[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 152 (Wednesday, November 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12880-S12881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         LEWIS LIBBY INDICTMENT

  Mr. DURBIN. The third issue is one which everyone is aware of; that 
is, the fact that for the first time in over a century, some high-level 
staffer in the White House has been indicted. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby 
was indicted a few weeks ago, charged with perjury and obstruction of 
justice related to the Valerie Plame affair. Everyone is aware of it 
now. Joe Wilson, former Ambassador, sent to Africa to determine whether 
assertions by the administration about yellow cake uranium coming from 
Africa to Iraq were true, reached the conclusion they were not. When he 
published that conclusion, he was attacked in the press by Robert Novak 
in a column where Mr. Novak said two White House sources had told him 
that Joseph Wilson's wife Valerie Plame was a CIA agent.
  In fact, she was an undercover agent whose identity was being 
protected. But the White House, in an effort to discredit its critics 
and to silence

[[Page S12881]]

them, attacked Joe Wilson's wife Valerie Plame and, in the process, 
disclosed the identity of a CIA agent. There is a question raised as to 
whether that violates the law. The fact that people work in covert 
activities and risk their lives for America is something we should 
never take for granted. The law is designed to protect them. But the 
White House decided, for political reasons and in order to protect 
against the disclosure that they were manufacturing intelligence to 
justify the war, they would attack Joseph Wilson's wife Valerie Plame. 
For that action and for the statements he made to the FBI and the grand 
jury, Mr. Libby was indicted. The investigation continues.

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