White House leak scandal started with a blond spy

[cal04]

Somebody blabbed her name & the President's men could pay
The clock is ticking down today on a two-year investigation into what originally looked like another run-of-the-mill Washington leak. A blond spy, Valerie Plame, was unmasked in an apparent act of revenge by an angry White House after Plame's husband criticized intelligence offered as justification for the Iraq war.
But that leak has turned into a torrent of speculation about criminal indictments that could reach deep into the White House.

Here's your guide to the complicated case.

Q What crime was allegedly committed?
A It's a felony to knowingly reveal the identity of an undercover U.S. intelligence officer. On July 14, 2003, columnist Robert Novak reported "two senior administration officials" had told him Plame was the CIA agent who dispatched her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, to Niger in 2002 to investigate whether Iraq tried to buy uranium for nuclear weapons.

Q Why is this important?
A Wilson later criticized President Bush for using the debunked Niger claim to sell the war in Iraq. Democrats charge the Bush administration punished Wilson by outing his CIA wife, essentially ending her career as a covert a/gent. Wilson allies also say the exposure may have put her at risk along with her clandestine sources.

Q Who is most likely to fall?
A The smart money says Lewis (Scooter) Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, who could face perjury or obstruction-of-justice charges for allegedly trying to cover up his role in identifying Plame. Bush political guru Karl Rove is said to be in the same hot water. Other names frequently mentioned are former Bush mouthpiece Ari Fleischer and senior Cheney aide John Hannah.

Q Does President Bush have a problem?
A Potentially big time - but certainly not a legal one. If senior aides to the President and vice president are indicted, Bush will have a serious scandal on his hands - and his platter is already overloaded with political problems. If there are no indictments, he can start digging out from the lowest poll numbers of his term.

rest of the Q&A
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/359773p-306370c.html

[EuroObserver]

1. Yes but

What about:

Q What crime was allegedly committed?
A #2. Outing of Plame and subsequent outing of Brewster Jennings & Associates by David Corn in The Nation and consequent definitive winding-up of supposed Anti-WMD-Proliferation undercover operation - contrary to Espionage Act as controlling law of Treasongate: 18 USC 793 and 18 USC 794.

- ref. eg. http://citizenspook.blogspot.com/ halfway down page?