The second entry to this series of truth revelations during the past week relates to US top officials perhaps considered more senior than Brown, the former head of FEMA (see previous entry). It relates to two oracles given to Sam Crane by the Yi in October 2005 and published in his blog, ‘The Useless Tree’.
A few days ago, several US newspapers available through the web had published some information obtained from sources with access to court papers on the ongoing investigation into who leaked the name of a covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame. From such information, it seems quite clear that the already charged Lewis Libby, the former chief aide to US Vice President Dick Cheney, had pointed fingers and said that he was authorized by the Vice President and other White House ‘superiors’ to leak classified information in 2003 to bolster the case for the US-led war against Iraq. The Judge has deferred hearing of the perjury trial of Libby to 2007.
In the first consultation, Sam had asked the Yi about Cheney’s involvement in the leak and whether the VP will be forced to resign because of it. The prognostication came in the form of Hexagram 9 Xiao Chu with a moving third line and a resultant Hexagram 61 Zhong Fu. As explained in my Oct 23 entry on Understanding changes (2), Cheney is represented by the third line which says: “The spokes burst out of the wagon wheels. Man and wife roll their eyes.”
A further explanation of the line may be appropriate at this juncture. In Book III, the commentary says: “When ‘man and wife roll their eyes,’ it is a sign that they cannot keep their house in order.”
The wife in the fourth line allows the spokes of the wheels to get broken. The man looks at her fiercely in his rage, and she returns the look. Inasmuch as the third line thus abandons its family (the two lower lines); it shows that it cannot maintain order. [W/B]
In the Image of Zhong Fu / Inner Truth, the Junzi discusses criminal cases in order to DELAY executions. This explains why the case is being delayed by the special prosecutor, hoping for a change of heart by his superior, the Vice President who tried to stare him down as depicted in the third line of Xiao Chu. The prosecutor has been likened to the wife since he is of lower rank and sincere. Just like the commentary to the Image says, he has a deep understanding that knows how to pardon, considered the highest form of justice. In the Oct 23 entry, one has said, and continues to say that:
“Ultimately it may be up to Dick Cheney himself to do the honorable thing to salvage his dignity.”
Onto the matter about other White House ‘superiors’, the second Yi oracle to Sam was given as a reply to his question on ‘How should President Bush handle this growing political problem?’ It came in the form of Hexagram 16 Yu / Enthusiasm with moving first and fourth lines which changed it to Hexagram 24 Fu / Return. This oracle was addressed in the Oct 30 entry on Notes on the hexagram.
The first line relates to Lewis Libby and other White House ‘superiors’ who boast of their connections with the minister in the fourth line, and misfortune has been indicated. Perhaps only with sincerity in times of enthusiasm by way of support from his subordinates and advisers, can President Bush return to the Light.
However if we take a look at his ‘Annual Hexagram for 2006’ (Jan 06 entry) also consulted by Sam, events of the past few months in the US, and the current revelations by his former staff, Bush will certainly have a uphill battle ahead to return to the Light. Whether President Bush has the tenacity, endurance and charisma to make a comeback is entirely his show. It could be Heaven’s way to test his cultivation.
Who knows?
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WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney disclosed Wednesday that he has the power to declassify sensitive government information, authority that could set up a criminal defense for his former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Cheney's disclosure comes a week after reports that Libby testified under oath he was authorized by superiors in 2003 to disclose highly sensitive prewar information to reporters. The information, about Iraq and alleged weapons of mass destruction, was used by the Bush administration to bolster its case for invading Iraq.
At the time of Libby's contacts with reporters in June and July 2003, the administration including Cheney, who was among the war's most ardent proponents, faced growing criticism. No weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq, and Bush supporters were anxious to show that the White House had relied on prewar intelligence projecting a strong threat from such weapons.
When Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald revealed Libby's assertions to a grand jury that he had been authorized by his superiors to spread sensitive information, the prosecutor did not specify which superiors.
But in an interview on Fox News Channel, Cheney said there is an executive order that gives the vice president, along with the president, the authority to declassify information.
"I have certainly advocated declassification. I have participated in declassification decisions," Cheney said. Asked for details, he said, "I don't want to get into that. There's an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously it focuses first and foremost on the president, but also includes the vice president."
Cheney added a ringing endorsement of Libby.
"Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence," said Cheney. "He is a great guy. I worked with him for a long time. I have tremendous regard for him. I may well be called as a witness at some point in the case, and it is therefore inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case."
Former Whitewater independent counsel Robert Ray said Cheney's ex-chief of staff could point to authorization from his superiors as part of his strategy at trial.
"If it turns out that Cheney was actively involved in decisions related to the disclosure of a CIA officer's identity and if the truth of it is that he was orchestrating the disclosure of information to the media, it seems to me that's a fundamentally different case than one centered around the activities of Libby," said Ray.
In July 2003, Plame's CIA identity was published by columnist Robert Novak eight days after Plame's husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the administration of twisting prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. Wilson concluded that it was highly doubtful that a purported sale of uranium yellowcake by Niger to Iraq in the late 1990s had ever taken place.
A defense that Libby was authorized by superiors to leak sensitive data about Iraq would not appear to provide any help to the former Cheney aide for making false statements.
But some lawyers point out that setting up defenses before a jury involve more than simply constructing legal arguments.
Associated Press 2hrs ago
The plot thickens. Probably Cheney has a good Yi adviser? However the proposed actions may not be what the Book of Changes indicates.
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