CIA Leak

Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper have been called to testify before a grand jury investigating whether a Bush administration official, presumably Karl Rove, intentionally leaked the name of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA agent, to conservative columnist Robert Novak. The leak immediately followed criticisms by her husband, former ambassador Joe Wilson, of Bush administration claims that Iraq had attempted to purchase Uranium from Niger. His criticisms were proven to be true, and the documents that supported the Bush administration's claims were found to be obvious forgeries.

These developments are somewhat puzzling, since although they both had the information, neither chose to publish it, unlike Robert Novak, who has not as yet recieved a subpoena. Perhaps it is believed that they will be more likely to cooperate.

Regardless, I do not believe that they should be forced to reveal their source. While it truely pains me to side with the Bush administration, I believe that it is important for journalists have the right to keep their sources confidential. I do think that Karl Rove, along with every other member of the Bush administration, should be sent to prison for the leak, as well as a long list of other crimes, too numerous to name here.

While in this case a journalist's refusal to reveal a source has shielded one or more criminals from prosecution, in the past this confidentiality has allowed individuals to come forward with information without fear of retribution. Bob Woodward has still not revealed his source that broke the Watergate story. Were it not for that confidentiality, that individual would not have been able to come forward.

This leak was intended to serve as an example to all those who would criticise the Bush administration. In the future, individuals like him may need that confidentiality in order to expose the lies of the Bush administration without fear of retribution.