Posted on: Thursday, October 2, 2003

EDITORIAL
CIA leak investigation could use a special counsel

While you cannot take the flap over the leak of the identity of a CIA officer out of its political context (most of the howling has come from Democrats), this is no small matter that can be brushed off.

By all accounts, someone called a number of journalists in Washington with the word that the wife of a Bush administration critic, Valerie Plame, was a covert CIA operative.

What purpose would this leak — a felony under federal law — achieve other than to hurt or punish Plame's husband, retired ambassador Joseph Wilson IV? Wilson had published an article pointing out that Bush claims about Iraq's nuclear development were wrong, or at least misleading and unprovable.

At the moment, the White House has promised full cooperation with the Justice Department's inquiry. And there is no reason to assume the professionals in Justice will not do a fair and thorough job.

But the potential for political meddling — or even the appearance of political meddling — in this investigation is great.

A wiser course might be to appoint a special counsel to handle the inquiry.