http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Plame#Possible_illegality_of_exp osure
Possible Illegality Of Exposure: Under certain circumstances, the exposure of a covert government agent would violate the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. The act applies itself to a person who, as a result of having "authorized access to classified information," learns the "identity of a covert agent and intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent's intelligence relationship to the United States." The statute also applies to persons who expose the identities of such agents "in the course of a pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the foreign intelligence activities of the United States." The Novak column did describe Plame as an "operative," but did not use the description "covert." Novak has claimed that the CIA made "a very weak request" that he not name Plame publicly. WSJ.com columnist James Taranto suggests that this would indicate the absence of "affirmative measures to conceal" necessary for a violation of the law. The CIA has disputed Novak's claim and indicated that he was told revealing the information could cost agents their lives. Even if Plame was a covert agent and this status was known, prosecution under the statute requires that the person disclosing the information either learned it through authorized access to classified information, or was engaged in a pattern of activities intended maliciously to identify and expose covert agents. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
