Letters sent to Judge Reggie B. Walton regarding the sentencing of vice presidential aide Lewis I. "Scooter" Libby, who was convicted of obstruction of justice, were released by the court today. Several of them touched on matters of secrecy and national security policy.
"If there is anyone who fully understands our 'system' for protecting classified information, I have yet to meet him," wrote John R. Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations, implying that infractions of classification rules are to be expected.
Former CIA officer Fritz Ermarth recalled that Mr. Libby had assisted him "in a matter, although less grave, somewhat similar to that which put him on trial. It concerned official secrecy and classification, its definition and interpretation, varying recollections of who behaved how with respect to it, and aspects of abuse by authorities."
"Mr. Libby has done more to enable the United States to address the challenges of bioterrorism than any other single person," ventured Seth Carus of National Defense University.
"Scooter worried that liberties restricted during times of danger do not always get restored when the danger passes," wrote Doug Feith, the controversial former Pentagon official. "A major part of the terrorist threat, he and I agreed, was the danger that a series of 9/11-type attacks could fundamentally alter -- perhaps permanently -- the state of civil liberties in America."
Somewhat ironically, Mr. Libby once undertook "to persuade a newspaper not to publish information that would have endangered the life of a covert CIA agent working overseas," wrote former deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz. "Late into the evening, long after most others had left the matter to be dealt with the next day, Mr. Libby worked to collect the information that was needed to persuade the editor not to run the story."
Most of the letters favor clemency for Mr. Libby. Many of them are poignant and heartfelt. Quite a few others are pompous and self-aggrandizing. An angry minority demand the maximum possible sentence.
The full set of letters in alphabetical order by author may be found here (373 pages in an 18 MB PDF file):
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/libby/letters.pdf
Mr. Libby was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and fined $250,000.
To visit the Federation of American Scientists: www.fas.org
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Comments: 10
Just curious- He may have round worms.
Nigel for President in 2008
It will be interesting to see what happens in 18 months if Mr. Bush doesn't grant a last-minute pardon to Libby upon leaving office. Right now he's being a good team player and going down to protect his bosses. I wonder how long that will last if they don't show some loyalty back. No matter what, Libby is set for life. All he has to do is write a tell all book about all of this.
What don't you get? Libby was not tried or convicted of "outing" anyone. He was convicted of lying to a grand jury and obstructing justice. I'm sure that if it were I who had done this and was subsequently convicted the president would pardon me! Yeah, right! When donkeys fly!
Did anyone tell you there would be equity in all things? They lied! I recall a gentleman stating a proven lie in a capital murder case who was never charged. He makes big money on the lecture circuit now! How do you rate a matter of consensual sex to a Mark Furhman on a murder case, to a Libby one a national security investigation?
Libby was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers. Get over it. Why should Libby be treated more kindly than you or I?
I did not say that "he got what he deserved" because I didn't set on the jury! As to why someone was not charged with outing Plame, I have no idea because I was not involved in the investigation. Again, that was not what Libby was charged with.
And I made no claim that justice is always done but it is the system we use and one must generally trust it. It did not fail for lack of good attorneys with Libby! Again, I think of how you or I might be treated in similar circumstances and I doubt either of us would be cut any slack for lying under oath. That is unless you have some friends in high places!
I know you seem to feel that "Clinton got away with something so Libby should also" but each case is investigated and prosecuted separately and by different people and to expect each to be handled the same is unrealistic. Is it fair that we spent 80 million dollars trying to dig up dirt on the Clintons and haven't done that on others? That investigation should have ended before it got started but it didn't!
Do us both a favor and spend more time on facts and less on insults of people. You're bright and know full well that for 80 million dollars any lawyer should have been able to dig something, even as far fetched as lying about sex, up on Clinton! And that Libby was prosecuted for lying the same as Clinton.
I know you don't like Clinton. Frankly, I don't think I would care about him as a person either. That is irrelevant to the facts! He was the recipient of a witch hunt! You say that Libby was also. OK, I can live with that, it happens. Get over it! Try actually looking to the future instead of the past to see who you can "blame", a very unprofitable pastime.
I must add that I don't think I would have cared much for many of the people who have been presidents in my lifetime if you want the truth. That is not required to be a president or a very good one. And the "degenerate" who currently occupies the office and wears his religion as a means of consolidating power is probably the most disgusting, deceitful, manipulator in our history. But he might be a very nice guy to have as your next door neighbor!
By the way, you are doing the "defending" here as the jury found Libby guilty and you don't seem to be able to handle that as a fact.