You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Home Front: Politix
CIA Leaker Was Sandy Berger Appointee, Kerry Supporter
2006-04-22
Drudge is ALL over this. Kerry Supporter in 2004
17 June 1998
TEXT: BERGER APPOINTS MCCARTHY SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR INTELLIGENCE
(And senior director on NSC Staff for intelligence programs) (370)
Washington -- National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger announced June 16 the appointment of Mary O'Neil McCarthy as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs. She succeeds Rand Beers in that post, an announcement by the office of the White House Press Secretary said.

Mary McCarthy had been Director of Intelligence Programs on the National Security Council Staff since July 1996. Previously, said the White House, Mrs. McCarthy served as the National Intelligence Officer for Warning from 1994-1996 and as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Warning from 1991-1994. She began government service in 1984 as an analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence of the Central Intelligence Agency.

McCarthy has a B.A. and M.A. in history from Michigan State University and an M.A and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
--------------------------------
Ms. McCarthy has been a well-known figure in intelligence circles. She began her career at the agency as an analyst and then was a manager in the intelligence directorate, working at the African and Latin America desks, according to a biography by the strategic studies center. With an advanced degree from the University of Minnesota, she has taught, written a book on the Gold Coast and was director of the social science data archive at Yale University.

Public records show that Ms. McCarthy contributed $2,000 in 2004 to the presidential campaign of John Kerry, the Democratic nominee
.
Posted by:Frank G

#37  ". But that doesn't make this crap right. We really need a reform of the civil service and military, intelligence, and foreign service officer systems."

Amen, from somone who has livedin that realm. the rot there is incredible, choking out innovation and progress.
Posted by: Oldspook   2006-04-23 00:02  

#36  Now all of her storied articles can be seen in a new light..not that she fooled us though!!

Article by DANA PRIEST AND WALTER PINCUS, CIA in turmoil, John E. McLaughlin quits, Sunday, November 14, 2004

She's been "working" it for a long time.

Posted by: RD   2006-04-22 23:42  

#35  Stanford Report, May 11, 2005

More Perps of long standing

Dana Priest,Washington Post

Philip Taubman, Washington, D.C., bureau chief for the New York Times

James Fallows, national correspondent for the Atlantic Month
Posted by: RD   2006-04-22 23:32  

#34  Some Other’s Blogging this story:

* Michelle Malkin
* Captain’s Quarters
* Wizbang
* Martin’s Musings
* Dr. Sanity
* Say Anything
* Stop The ACLU
* Real Teen
* Let Freedom Ring
* Ace Of Spades
* Confederate Yankee
* Small Town Veteran
* In The Bullpen
* A Blog For All
* Macsmind
* Flightpundit
* The Jawa Report
* Rightwing Nuthouse

CIA Intelligence Leak Priest Prisons
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 23:12  

#33  google cache of CICS bio on Mary as they have pulled it
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 23:01  

#32  Sounds like Ms McCarthy, Dana (Pulitzer) Priest, et al, need to see subpoenas and Leavenworth (deep in red country....eewwwwwww)
Posted by: Frank G   2006-04-22 22:47  

#31  Mary And Valerie And Joe


from Strata-sphere:

Ace of Spades had posted in the idea Mary McCarthy might have sent Joe to Niger (link busted right now). In 2002 I do not believe McCarthy was in a position to send Joe to Niger. In 2003 she may have been in a position to deal with the referal from the CIA to DoJ on the Plame Game in her role in the IG office. Rumors have it she was involved in investigating CIA interrogations and that might be how she obtained information to give to Dana Priest. Interestingly, Mary may have been in a position to send Joe on his first Niger trip for Valerie! Michelle is watching how this may turn out. Michelle does have a link up to thoughts by Mark Levin. Mac Ranger promises more to come (go to the end of the post).

I can see McCarthy involved in the Plame referal (which was leaked to the press). Since McCarthy was on the NSC in 1999 when Joe first went to Niger (here and here), I would bet she knew about the trip. It was all about the uranium trade.
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 22:09  

#30  Guess who will be standing up for Mary in Sunday's NYT?

Larry Johnson.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-22 21:46  

#29  I am sorry jim#6 I don't get it, if Bush thinks Rice is hiding crap from him he can fire her, but this Mary gal gave up classified info to the press and even worst it beginning to look like a sting. This makes her a traitor.
Posted by: djohn66   2006-04-22 21:41  

#28  perhaps because the information transmitted by Clarke was ass-covering generalities? Or did you bother to read the evisceration above? Nobody said all Kerry contributors are traitors as Ms McCarty is, - what we said is you'll find a political link to all leakers - I stand by that. If it hurts, TFB. They are damaging America and should be called on it - and prosecuted where possible to the extent of the law. Fuck em
Posted by: Frank G   2006-04-22 20:35  

#27  Maybe it's bad that she leaked the info. Maybe she should be hung.
Her personal motivations may be suspect as a pattern.

Much as Clarke ( at his post since the REAGAN years) pointed out a pattern in his PDB titled "bin LAden determined etc".
A pattern of events like embassy bombings, the Cole, The first WTC bombing, and the hijacking out of existence of the Afghan airline Aviana, who had 6 Taliban/AlQaeda hijacks between Nov.99 and MAr. 00

Clarke's even EARLIER memo
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB147/clarke%20memo.pdf

Dr. Rice did not find this subject mentionable to the president.
Posted by: jim#6   2006-04-22 20:24  

#26  "'Politically motivated' is not a canard with respect to the CIA's war on the White House."

SR-71, the canard I referenced was jim#6's assertion that Ms. MCarthy was just like every other citizen (or not) who voted for Kerry.
Posted by: Fordesque   2006-04-22 19:57  

#25  Political appointments even in the Military go waaaaaay back. Look at all the politically appointed Generals in the Civil War who had no idea how to command a unit in combat. They jsut get good men killed.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-04-22 19:45  

#24  Term limits would only shift more power from short term legislators to the permanent lobbyists and the permanent bureaucrats. I for one like it this way because it, like democracy, is the least worst alternative. At least we get a chance to change things every 4 years.

If anything I find the permanent bureaucracies much more pernicious. And McCarthy is a product of that.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-22 18:44  

#23  secrete intel: Mrs. D and Glenmore
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2006/04/leaker.html
Posted by: Angaviper Threanter3690   2006-04-22 18:42  

#22  11A5S: Agree with you grunt, but it ain't gonna change in this town until term limits are enacted. It's the good ole boy and good ole girl system. Mean, nasty, and crooked as a dog's hind leg. Speaking of dogs, if you want a pal in this town, recommend you get over to Pet Smart and buy one.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-04-22 18:36  

#21  They politicized everything - including the permanent beauracracy and the agencies like the FBI and the CIA.

Sigh. SR-71, I wish that it was something that was just beginning. Here's a non-classified example. When Carter was president, he sent GEN Goodpaster and "Smiling Joe" Franklin to USMA to "humanize" the academy. When Reagan was elected, he sent Generals Scott and Boylan to "put the "M" [military] back in USMA." Likewise, Clinton sent in Christiansen and Bush put Lennox in as superintendent and Brooks as commandant, each with agendas that paralleled the administration.

This crap goes on all of the time. It jerks organizations back and forth, screws them up, and corrupts senior officers and civil servants. It's going on in this administration, too. Witness the recent attempt to put in that 34-year old lawyer broad (completely unqualified) in charge of some bureau or the other (who incidentally was GEN Myers niece). Or Colin Powell's son in charge of the FCC....

Again, this is nothing new. The difference is that now we have the internet to do quick fact checking and detective work. You can't hide the sleaze anymore.

And I'm not trying to draw a moral equivalence here. I am saying a pox upon both of their houses. This crap needs to stop. I am an independent conservative, and generally I am more supportive of the officers and senior civil servants that ride Republican coat tails than the ones riding liberal coat tails. But that doesn't make this crap right. We really need a reform of the civil service and military, intelligence, and foreign service officer systems. In the 1880's it was enough to outlaw the spoils system. But in our much more networked world, a virtual spoils system has emerged that is corrupting the nation. Maybe we need to make it illegal for any government employee to take a position with a government contractor for life. Or join a partisan think tank. Or contribute to a political campaign. Or maybe even vote in primaries. All I know is that this crap has got to start.
Posted by: 11A5S   2006-04-22 18:25  

#20  'Politically motivated' is not a canard with respect to the CIA's war on the White House.

This is what I despise most about the previous administration. They politicized everything - including the permanent beauracracy and the agencies like the FBI and the CIA. It is a wonder that they have worked as well as they have..
Posted by: SR-71   2006-04-22 17:43  

#19  This terrorist and congressional aide needs to be outed too.
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 16:58  

#18  3dc
I'm glad your're all over this.

This is gonna be BIG, and It's getting bigger!

This should help in the GUTTING of the seditious 5 column whithin our media and elites.
Posted by: RD   2006-04-22 16:48  

#17  
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 16:48  

#16  From a belmont club comment:

If I were a Chinese agent in the US, I'd pose as a New York Times reporter and wander around places where the spooks eat lunch in Bethesda.


Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 16:43  

#15  jim#6,

In Tommy Frank's Auto-Bio, he plainly states that Richard Clarke Never gave him even one piece of actionable intelligence.

Richard Cohen and Hugh Shelton [Clintoon appointees] said much the same.

reference: I call pull my copy of Tommy Frank's Auto-Bio and give you the page numbers if you want them.
Posted by: RD   2006-04-22 16:23  

#14  "Not to put too fine a point on it but 49.8% of your fellow citizens, not all crazies commies or traitors, voted for John Kerry in 2004."

OpenSecrets' results

It does not mean her actions were politically motivated, but the canard is getting a bit ripe.
Posted by: Fordesque   2006-04-22 16:13  

#13  From a BelmontClub comment:
I really would like to know who the CIA representative was at the Aspen meeting with Soros and Lewis. That was back in the spring/summer of '04, and the meeting was held to discuse ways of preventing President Bush's re-election. The article appeared in the N.Y. Post, although nobody else picked it up. Imagine that.

Is this a greeat country or what? Conspiracies to overthrow the government are not just legal and a daily occurance, but attended by government bureaucrats angling for promotions. No wonder the Tyrants have always mis-judged America.
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 15:56  

#12  1998: Washington — National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger announced June 16 the appointment of Mary O'Neil McCarthy as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs.

2001: McCarthy joins the CSIS think tank. Three of her fellow experts are Zbigniew Brzezinski, General Wesley Clark, General Anthony Zinni

2001: McCarthy and Richard Clarke work on a plan to counter the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Buried deep--very deep--in the New York Times' story is the fact that she was a contributor to the John Kerry for President campaign in 2004. What they don't mention is that she was an even bigger donor to the Democratic Party, and her husband was likewise a significant donor to both. They also, no surprise, were friendly with Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame.

"pattern of contacts" with more than one reporter.

During his tenure, Goss has emphasized upholding the CIA's tradition of secrecy — and he often has complained publicly about the damage caused by leaks. In recent congressional testimony, Goss said: "It is my aim, and it is my hope, that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present, being asked to reveal who is leaking this information."

Goss was referring in part to stories in the Post last year that said the CIA was operating secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe, where high-value terrorist operatives were being detained and interrogated. On Monday, Post reporter Dana Priest was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for those stories in the beat reporting category.

McCarthy had been subjected to a "single-issue" polygraph, meaning one specifically conducted to question agency employees about whether they were involved in leaks of information that appeared in the press in recent months.


Also, I. "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, has been indicted as part of a probe into whether administration officials leaked the identity of former CIA officer Valerie Plame WHO IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF MARY O McCarthy!

CIA Leaker Was Sandy Berger Appointee

Anything to do with Sandy stealing documents about his involvement with Valerie and now maybe Mary?

Why does so much of this fit with the PRC's plan "
Ten Thousand Methods Combined as One: Combinations That Transcend Boundaries'?



Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-22 15:41  

#11  "Not to put too fine a point on it but 49.8% of your fellow citizens, not all crazies commies or traitors, voted for John Kerry in 2004."

49.8 of fellow citizens also do not work for the CIA, also do not have direct connections to politically shady characters from the previous presidential administration, and are also not fired by the CIA for repeatedly leaking classified information to a reporter for the Washington Post.

I believe the phrase is "if it smells like a duck"?
Posted by: Fordesque   2006-04-22 15:36  

#10  First off I want you to know that even if Clarke said that there were terrorists operating in the U.S. I haven't heard anything specific. Also making a broad statement does not leave anyone much to act on. I could make a very broad statement that there are terrorists operating in the U.S. at this moment. Having said that did I give you some direction to point resources? It is as if saying there are spies operating in this country. Truthful but I have not given you anything to act on. Even at the time, the most anybody in the Intel community would guess is that terrorists would hijack airplanes and demand ransom. In addition, holding meeting in Washington does not "Shake the trees" and even if it did, nobody would have connected these dots.
I am a little vague on what information Clarke based his threat and what action he or anybody else thinks the President should have taken but hindsight is always 20/20. I would bet any amount of money that terrorist cells are operating here in the U.S. but until we get a better focus on who or where we havenÂ’t much to act on.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-04-22 15:27  

#9  Not to put too fine a point on it, but way too high a portion of 49.8% of my fellow citizens are spending way too much time undermining the Bush administration instead of offering workable solutions for serious problems like Iran and North Korea. Of course, when a nuke goes off in Boston harbor or New York harbor, it won't be their fault -- it will be Bush's fault for not singing 1960's peace songs with Ahmanutjob and Dear Leader.

It's treason. Hang her.
Posted by: Darrell   2006-04-22 15:23  

#8  Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States Jim#6, That is NOT a warning of an impending attack, merely a statement that Bin Laden wanted to. Tell me where the warning is.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-04-22 15:14  

#7  How many of those supporters are accused of supplying info damaging to the nation and its' security? Motivation?
Posted by: Frank G   2006-04-22 15:09  

#6  Kerry Supporter in 2004

Not to put too fine a point on it but 49.8% of your fellow citizens, not all crazies commies or traitors, voted for John Kerry in 2004.
Posted by: jim#6   2006-04-22 14:49  

#5  SINGLE piece of paper supporting his accusations?
How about the report he sent to the NSA which should have been read to the p[resident ans though "filled with older information " surely it doesn't take an intellect as precise as Dr Rice's to see that the older info was merely supporting the premise of the report spelled out in simple words in the title ?

So do we turn on an EMPLOYEE who informed the public or a person with a National Position who FAILED to inform the president ?

BEN-VENISTE: I want to ask you some questions about the August 6, 2001, PDB. We had been advised in writing by CIA on March 19, 2004, that the August 6th PDB was prepared and self-generated by a CIA employee. Following Director Tenet's testimony on March 26th before us, the CIA clarified its version of events, saying that questions by the president prompted them to prepare the August 6th PDB. Now, you have said to us in our meeting together earlier in February, that the president directed the CIA to prepare the August 6th PDB. The extraordinary high terrorist attack threat level in the summer of 2001 is well-documented. And Richard Clarke's testimony about the possibility of an attack against the United States homeland was repeatedly discussed from May to August within the intelligence community, and that is well-documented. You acknowledged to us in your interview of February 7, 2004, that Richard Clarke told you that Al Qaida cells were in the United States. Did you tell the president, at any time prior to August 6th, of the existence of Al Qaida cells in the United States?

RICE: First, let me just make certain...

BEN-VENISTE: If you could just answer that question, because I only have a very limited...

RICE: I understand, Commissioner, but it's important...

BEN-VENISTE: Did you tell the president...

RICE: ... that I also address... (APPLAUSE) It's also important that, Commissioner, that I address the other issues that you have raised. So I will do it quickly, but if you'll just give me a moment.

BEN-VENISTE: Well, my only question to you is whether you...

RICE: I understand, Commissioner, but I will...

BEN-VENISTE: ... told the president.

RICE: If you'll just give me a moment, I will address fully the questions that you've asked. First of all, yes, the August 6th PDB was in response to questions of the president -- and that since he asked that this be done. It was not a particular threat report. And there was historical information in there about various aspects of Al Qaida's operations. Dick Clarke had told me, I think in a memorandum -- I remember it as being only a line or two -- that there were Al Qaida cells in the United States. Now, the question is, what did we need to do about that? And I also understood that that was what the FBI was doing, that the FBI was pursuing these Al Qaida cells. I believe in the August 6th memorandum it says that there were 70 full field investigations under way of these cells. And so there was no recommendation that we do something about this; the FBI was pursuing it. I really don't remember, Commissioner, whether I discussed this with the president.

BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.

RICE: I remember very well that the president was aware that there were issues inside the United States. He talked to people about this. But I don't remember the Al Qaida cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.

BEN-VENISTE: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6th PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

RICE: I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States. Now, the ...

BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.

RICE: No, Mr. Ben-Veniste ...

BEN-VENISTE: I will get into the ...

RICE: I would like to finish my point here.

BEN-VENISTE: I didn't know there was a point.

RICE: Given that - you asked me whether or not it warned of attacks.

BEN-VENISTE: I asked you what the title was.

RICE: You said, did it not warn of attacks. It did not warn of attacks inside the United States. It was historical information based on old reporting. There was no new threat information. And it did not, in fact, warn of any coming attacks inside the United States.



Except explicitly in the title. So you didn't show it to the President.
Posted by: Jim#6   2006-04-22 13:54  

#4  Wonder if her grandfather was Charlie McCarthy? And where does Mortimer Snerd fit in the story?
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2006-04-22 13:48  

#3  Bush was too nice when he entered office. Instead of kicking all the politicos to the curb he let them stay on. ItÂ’s clear now that many of these people have loyalties to the left rather than to the country. They perceived his position as weak and they have spent the last six years trying to undermine the administration. Shit look at all the Clintonistas that claim that Bush was somehow asleep at the switch on 9/11 but dismiss that eight prior years. How can anybody take Richard Clarke (Terrorism expert (sic)) seriously when he canÂ’t produce a SINGLE piece of paper supporting his accusations? After 9/11 Bush should have done what Franklin Roosevelt did after Pearl Harbor and axe everyone and start over. Trust me, nobody would have faulted him had he done so and that past 5 years might have gone a lot smoother. Imagine a fired Richard Clarke going on all the talk shows? No I canÂ’t either.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-04-22 11:44  

#2  motives for leaking: the plot thickens..

Mary O'Neil McCarthy, et all.

3) The report of the 9/11 Commission notes that the National Security staff reviewed the intelligence in April 2000 and concluded that the CIA's assessment of its intelligence on bin Laden and al-Shifa had been valid; the memo to Clinton on this was cosigned by Richard Clarke and Mary McCarthy, the NSC senior director for intelligence programs, who opposed the bombing of al-Shifa in 1998. The report also notes that in their testimony before the commission, Al Gore, Sandy Berger, George Tenet, and Richard Clarke all stood by the decision to bomb al-Shifa.
*
The 9/11 Commission Report - Page 117

Mary McCarthy, the NSC senior director respon-
sible for intelligence programs, initially cautioned Berger that the "bottom line"
was that "we will need much better intelligence on this facility before we seri-
ously consider any options." She added that the link between Bin Ladin and al
Shifa was "rather uncertain at this point." Berger has told us that he thought
about what might happen if the decision went against hitting al Shifa, and nerve
gas was used in a New York subway two weeks later.

The principal with the most qualms
regarding al Shifa was Attorney General Reno. She expressed concern about
attacking two Muslim countries at the same time. Looking back, she said that
she felt the "premise kept shifting
."

*YOU Janet "burn 'em out" Reno said the "premise kept shifting"* OY VEY!
*

Posted by: RD   2006-04-22 02:08  

#1  Stwange, Mary's name on FNC this AM was given as Mary McKinley, NOT McCarthy.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-04-22 01:04  

00:00