Bush ‘involved’ in CIA leak case

A FORMER White House press secretary has said the US president was involved in misinforming the public over the leaking of a CIA agent’s identity.

In an excerpt from his book, Scott McClellan says George W Bush helped mislead the public over the role in the affair of two White House aides. The CIA agent, Valerie Plame, says her identity was leaked because her diplomat husband opposed the Iraq war.The White House said Bush would not ask anyone to pass false information.McClellan’s book is not scheduled for publication until April and the excerpt released was brief.It refers to a White House press conference he attended in 2003.At the conference, McClellan told journalists that the two aides Karl Rove and Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby were ‘not involved’ in leaking Ms Plame’s identity.The excerpt reads: “There was one problem.It was not true.”I had unknowingly passed along false information.And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice-president, the president’s chief of staff, and the president himself.”McClellan, who served as press secretary from 2003 to 2006, has made no further comment on the excerpt.Libby, Vice-President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, is the only person charged over the affair.He was sentenced to 30 months in jail for obstructing an inquiry into the leaking of the identity.However, Bush intervened in July to prevent Libby from serving a prison term.Plame said McClellan’s excerpt was ‘shocking’.”I am outraged to learn that former White House press secretary Scott McClellan confirms that he was sent out to lie to the press corps.”Even more shocking, McClellan confirms that not only Karl Rove and Scooter Libby told him to lie but Vice-President Cheney, presidential Chief of Staff Andrew Card and President Bush also ordered McClellan to issue his misleading statement.”Current White House press secretary Dana Perino said the meaning of the excerpt was unclear.However, she said: “The president has not and would not ask his spokespeople to pass on false information.”In July a judge dismissed a civil lawsuit brought by Plame against Cheney and other Bush administration officials.She maintained her cover had been blown after her husband, Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador, said the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence on Iraq to back its case for war.BBCThe CIA agent, Valerie Plame, says her identity was leaked because her diplomat husband opposed the Iraq war.The White House said Bush would not ask anyone to pass false information.McClellan’s book is not scheduled for publication until April and the excerpt released was brief.It refers to a White House press conference he attended in 2003.At the conference, McClellan told journalists that the two aides Karl Rove and Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby were ‘not involved’ in leaking Ms Plame’s identity.The excerpt reads: “There was one problem.It was not true.”I had unknowingly passed along false information.And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice-president, the president’s chief of staff, and the president himself.”McClellan, who served as press secretary from 2003 to 2006, has made no further comment on the excerpt.Libby, Vice-President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, is the only person charged over the affair.He was sentenced to 30 months in jail for obstructing an inquiry into the leaking of the identity.However, Bush intervened in July to prevent Libby from serving a prison term.Plame said McClellan’s excerpt was ‘shocking’.”I am outraged to learn that former White House press secretary Scott McClellan confirms that he was sent out to lie to the press corps.”Even more shocking, McClellan confirms that not only Karl Rove and Scooter Libby told him to lie but Vice-President Cheney, presidential Chief of Staff Andrew Card and President Bush also ordered McClellan to issue his misleading statement.”Current White House press secretary Dana Perino said the meaning of the excerpt was unclear.However, she said: “The president has not and would not ask his spokespeople to pass on false information.”In July a judge dismissed a civil lawsuit brought by Plame against Cheney and other Bush administration officials.She maintained her cover had been blown after her husband, Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador, said the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence on Iraq to back its case for war.BBC

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