Valerie Plame - The Spy Who Got Pushed out in the cold: Lost in the din of the leak scandal that has consumed Washington is the very personal impact on the CIA slender blonde in the center. Valerie Plame, 42, wife of former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, became the most famous spy in the world, but his career was derailed. It is likely to leave the CIA, say some knowledge, but has not disclosed its plans publicly.
Valerie Plame, the mother of twin 5-year, recently told a friend, Jane Honikman, it intends to withdraw from the agency where she worked for 20 years. "She really wants to be with her children - that's his plan, to be that mom," said Honikman, founder of a support network for postpartum depression in which Valerie Plame was active.
While Valerie Plame was under "enormous stress" as the subject of worldwide publicity and political spin, Honikman added, "it has a good sense of humor again, and a wonderful, charming ability to look good side of things. "Several friends said she was devastated by the disclosure of his name in July 2003, but she continued her life: She and Wilson distributed capital, took weekend trips along the C & O Canal and went to church. At events where media were present, Valerie Plame invariably smile and exchanged pleasantries.
She has never granted an interview, effectively gagged by the CIA, whose guidelines require employees to clear media contacts and publications. But she was not totally opposed to advertising. She has already posed for a photograph in Vanity Fair of her husband's Jaguar, ala Grace Kelly, sunglasses and wear a headscarf. For many critics of his media-savvy husband, who has offered sufficient proof that it aims to capitalize on his notoriety - fodder later in a case that has become as highly politicized as any other White House scandal.
Wilson, whose credibility and qualifications came under fire from Republicans that he went public about his CIA-sponsored trip to Niger and critics of the war in Iraq, said yesterday in a statement: "Although I can engage in public discourse, my wife and my family are private people. They did not choose to be entering the public square, and they do not want to be under the glare of cameras .... This case is not about me or my family, no matter how others might try to do so. "
Valerie Plame, the daughter of a colonel in the Air Force and a primary school teacher, was recruited by the CIA at 22, shortly after graduation from Pennsylvania State University. She was in the class of agents of the CIA from 1985 to 1986 trained at "The Farm" near Williamsburg, where the program included learning to drive under fire, blowing up cars and handling an AK-47 .
His career offers are classified, but it was one of the elite clandestine spies - an officer with a non-official cover working abroad in business or other purposes and has no diplomatic protection Upon detection or arrest.
In 2006 she will be 20 years with the agency. As such, it qualifies for retirement but do not receive full benefits if she stays with the agency 50 years.
After being named in a column by Robert Novak, Valerie Plame had no chance of working again in his chosen field, her friends say, and the strain of remaining at the agency has taken its toll.
"For all intents and purposes to the CIA, she's like a leper ... it is radioactive," said Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst and knowledge of Valerie Plame, who was in his class of officer training. "There are cases where some people have shunned Headquarters In other cases they do not know what to say It's like someone whose child has died: What do you tell them?
"There are a variety of things she could have done to the agency. It could have become a station chief of spy operations abroad and execution. He destroyed his life on this front . What is she supposed to do now, wear a badge saying "Hi, I work for the CIA?"