Antiwar.com Blog

Suburban Guerilla catches an interesting angle in a Guardian article:

Leaking the identity of an undercover agent is a serious crime under US law, but prosecutors would have to prove that the leaker was aware of the agent’s covert status. However, the investigation, led by federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, is reported also to be investigating possible charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Meanwhile, a parallel investigation is under way into who forged the Niger documents. They are known to have been passed to an Italian journalist by a former Italian defence intelligence officer, Rocco Martino, in October 2002, but their origins have remained a mystery. Mr Martino has insisted to the Italian press that he was “a tool used by someone for games much bigger than me”, but has not specified who that might be.

A source familiar with the inquiry said investigators were examining whether former US intelligence agents may have been involved in possible collaboration with Iraqi exiles determined to prove that Saddam Hussein had a nuclear programme.

Hmmm. Is there a parallel investigation or is Fitzgerald just expanding the original investigation??

In other news, the poor guy shot in the Stockwell Tube station yesterday turned out to be a Brazilian with no connection whatsoever to the London bombings.

Scott Horton is interviewing the heroic author Chris Hedges on his radio show this afternoon.

You can see the options to listen live here, or you can wait for the archive of the interview with commercials removed, available by tomorrow.

Scott will also be writing an article about the interview along with the audio linked, which will appear on Antiwar.com next week.

Steve Clemons is telling us — “from a highly placed source, and in the right place to know” — that would-be UN ambassador John Bolton is one of jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller’s major sources for WMD and national security issues. Yet more evidence that my July 15 column nailing Bolton as a key figure in the plot to out CIA agent Valerie Plame was right on target.

Would-be UN ambassador John Bolton’s connection to the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame was first broached in my July 15 column on Plame-gate:

“After the War Party met in solemn conclave, and the command went out from Cheney: “Bring me the head of Joe Wilson!”, there was only one logical place for Cheney’s minions to go. Who in the administration would’ve had access to the specific information regarding Plame-Wilson’s role in a deep-cover CIA operation involving nuclear proliferation? Why, the man who was the State Department deputy secretary in charge of “weapons of mass destruction” – the somewhat irritable if not downright reckless John Bolton, would-be ambassador to the UN, who played a central role in promulgating the Niger Uranium Myth.

“Conveniently, two of Bolton’s assistants, David Wurmser and John Hannah, also worked in Cheney’s office.”

Now, as Joshua Marshall and Steve Clemons note, we learn that Bolton was called to testify by Plame-gate prosecutor Patrick J. “Bulldog” Fitzgerald. Somehow, Bolton forgot to disclose this on the occasion of his confirmation hearings as UN ambassador.

As the focus of the Plame investigation shifts from Karl Rove to Bolton and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the Vice President’s chief of staff, just remember you read it here first.

The phone rang quite early this morning — my sister on the East coast telling me about the London Tube incident. Okay, so I knew this was going to be a long day, but little did I suspect … Anyway, about two minutes ago a policeman rings my bell and tells me that a suspicious package has been found in the high school directly across the street from my house “Keep away from your windows, and get back” the policeman politely but firmly told me.

The place is roped off, and I can hear sirens. My Significant Other went outside and was summarily ordered to get back in the house.

Good grief.

Well, I was going to go to the gym early today, but I guess not ….

Developing….

UPDATE: The bomb squad showed up, x-rayed a suspicious package, and it turned out to be just some homeless guy’s rag-bag of clothing. I spoke to the policeman who had rung our doorbell earlier, and he said they were sorry about the bother but — ‘in view of what’s been happening lately” — they thought it best to be on the lookout.

The worst part of it was being stuck in the house while, on the television, Tony Blair’s voice droned pompously on ….

Well, if I don’t go the gym, the terrorists will have won. So, see ya later …..

It looks like there has been another attack on London: three underground stations — Warren Street, Shepherd’s Bush, and Oval — appear to have been hit by explosions of some sort. While information is sketchy, at the moment, these three Tube stations have been evacuated. There was also an incident on a bus, which had its windows blown out.

There is a report of a nail bomb exploding. No reports of any casualties so far.

Developing….

UPDATE: Police have entered London’s College University Hospital, and cordoned it off.

UPDATE II: There’s a suspect.