Tuesday April 12, 8:29 AM
Associated Press
Senators May Have Blown Cover of CIA Agent
Mr. Smith came to Washington again Monday, as an alias for a Central
Intelligence Agency officer who works covertly. Senators, however, may have
blown his cover.

During questioning on John R. Bolton's nomination to be President Bush's
ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton and members of the Senate Foreign
Affairs Committee referred to "Mr. Smith" as one official among several who
were involved in a dispute over what Democrats asserted was Bolton's
inappropriate treatment of an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him.

"We referred to this other analyst at the CIA, whom I'll try and call Mr.
Smith here, I hope I can keep that straight," Bolton said at one point.

Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., both
mentioned a name, Fulton Armstrong, that had not previously come up in
public accounts of the intelligence flap.

It is not clear whether Armstrong is the undercover officer, but an exchange
between Kerry and Bolton suggests that he may be.

In questioning Bolton, Kerry read from a transcript of closed-door
interviews that committee staffers conducted with State Department officials
prior to Monday's hearing.

"Did Otto Reich share his belief that Fulton Armstrong should be removed
from his position? The answer is yes," Kerry said, characterizing one
interview. "Did John Bolton share that view?" Kerry said, and then said the
answer again was yes.

"As I said, I had lost confidence in Mr. Smith, and I conveyed that," Bolton
replied evenly. "I thought that was the honest thing to do."

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Remember that the Dems were screaming bloody murder when Richard Clarke's
wife was "outed".