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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (29585)	10/4/2003 8:54:33 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Dad of slain agent calls CIA's leak 'treason' October 3, 2003 suntimes.com BY DEVLIN BARRETT WASHINGTON -- The father of slain CIA officer Johnny ''Mike'' Spann said Thursday he believes an independent counsel should investigate allegations that someone in the Bush administration exposed a CIA officer's identity -- an act he called treasonous. Spann, the first American killed in Afghanistan, died in a prison uprising. His father, also named Johnny Spann, said he is still angry because he feels his son's identity and hometown were disclosed before his son's family could be adequately protected. Democrats in Congress, led by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), are calling for a special counsel to be appointed to investigate who exposed a CIA operative who is married to a former ambassador, Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson had accused the administration of manipulating intelligence to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq. ''If someone in the Bush administration leaked this, they need to be punished, and they need to be made an example of, because that's not just a leak, that's treason,'' Spann, of Winfield, Ala., said. ''They should appoint an independent counsel so the American people can be sure, and let the chips fall where they may.'' The officer's name first appeared in a July 14 story by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak. Former CIA covert operations officer Bart Bechtel said the key issue is exactly what the officer's position was at the CIA at the time her name appeared. ''In general terms, it is not all right to identify a covert employee,'' said Bechtel. ''That being said, many covert employees, especially case officers out there doing their jobs, it doesn't take long for them to be recognized as agency.'' Meanwhile, officials said the federal investigation into the leak will expand beyond the White House and the CIA to other parts of the government with access to the officer's classified identity. The Justice Department is expected to send ''do not destroy'' letters to the Defense and State departments, requesting preservation of phone logs, e-mails and other documents that could become evidence, senior law enforcement officials said. Justice Department policy is to consider seeking subpoenas of reporters only as a last resort, officials say. ''When it comes to the media, there are a lot of safeguards built into the system,'' said FBI spokeswoman Susan Whitson. AP