Would President Obama go after these cockroaches, or will he want to focus on the future and not want to get into a partisan showdown, with the GOP protecting their own?

I first read about the Leeden-Italy operation over at Laura Rosens War&Piece a few years ago.
Astounding the kind of intrigue going on right up the noses of our intelligence agencies. Obviously they wern't spying on the right people after 911.

I would like to think Obama if he is elected would go after these criminals but I am afraid it will be just more politics as usual.

I strongly suggest that before anyone signs on to Philip Giraldi's claim that you read Ron Suskind's book. The whole book is built on interviews and research into documents that are indeed CIA and in addition, MI6 materials and personnel. People with 30 years CIA and MI6 experience who rose to the top of the heap in their services (and who indeed know how to fabricate things) do not mistake their employer or the people that were above and below them in the chain of command. And a reporter such as Suskind who has much experience reporting with such sources is highly unlikely to mistake Directorate of Operations CIA leadership for flacks who worked around Feith.

I have read the book, "The Way of the World" -- and I've outlined many of the stories and cross referenced (should say I am still cross referencing) to other reports and other timelines. I consider Giraldi's claim in the "Conservative" an effort to muddy up the story as Suskind tells it, an effort to distort with misinformation. But I also believe that Suskind has quite adequate back-up sources for every element of the story he tells.

The whole story is a straight on shot at Cheney, and in fact, it is not particularly complicated once you put the elements of it in context. If it could be gotten to a Grand Jury, Cheney would be indicted -- remember the precident from Agnew is that you can in fact indict a sitting VP without first impeaching, trying and convicting him in Congress. The charge would be violation of the Charter of the CIA, by using the agency for domestic political and propaganda purposes, conspiracy to do this, and perhaps much more. The problem right now is getting a prosecutor who would take it to a Grand Jury.

Anyhow if you have been keeping up with the books of late -- get this one and settle down for a good close read. Read Suskind's work before you jump on various hobby horses of those who either have not read it, or those who seek to muddy the water for you.

"sara, this is standard operating procedure whenever a conservative gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar.....muddy the waters, offer alternative realities, scour Suskind's book for a flaw, however miniscule, then blow it out of proportion casting doubt on the whole book."

Yea, I realize this, which is why I am coming on so strong about actually reading Suskind before getting into the dubious weeds the critics push for their own ulterior reasons. Reading the book ought to be a "first criteria" for reviewing it or doing much commentary. Mike Barnicle on Hardball seems to be one of the few who almost finished reading before doing a good and serious interview at this juncture.

The reason the effort to palm the forgery off on to Feith and his shop doesn't work is because Habbush was under the joint control of British MI6 and CIA -- and Suskind has tapes from the people in both services who actually ran Habbush about these matters. (Including the former head of MI6, Dearlove, the reference "C" in the Downing Street memo whom Suskind interviewed in his digs at Cambridge.) The Brits had developed Habbush as a source, and had been running him for several years. His British control was a 30 year MI6 vet named Shipster, and again, Suskind has him as a source. And Rob Richer was his CIA case officer, the same guy the WH is currently trying to get to back-track on what he told Suskind on tape.

Who is Richer? Well he is the CIA Officer who has worked the Jordan Account for perhaps 25 years, who was very close to King Hussain, was asked to advise the King on Abdullah's education, and ultimately depended on by Hussain in his last month to determine who would inherit the throne. Richer and Abdullah have a "thing" together, they both like to participate in mass Harley Davidson rides. Suskind includes narrative of one around Carmel and on to Big Sur, but then references a more recent one across southern Africa. King Abdullah brought a number of Gulf Princes along on this "wild hog" ride. Since he retired in 2005 from CIA -- a victim of the Gosslings, Richer has become a principle in Blackwater's new Intelligence contracting operation. (the implications of such "outsourcing" boggle the mind.)

Anyhow, the forgery would make no sense without the voice and style of Habbush -- it portends to be, afterall, a short memo report from Habbush to Saddam, from the Iraqi Minister of Intelligence to the chief honcho. Our Master Feith over in the Pentagon does not play in the wild hog rides, and he probably never heard of Habbush, and certainly was not his case officer. Suskind's sources were all that and much more.

The only way for Obama to go after the Bu$h thugs would be if he can tie their activities to current problems he will have to deal with. That way it won't look like he's out for vengeance or scoring political points. And if these thugs are as sloppy as I think, they'll leave a trail of crap that will be easy to follow and can easily be tied to problems that Obama will need to resolve.