Here is an interesting article in the LA Times that talks about Valerie Plame's cover, and CIA cover in general.  Sinse her cover is obviously classified information, we'll probably never no the entire truth.  Maybe this will clear things up a little...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cia16jul16,0
,5815740.story?page=1&coll=la-home-headlines

Posted at July 16, 2005 11:30 PM in response to Accidents Happen, Again and Again

MMPost99: For I find it hard to believe that it is CIA practice to reference a front company on your personal tax return (for I expect that the name of any "employee" of a front company to be a cover name).

Interesting assumption.  I suppose most deep cover operatives file their tax returns “Federal Government – Super Secret” 

MMPost99: This stupid mistake by Plame made it possible for Novak to find BJ&A.

Yah, now you’re getting the idea.  Once someone out’s an Undercover CIA operative a whole bunch of sensitive information gets exposed to our enemies.  The Front Company.  Other deep cover operatives.  Operatives in the Field.  And those working in Washington.  Careers are destroyed.  People are endangered.  Contacts are exposed.  And years of hard earned intelligence is flushed down the toilet.  All for partisan gain. 

MMPost99: Answer: Valerie Plame was not a covert CIA agent at the time and has not been a covert agent since 1997.

Or maybe, just maybe, that's not the answer at all...

Posted at July 16, 2005 8:22 PM in response to Accidents Happen, Again and Again

"Does anyone seriously think that the Iraqi delegation that traveled to Iraq in 1999 to "discuss 'expanding commercial relations' between Niger and Iraq" really sought to buy onions rather than uranium? "

I think it’s also worth noting, that the US found absolutely no infrastructure in Iraq that could be used to enrich yellowcake into uranium.  So… Yes.  I think it’s safe to assume that Iraq was not actively warehousing Yellowcake for some future decade when they might develop enrichment technology.

Posted at July 16, 2005 7:14 PM in response to More on Ivo's Point about Nigerien Uranium