Bush 'ordered leak', ex-aide says

[DaSangarTalib]

President Bush authorised the leak of secret intelligence to the New York Times to help defend the war in Iraq, a former top White House aide has said.
The claim comes from Lewis Libby, the former chief-of-staff to Vice-President **** Cheney.

Mr Libby is facing trial for allegedly obstructing an investigation into a different leak.

He is accused of lying to prosecutors investigating who revealed the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame to the press.

Ms Plame's husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, wrote a high-profile article in the New York Times in July 2003 casting doubt on a key White House claim about Saddam Hussein's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Mr Libby says in court papers filed on Wednesday that Mr Cheney then told him to pass information from the classified National Intelligence Estimate to Judith Miller, a New York Times reporter.

First Bush link

Mr Bush approved Mr Cheney's instruction, the vice-president told Mr Libby, according to the court papers.

The lawyer prosecuting Mr Libby does not claim Mr Bush broke the law.

But Mr Libby's testimony marks the first time he has put the president into the frame of events surrounding leaks from the White House to the press over the Iraq war.

No-one has been charged with a crime over the leaking of Mrs Plame's name to reporters.

Mr Libby is charged with lying to investigators and obstructing the investigation.

He resigned as chief-of-staff to Mr Cheney after he was charged and is due to go on trial in January 2007.

BBC