Throw the Book at Karl Rove

As more information comes out on an almost daily basis regarding the outing of former C.I.A. operative Valery Plame (Wilson), it seems more and more likely that Karl Rove was involved and was, in the least, a partial source of the leak. As Tim Russert pointed out on Meet the Press last Sunday, it is clear by the rules governing the disclosure of classified information by officials with high-level security clearance, Rove's confirmation to Bob Novak and primary sourcing of Matthew Cooper's article constitute improper disclosures. Whether or not this constitutes a violation of the 1982 federal law protecting the identities of our nation's spies is still to be determined.

If it happens that Karl Rove is convicted of improperly revealing the identity of Valery Plame as a C.I.A. operative, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald should look to punish him to the full extent of the law, which allows for 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. The reason that I advocate that he throw the book at Karl Rove is because of what no one in the administration is denying, but what they are rather confirming on a daily basis. The leak occurred and happened in conjunction with an official policy to discredit Ambassador Joe Wilson's trip to Niger and his finding's that Iraq had indeed not attempted to purchase enriched uranium from that country as had been previously stated by the President and used by many officials as justifications to go to war. It is this that is so despicably criminal. If Karl Rove did in fact out Ms. Plame, it may not have been in retaliation (as she and her husband claim) but it was certainly motivated by politics and a win-at-any-costs mentality. The intelligence failures of 9/11 brought into the spotlight shortcomings in our human intelligence, that field that Valery Plame used to specialize and serve her country in. It is criminal and treasonous therefore to intentionally or accidentally out a C.I.A. agent for no better reason than to discredit her husband.

Yes, it is perhaps true that Rove made a mistake. This is unlikely given his keen political mind and the White House's initial denial that he had any involvement, a claim that some in the administration had to have known at the time to be untrue. But let's just suppose that he did make a mistake and reveal something he shouldn't have by a mental slip. What still stands is that he did so in the context of trying to discredit someone (who was in fact telling the truth) for political gain. As an official with access to the identities of C.I.A. operatives, Karl Rove must unfortunately be held to a higher standard. His mistakes were costly and under different circumstances might have cost someone their life. It is inexcusable to be to so wrapped up in politics that you let slip to the press secrets whose maintenance are key to the protection of America. If Bush wants to stand firm in the War on Terror, he will fire his political guru, Karl Rove, who either put politics above his country's safety or was so engrossed in winning at politics that the result was the same, he inappropriately let slip a secret that jeopardizes the cloke of secrecy and anonymity protecting our C.I.A. field agents.