White House won't challenge leak story

Former Cheney aide Libby claims Bush himself authorized Iraq revelations

WASHINGTON - The White House on Friday declined to challenge assertions that President Bush authorized the leaks of intelligence information to counter administration critics on Iraq.

But Bush’s spokesman, Scott McClellan, appeared to draw a distinction about Bush’s oft-stated opposition to leaks. “The president would never authorize disclosure of information that could compromise our nation’s security,” Bush’s spokesman said.

Court papers filed by the prosecutor in the CIA leak case against I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby said Bush authorized Libby to disclose information from a classified prewar intelligence report. The court papers say Libby’s boss, advised him that the president had authorized Libby to leak the information to the press in striking back at administration critic Joseph Wilson.

McClellan volunteered that the administration declassified information from the intelligence report —the National Intelligence Estimate — and released it to the public on July 18, 2003. But he refused to say when the information was actually declassified. The date could be significant because Libby discussed the information with a reporter on July 8 of that year.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12187153/

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