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White House Leaks in Plame Affair

The Washington Post reports that a "senior administration official" has confirmed that "two top White House officials" called at least six journalists and diclosed the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame, wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

The operative's identity was published in July after her husband, former U.S. ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, publicly challenged President Bush's claim that Iraq had tried to buy "yellowcake" uranium ore from Africa for possible use in nuclear weapons. Bush later backed away from the claim.

...."Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge," the senior official said of the alleged leak.

This is major because federal law prohibits the intentional disclosure of an operative's identity.

So, who could the two top officials be? Daily Kos thinks one is Ari Fleischer and the other may be Karl Rove. We haven't a clue, so stay tuned.

Update: Here is the law at issue: The Intelligence Protection Act (50 U.S.C. Sec. 421). Different sections of the act provide for penalties ranging from three years to ten years.

Update: Atrios on the import of the budding scandal:

Let's make something clear. According to the Washington Post one "senior administration official" has accused two "top White House officials" of each committing a felony. Even if we allow for the possibility that the accuser is full of it (basically impossible here, but just for sake of argument), we still have a SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICAL accusing TWO TOP WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS of each committing a serious felony.

This is a story of mammoth proportions. This is a front page GIANT SCREAMING FONT story. This is a 24/7 wall to wall coverage story. They can even drag out the gaggle of blonds from the Barbizon School of Former Prosecutors to tell us what it all means. Where the hell is the coverage? [emphasis supplied by us--that line made our day]

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