“NOC, NOC,” Who is there? CIA

The American government has always held an eerie but necessary hint of secrecy within its functions. Take for example the works of the FBI, issues surrounding court case evidence, details of war activities such as hidden submarines and stealth planes that spy. However, one of the most valuable hidden mechanisms at the US government’s disposal is the NOC, the living, breathing secret agent, which is no fabrication. Karl Rove and Lewis Libby committed acts of treason by revealing the identity of our most sacred apparatus, they blind-sided American intelligence, by outing a key agent. According to Lexis Nexis, a NOC is a designation within the Central Intelligence Agency which means “non-official cover.” It denotes an agent working under such deep cover that this agent cannot be officially associated with the American intelligence community in any way, shape, or form. In order to keep covered, a NOC will work for the CIA out of a front company, which provides the illusion that the agent is just an ordinary accountant, lawyer, or business person. Between the CIA and the agent, a process is created to construct an identity which obscures completely the reality of the agent’s true employment. The training of these NOC agents, along with the creation of the cover stories which are known as “legends” within the agency, require millions of dollars and delicate handling. It is, quite literally, a matter of life and death. Little or no protection is given to an exposed NOC agent by the American government, an arrangement that is understood by all parties involved. A blown NOC can wind up dead very easily.Karl Rove, senior advisor, chief political strategist, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff for the President, and Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby, Chief of Staff, and assistant for National Security Affairs for the Vice President, both leaked the information. Rove leaked to a reporter from Time Magazine, and Libby to the New York Times. The information leaked was about a NOC named Valarie Palme. She was based in Iran and was a highly effective source of information from that area.
Some have speculated that they leaked the information in retaliation to her husband’s reports from Africa. According to Wikipedia.org, Joseph Wilson, Valarie Plame’s husband, wrote an Op-Ed piece on July 6, 2003 in the New York Times entitled, “What I Didn’t Find in Africa.” In the piece he stated that he had found no evidence of Iraqi pursuit of nuclear material during his trip to Africa. He also criticized the administration for using allegedly unreliable documents to make its case against Iraq. The report hits a sensitive nerve in the George W. Bush’s administration because it had used the alleged accounts in Africa as key reasons to invade Iraq. Wilson’s accounts became severe thorns in the feet of the administration. Lewis Libby was indicted on October 28 for several charges: obstruction of justice, purjury, and making false statements. Both political parties have openly condemed the two officials for thier wrongdoing. Howard Dean said during an interview on CNN, “The first time I ever agreed with Trent Lott was when he said Karl Rove should go to jail.” Though public consent screams “indictment,” Rove is still functioning in office and on payroll. He is still deciding our governing policy and working avidly on our next Supreme Court justice. President Bush and Vice President Cheny expressed support for Libby even as he was indicted in office. Cheny was quoted saying that Libby is, “one of the most capable and talented individuals I have ever known.” Bush was quoted stating, “In our system, each individual is presumed innocent and entitled to due process and a fair trial.” Fair doesn’t seem to be the word as Valerie Palme now has to live in fear of retaliation from Islamic terrorists. Her husband says they have already received threats. The case was originally filed in 2003 but White House officials have been less then co-operative. As for Karl Rove, and other White House officials involved, we may never see justice done.