Editorial: Safire insists no crime committed in Plame case

[Alpharetta]

The Jailing of Judith Miller

By WILLIAM SAFIRE
Published: June 29, 2005

Washington

<i>heroic comparison between Judith Miller and Thoreua deleted</i>.

The Supreme Court has just flinched from its responsibility to stop the unjust jailing of two journalists - not charged with any wrongdoing - by a runaway prosecutor who will go to any lengths to use the government's contempt power to force them to betray their confidential sources.

The case was about the "outing" of an agent - supposedly covert, but working openly at C.I.A. headquarters - in Robert Novak's column two years ago by unnamed administration officials angry at her husband's prewar Iraq criticism.

To show its purity, the Bush Justice Department appointed a special counsel to find any violation of the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

(more at link. Sorry. Try bugmenot.com or sign up for a password)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/opinion/29safire.html?hp

[Alpharetta]

1. By the way, Time said considering turning over evidence

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000969854

Will Time Inc. Hand Over Documents and Keep Cooper Out of Jail?

By Joe Strupp

Published: June 28, 2005 4:00 PM ET

NEW YORK

When Matthew Cooper of Time magazine and Judith Miller of The New York Times return late Wednesday afternoon to face the federal judge who ordered them to jail last fall for refusing to reveal confidential sources, two different outcomes may emerge.

While New York Times officials have maintained that Miller will not reveal the source who leaked to her the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame, a source close to Time Inc. told E&P that the company is considering handing over documents that would reveal the source.

Cooper declined to comment.

Ted Olson, the lead attorney for Time, would not confirm or deny that report, saying "decisions have not been made in terms of what Time will do if the judge reaffirms the order. Both Time and Matt Cooper are reserving judgment on what they will do. There is no point in making a decision before it is necessary."

More at link:
http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000969854