Friday, October 03, 2003

Outting A CIA Officer = Treason

The recent exposure of a CIA agent, apparently by someone in the White House, is treasonous:

* It puts at risk Americans and foreign nationals who worked with or assisted the CIA officer;
* It diminishes the value of the intelligence gathered by the officer in question;
* It makes it more difficult to recruit new officers and agents overseas.

Those responsible must be brought to justice swiftly and punished to the fullest extent of the law. President Bush should make a strong statement - publicly as well as inside the White House - that this action will not be tolerated. He should insure that impartiality is preserved in the investigation by calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation.

I do not know why someone in the Bush Administration would commit this crime and enganger lives as well as the national security of our country. Is it a symptom of the arrogance some senior Administration officials have exhibited, especially regarding Iraq? If so, President Bush must finally confront this trend and send a clear message: we will not lie to the American people, we will not cover up our errors in judgment or our crimes, we will respect the laws and the intelligence of the American people.

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