October 03, 2003

Slain CIA Agent's Dad Calls Leak Treason

No comment needed. He speaks for himself.
Associated Press: "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."

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-cia-leak-spann,0,6505684.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

Slain CIA Agent's Dad Calls Leak Treason

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer

October 2, 2003, 9:03 PM EDT


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., told The
Associated Press. "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 syndicated columnist Robert Novak, and she was
identified later by Newsday as an undercover officer.

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."
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press

Posted by richard at October 3, 2003 01:57 PM