Former CIA Agent Larry Johnson: Bush Should Ask for Karl Rove's Resignation Over CIA Leak

For the first time in 130 years, a White House staff member has been indicted for crimes committed in the office. On Friday, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted on five counts of obstruction of justice, perjury to a grand jury and making false statements to FBI agents during the CIA leak investigation. He resigned following the indictments.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines. According to the indictment, Libby lied to the grand jury when he claimed that he learned of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame from NBC News Tim Russert in early July. In fact, investigators determined Libby learned of Plame from Cheney, State Department officials and a CIA briefer more than a month earlier. President Bush's chief advisor Karl Rove has so far escaped indictment for his role in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame, the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

Until Friday Libby was a central figure in the Bush White House holding three top positions: chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, national security adviser to the vice president and assistant to the president. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced the indictment on Friday.

According to the Washington Post, Karl Rove narrowly escaped indictment after providing new information during eleventh-hour negotiations with Fitzgerald. But sources told the paper that he could still be charged in the case. On Sunday Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid called on Rove to resign. Reid pointed out that President Bush had previously said anyone involved in the leak should resign.

In a few minutes we will speak with former CIA analyst Larry Johnson but first we will hear part of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's press conference on Friday when he laid out the case against Libby.

* Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. special prosecutor, October 28, 2005.
* Larry Johnson, former CIA agent and former deputy director in the US State Department's office of counter-terrorism.

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