opinion

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Bernal, Cronies Day
Sirias, Trapped in a changing Cuba
Gutman, Inflexible beliefs
Stimson, Finding the easy
Greenpeace, G8 countries shirk climate change duties
Wheeler, The protests during Bush's Latin America trip
Alvares de Azevedo e Almeida, Bush in Brazil
Denis, The joy of living in the Caribbean

N. Jackson, The wheel of karma catches up with Scooter Libby

E. Jackson, Obama, Walter Reed and the antiwar movemen

What goes around, comes around

by Nicholas M. Jackson

No doubt “Scooter” Libby yearned to repeat former Reagan-era Labor Secretary Ray Donovan’s famous post-acquittal line, “Which office do I go to --- to get my reputation back?” Like Donovan, Libby had prominent supporters who claimed Libby’s perjury and obstruction of justice charges were politically motivated and a travesty of justice. But Libby doesn’t get the luxury of quoting Ray Donovan --- he’s been convicted.

Aside from the stark legalities of his felony convictions, does “Scooter” have any moral right to claim injustice? Let’s look a bit at this man’s recent career.

When Dick Cheney came into office as George W. Bush’s Vice President he appointed Libby simultaneously as his chief of staff and as his national security advisor. Among the officials serving on the Vice President’s staff with “Scooter” Libby were David Addington and John Hannah. Libby functioned in his dual appointment until his indictment and resignation on October 28, 2005. According to his own defense witness, “Scooter” had his fingers in just about every vice presidential pie.

“Scooter” Libby was the policy architect who assembled and delivered the trial presentation of the Iraqi “weapons of mass destruction” to a select White House group on January 25, 2003. A bit later, a slightly tweaked and polished product was turned over Secretary of State Colin Powell for delivery at the UN. That “big lie” was the cornerstone of the US justification for attacking Iraq in the first place. Although thousands have died based on the lie, neither Libby nor anyone else has been prosecuted for participating this deception.

Following Libby’s resignation, David Addington took over as Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff and John Hannah took over the national security advisor. It took two people to fill Libby’s shoes. Maybe you’ve never heard of David Addington? Known as the “invisible hand" in President Bush’s national security policies, Addington is reputed to be behind almost every human rights and civil liberties abuse since President Bush began the war against terrorism. What are the chances “Scooter” Libby was unaware of Addington’s intimate role in crafting the White House’s anti-terror policies?

One can examine a single national security procedure crafted by the Bush Administration to see the irony of “Scooter” Libby’s predicament. In the early days after September 11, 2001, Bush Administration rounded up more than a thousand people of Middle Eastern descent and held them in various jails across the nation without having any criminal charges to support their arrests. They were “material witnesses” to possible acts of terrorism. Bush’s clever national security boys figured out it wouldn’t look good if they simply repeated the “roundup” that was done to the Japanese-Americans during World War II. So they fiddled with the process and came up with a new twist. One former Justice Department official clued-in Newsweek reporters that they could get something on these “material witnesses” because they typically would lie to FBI agents and then could be criminally charged with making false statements to federal agents.

Lying to FBI agents. Isn’t that what “Scooter” Libby did? And that’s not all --- he lied to a federal grand jury. So what if Libby complains about his criminal convictions. Does he think his privileged life put him above the law? Is he so important that he escapes his own bad karma? Not in the America I once knew. Maybe there’s still hope.

References

·  (2007, February 13). Ex-senator questions Fitzgerald's case. Associated Press. http://www.examiner.com/a-562893~Ex_Senator_Questions_Fitzgerald_s_Case.html

·         Chalian, D. (2007, February 13). 'Law & Order' senator rips Libby trial tactics: former Sen. Fred Thompson, supports Libby, blasts special prosecutor. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2869909&page=1

·         Isikoff, M.; Murr, A. (2004, May 17). An American connection: It was just a fingerprint on a bag in Madrid . But the latest clue in the probe of Spain 's 9/11 led the Feds to a lawyer in Portland . Tracing terror's tricky arc. Newsweek, p. 40.

·         Kranish, M. (2005, October 29). Cheney aide indicted: Libby resigns over perjury charges in CIA leak case; Rove probe goes on. The Boston Globe, p. A1.

·         Lewis, N. A. (2001, October 30). A nation challenged: the detainees; detentions after attacks pass 1,000, U.S. Says. The New York Times, p. B1.

·         Liptak, A.; Lewis, N. A.; Weiser, B. (2002, August 4). After Sept. 11, a legal battle on the limits of civil liberty. The New York Times, p. 1.

·         Raab, S. (1987, May 26). Donovan cleared of fraud charges by jury in Bronx . The New York Times, p. A1.

·         Ragavan, C. (2006, May 29). Cheney' Guy. U.S. News & World Report. 140(20) pp. 32-38.

·         Ryan, J.; Duck, J. (2007, February 13). Libby defense: Cheney won't testify: defense will rest without calling Vice President or 'Scooter' Libby. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2872286&page=1

·         Schmitt, E. (2001, February 3). Cheney assembles formidable team. The New York Times, p. A1.

·         Smith, G. (2002, November 26). Judge rips gov't over FBI botch. The New York Daily News, p. 25.

·         Weiser, B. (2002, September 19). Threats and responses: sentencing; ex-suspect expects deportation. The New York Times, p. A25.

·         Woodward, R. (2004, April 19). With CIA push, movement to war accelerated: agency's estimate of Saddam Hussein's arsenal became the White House's rationale for invasion. The Washington Post, p. A1.

Bernal, Cronyies Day
Sirias, Trapped in a changing Cuba
Gutman, Inflexible beliefs
Stimson, Finding the easy
Greenpeace, G8 countries shirk climate change duties
Wheeler, The protests during Bush's Latin America trip
Alvares de Azevedo e Almeida, Bush in Brazil
Denis, The joy of living in the Caribbean

N. Jackson, The wheel of karma catches up with Scooter Libby

E. Jackson, Obama, Walter Reed and the antiwar movement