated about accusing CIA of leaking info to distance the agency from earlier estimates about wmd.
Ground rules were off the record for the sessions.
But nobody from CIA ever came to White House and said it was incorrect-they should have shared such doubts w president, said Libby.
He said people were beginning to focus on Wilson — but he was “a ruse, an irrelevancy…” (refering to Wilson by name)
Did Libby say he had heard info from reporters about Plame /CIA? “No,” says Miller.
The op-ed piece in the New York Times by Wilson surprised her. It was the first time someone investigating wmd publicly alleged the administration had distorted intel about wmd in order to go to war — a very serious charge. Second surprise was that since Wilson wrote he had gone on the mission for CIA-how had CIA permitted him to write article attacking the president?
Then she met with Libby July 8 at the St. Regis hotel in the dining room. Libby’s choice. met for 2 hrs. Had a piece of paper in his pocket.
There were no discussion of meeting ground rules for attribution.
He again seemed frustrated and agitated.
Wide-ranging discussion about Intel admin had collected before the release of the NIE and Powell’s UN presentation about Iraq and wmd.
Talk then turned to Wilson as a topic, and ground rules were set — this part of conversation he wanted to be identified as a “˜former Hill staffer.’
Libby said there had been plenty of info before the National Intelligence Estimate issued and Powell’s United Nations appearance supporting Iraq hunting for uranium in Africa. It had been shown Iraq had acquired uranium in Africa in 80′s.
More recently several different reports they were in the market for uranium — one, a long-term arrangement for large amounts, then shorter term to acquire smaller amounts.
The second report involved the 1999 Iraqi delegation in Niger. Information came to the up to the Hill about this delegation, and the author of the report was Joe Wilson.
Libby talked about two streams of reporting on uranium and Iraq — first stream was reports like that of Joe Wilson. Then mentioned as aside that wife worked at “WINPAC” — weapons, intelligence, non-proliferation and control. This was the first time Judith Miller says she ever heard his wife worked CIA, and there was no discussion covert or classified status of Plame.
The NIE? Libby defended it — portions had been pubished — and said it was based on many different sources of reporting.
He complained that state dept had expressed doubts about uranium hunting by Iraq. But they were not highlighted and policymakers did not see them.
She then began talking to others about Plame working at CIA — does not recall whom she spoke to before Novak’s column appear in July 12. She just can’t remember who or when”¦
Miller spoke again to Libby on phone — from her home in Sag Harbor — her notes of conversation do not help to give her clear memory of conversation however. She remembers discussing Plame, however. Sd not interested in pursuing the matter. No specific memory of what was discussed concerning other matters.
Then met in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at a rodeo. She went with her husband, and “A figure approached me and began talking to me — it became clear I didn’t know who he was…” then Libby took off his glasses and said, “It’s Scooter Libby.” He was wearing sunglasses, a black t-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots.
They bantered about a meeting at Aspen she had just come from — Aspen experts talking about wmd and Iraq.
Miller subpoena subsequently and decide to fight it but lost effort to quash subpoena, then appealed, lost again, then to Supreme Court, declined to hear case, then she refused to comply and was held in contempt of court.
Miller says she could not, without a personal waiver, voluntarily name her source.
Went to jail for 85 days, got a personal waiver from Libby and spoke to him, made agreement with Fitzgerald about what she would be questioned about, and then testified to grand jury day after getting out of jail.
Told them about July 8 meeting with Libby, later conversations on phone, but not the June mtg — “because I did not remember it.”
Later, Miller says, she found a notebook about conversation in June with Libby that she had forgotten about. She informed prosecutor Fitzgerald that “there was more info than I had initially recalled.”
The prosecution rests.
