7. March 19, 2003 – The Iraq war Begins
8. July 6, 2003 Wilson exposes the administration lies in a NY Times Article
Joseph Wilson’s article "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in the July 6, 2003 edition of the New York Times and directly accused the administration of lying to justify the Iraq war.
9. In the week following Wilson's article, the Bush Administration leaks Plame’s status as a covert CIA Agent to hurt her and her husband as retaliation for his article
Eight days after Wilson’s article, Robert Novak issues a response where he identified Mrs. Wilson, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, as "an agency operative on weapons of mass destruction" named "Valerie Plame." Novak is one of three reporters that get the information from administration officials in the previous week. Novak received his information from Richard Armitage, whereas Judith Miller and Time reporter Matthew Cooper admitted to having received that information from Libby. It is illegal, and a felony to reveal the name and/or status of a covert CIA agent. There was some initial controversy about Plame’s status (mostly put out by the conservative right in order to confuse the issue), but this was put to rest on March 16, 2007 when then CIA director General Michael Hayden testified the following to congress via a written statement:
On March 16, 2007, at these hearings about the disclosure, Chairman Henry Waxman read a statement about Plame's CIA career that had been cleared by CIA director Gen. Michael V. Hayden and the CIA:
- During her employment at the CIA, Ms. Wilson was under cover.
- Her employment status with the CIA was classified information prohibited from disclosure under Executive Order 12958.
- At the time of the publication of Robert Novak's column on July 14, 2003, Ms. Wilson's CIA employment status was covert.
- This was classified information.
- Ms. Wilson served in senior management positions at the CIA, in which she oversaw the work of other CIA employees, and she attained the level of GS-14, step 6 under the federal pay scale.
- Ms. Wilson worked on some of the most sensitive and highly secretive matters handled by the CIA.
- Ms. Wilson served at various times overseas for the CIA.
- Without discussing the specifics of Ms. Wilson's classified work, it is accurate to say that she worked on the prevention of the development and use of weapons of mass destruction against the United States.
- In her various positions at the CIA, Ms. Wilson faced significant risks to her personal safety and her life.
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10. An investigation is undertaken to ascertain how and why Plame’s cover was blown.A special prosecutor is named (Patrick Fitzgerald), Subpoenas are handed out, and Libby is ultimately indicted of five counts and convicted of four. If you were ever wondering what it is that Libby was alleged and convicted of doing, here are Prosecutor Fitzgerald’s own words after obtaining the indictments (From transcripts of a press conference covered and printed by the Washington Post and others):
