Friday, October 28, 2005

Whoops...there it is...




Link

A federal grand jury indicted Libby on one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements.

The indictment alleges Libby learned of the identify of CIA operative Valerie Plame from Vice President Dick Cheney and then talked about her to reporters. The indictment also says Libby endangered national security by doing so. However, Libby is not charged specifically with disclosing her identity.

Karl Rove, the president's deputy chief of staff, will not be indicted today in the investigation, two sources have said. They say investigators have told Rove's office they haven't resolved all their questions about his conduct, however, and that they'll keep investigating.

Documents were released at about 9:40 a.m. Pacific time, and Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald will update the case today in Washington, D.C. at 11 a.m. Pacific time. News10.net plans to stream his statement live.


And here's the indictment press release:

Beginning in late May 2003, Libby allegedly began acquiring information about a 2002 trip to
the African country of Niger by Joseph Wilson, a former United States Ambassador and career State
Department official, to investigate allegations concerning efforts by the former government of Iraq to
acquire uranium yellowcake, a processed form of uranium ore. The CIA decided on its own initiative
to send Wilson to Niger after an inquiry to the CIA by the Vice President concerning certain intelligence
reporting. Wilson orally reported his findings to the CIA upon his return. Subsequently, Libby allegedly
lied about information he discussed about the CIA employment of Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame Wilson,
in conversations Libby had in June and July 2003 with three news reporters – Tim Russert of NBC News,
Matt Cooper of Time magazine, and Judith Miller of The New York Times.
Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson’s employment status was classified. Prior to that date, her
affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community. Disclosure
of classified information about an individual’s employment by the CIA has the potential to damage the
national security in ways that range from preventing that individual’s future use in a covert capacity, to
compromising intelligence-gathering methods and operations, and endangering the safety of CIA
employees and those who deal with them, the indictment states.
“When citizens testify before grand juries they are required to tell the truth,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.
“Without the truth, our criminal justice system cannot serve our nation or its citizens. The requirement
to tell the truth applies equally to all citizens, including persons who hold high positions in government.
In an investigation concerning the compromise of a CIA officer’s identity, it is especially important that
grand jurors learn what really happened. The indictment returned today alleges that the efforts of the

grand jury to investigate such a leak were obstructed when Mr. Libby lied about how and when he
learned and subsequently disclosed classified information about Valerie Wilson,” he added.
Mr. Fitzgerald announced the charges with John C. Eckenrode, Special Agent-in-Charge of the
Philadelphia Field Office of the FBI and the lead agent in the investigation. The Washington Field
Office and the Inspection Division of the FBI assisted in the investigation.
The indictment alleges that Libby had frequent access to classified information and frequently
spoke with officials of the U.S. intelligence community and other government officials regarding
sensitive national security matters. With his responsibilities for national security matters, Libby held
security clearances giving him access to classified information. Libby was obligated by federal criminal
statute, regulations, executive orders, and a written non-disclosure agreement not to disclose classified
information to unauthorized persons, and to properly safeguard classified information against
unauthorized disclosure.
According to the indictment, on September 26, 2003, the Department of Justice and the FBI
began a criminal investigation into the possible unauthorized disclosure of classified information
regarding Valerie Wilson’s CIA affiliation to various reporters in the spring of 2003. In January 2004,
the grand jury investigation began examining possible violations of criminal laws prohibiting disclosing
the identity of covert intelligence personnel (The Intelligence Identities Protection Act), improperly
disclosing national defense information, making false statements to government agents, and perjury. A
major focus of the grand jury investigation was to determine which government officials had disclosed
to the media prior to July 14, 2003, information concerning Valerie Wilson’s CIA affiliation, and the
nature, timing, extent, and purpose of such disclosures, as well as whether any official made such a
disclosure knowing that Valerie Wilson’s employment by the CIA was classified information.


So the Kossacks were right, and the 101st Keyboarders were wrong.

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