Domestic Policy

National Journal States That Scooter Libby Leaked For Bush And Was Approved By Cheney

February 9, 2006 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

It is being reported that Scooter Libby has testified to a federal grand jury that he was authorized by Vice President Dick Cheney, and other White House officials, to accidentally on purpose leak classified information during the summer of 2003. The leak was supposedly supposed to reveal classified information to the media in order to defend the Bush Administrations’ use of prewar intelligence; this is according to an article posted today by the National Journal.

Reporter Murray Waas writes that this information comes from attorneys familiar with the matter, and from court records. Waas has credibility in being a newshound for government stories, he recently broke several stories on the Valerie Plame - CIA leak case for the politically neutral National Journal.

If this is true it will be a hard hit for the Bush Administration, as well as Republicans seeking election in 2006. Waas has quoted writings by officials involved in the investigation as stating Libby was told to leak privileged information on purpose. If this is true Vice President Dick Cheney could himself become the focus of a criminal investigation.

Waas claims that it was documented that Libby specifically claimed that in one instance he had been authorized to divulge portions of a then-still highly classified National Intelligence Estimate regarding Saddam Hussein’s purported efforts to develop nuclear weapons, this according to correspondence recently filed in federal court by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

If true, this would be a hard pill for Americans to swallow, it would empower the anti-war movement, it would empower the Democrats, it would empower Bush detractors around the world. We must also consider that if this is true we could have another issue as big, if not bigger, than Watergate. This type of story has major collateral damage.

If it is true, would it change your opinion about the war?
Libby Authorized to Leak by Cheney, Others

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