George Putnam
Friday, Oct. 3, 2003

It is this reporter's opinion that it all began with the 16 words in President Bush's Jan. 28 speech. The president said, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein secretly sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

The documents supporting that statement were later declared to be forgeries – and the CIA had warned the White House that it had serious doubts about the accuracy of the intelligence. The controversy led to behind-the-scenes finger-pointing between the CIA and the White House over who was responsible for putting the questionable material into Bush's speech.

Responsibility quickly focused on the White House staff and aides to the president. It came to light that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, after his trip to Niger, accused the Bush administration of twisting intelligence about Iraq's weapons program. At that point, we learned that Wilson's wife is a woman named Valerie Plame, who works in the CIA's Nonproliferation Center.

As the story goes, individuals in the administration seeking revenge for Wilson's criticism of Bush's Iraq adventure played get-even, and at least two of Karl Rove's staff placed phone calls to at least six Washington journalists, unmasking Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame. One of the journalists, Robert Novak, chose to publish and thus unmask CIA agent Plame.

Exposure of a CIA agent could not only jeopardize a clandestine operation but could also, as has happened in the past, bring about the death of the agent. In the words of one veteran CIA officer, "I haven't the slightest idea what was behind this except dirty pool."

The story grows larger by the day – elements of espionage, unauthorized leaks, bureaucratic intrigue, and now an FBI investigation.

As for journalistic responsibility, Robert Novak says that he felt compelled to release the name of Valerie Plame, that he did not receive a planned leak, that the CIA never warned him that disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anyone else, and that the information was common knowledge – not much of a secret.

This story brings into sharp focus the responsibility of a journalist. I recall that top reporter Bill Farr of the Los Angeles Times once refused to divulge his source of information and spent 48 days in the Los Angeles County Jail as a result.

Your humble reporter also made a decision about revealing sources of information and the key to unraveling the Charles Manson-Sharon Tate murder case.

It was Nov. 24, 1969, when a motorcyclist rode up to my Los Angeles studio. He showed panic and fear, told me that he had just come from the Spahn Ranch and to save his own life, he would share with me how Manson and his gang had killed Sharon Tate and her associates. But I was to keep his confidence. How would I advise him? Who could he trust?

That evening I announced on my television report that I would reveal who had committed the Tate murders. All hell broke loose! The Los Angeles Police Department, the Sheriff's Department, the District Attorney's office all descended upon me, pleading that I hold back on the scoop – that it would jeopardize their investigation.

I did hold back on the story until Dec. 21, but by doing so and putting their wishes above my own ambitions, every other news operation in town was able to scoop my own story.

The point I make is that there are journalistic judgments to be made. It is my opinion that Robert Novak and the informers at the White House put their own selfish ambitions above our greater good and possibly endangered the life of Valerie Plame. Certainly her career is at an end. But we haven't heard the end of this story yet. More to come ...

The legendary George Putnam is 89 years young and a veteran of 69 years as a reporter, broadcaster and commentator ... and is still going strong. George is part of the all-star line-up of Southern California's KPLS Radio – Hot Talk AM 830. Click here for George's complete bio

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