By the way, intentionally leaking a covert CIA operative's name would be a serious offense, bordering on treason. Here's Larry Johnson, who went through CIA training with Valerie Plame, on that point:
Time Magazine is kicking some serious butt on the "Treasongate" story (or whatever we're calling it these days) regarding the leaking of a covert CIA operative's name back in 2003. According to this week's Time, just out a little while ago:
As the investigation tightens into the leak of the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, sources tell TIME some White House officials may have learned she was married to former ambassador Joseph Wilson weeks before his July 6, 2003, Op-Ed piece criticizing the Administration. That prospect increases the chances that White House official Karl Rove and others learned about Plame from within the Administration rather than from media contacts. Rove has told investigators he believes he learned of her directly or indirectly from reporters, according to his lawyer.
In other words, the question increasingly becomes: "what did the White House know, and when did they know it?"
By the way, intentionally leaking a covert CIA operative's name would be a serious offense, bordering on treason. Here's Larry Johnson, who went through CIA training with Valerie Plame, on that point:
A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer. That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport. If caught in that status she would have been executed.[...]
The Republicans now want to hide behind the legalism that "no laws were broken". I don't know if a man made law was broken but an ethical and moral code was breached. For the first time a group of partisan political operatives publically identified a CIA NOC. They have set a precedent that the next group of political hacks may feel free to violate.
More generally, Johnson says:
Despite valiant efforts by the Republican National Committee and its supporters to perpetuate a smear, the facts are now clearly established regarding Valerie (Plame) Wilson's cover and her status at the CIA.[...]
Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak. Novak's column was not an isolated attack. It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove.
Again, what did the White House know, and when did they know it?