~~~~~~~~~~Press Release~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CREW Asks President Bush to Suspend Rove Security Clearance Pending Outcome of Plame Investigation; Letter Sent to Bush Today
7/11/2005 2:25:00 PM
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To: National Desk
Contact: Naomi Seligman of Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, 202-588-5565
WASHINGTON, July 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) sent a letter today to President George Bush requesting that he immediately direct Karl Rove's security clearances be suspended pending the outcome of the government's investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame's identity as an undercover agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
As reported today in Newsweek, Karl Rove was a confidential source for Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper on the identification of a covert CIA agent. Rove disclosed that Ambassador Joseph Wilson's trip to Iraq to investigate charges that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from Niger was authorized by Mr. Wilson's wife, a CIA employee working on issues related to weapons of mass destruction. At that time, Valerie Plame, Ambassador Wilson's wife, was a covert operative with the CIA whose identity as such had not yet been publicly revealed.
Under federal law, it is a crime to "intentionally disclose () any information identifying" a covert agent “to any individual not authorized to received classified information." 50 U.S.C. (Section) 421(a). Thus, by disclosing to Matt Cooper Ms. Plame's relationship with the CIA and thereby identifying her as a covert agent, Mr. Rove appears to have committed an illegal act.
"Considering that it is a federal crime to identify covert agents, and that President Bush signed executive orders identifying the vital role the President plays in protecting national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure, it is appropriate for the President to suspend Mr. Rove's clearance pending the investigation's outcome," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today.
more:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50176