From Agence France-Press:
Monday January 15, 4:56 AM
Ex-White House aide's trial full of political intrigue
Former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby goes on trial on Tuesday on charges of perjury in a case that has all the elements of a political thriller.
The tale involves a spy's blown cover, the US administration's preparations for war in Iraq and elaborate intrigue among Washington's power brokers.
The trial's origins date back to July 2003, when a former US ambassador, Joseph Wilson, accused President George W. Bush's administration of exaggerating the threat posed by Iraq to justify an invasion.
Soon after, a newspaper columnist revealed that Wilson's spouse, Valerie Plame, was a CIA operative.
Exposing the identity of a CIA agent is a federal crime and special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald launched an investigation into the leak.
As Fitzgerald called witnesses to testify before a grand jury, speculation raged about who in the White House may have plotted retaliation against Wilson for his criticism.
Journalists were summoned before the grand jury, and one from the New York Times, Judith Miller, went to jail for close to three months for refusing to cooperate.
But the suspense ended with a bit of anti-climax in September, when former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage -- not at all considered a hawk on the Iraq war -- admitted with embarrassment that he inadvertently outed Plame.
Libby, 56, former chief of staff for US Vice President Dick Cheney, is not being charged with leaking Plame's name, even though that was the impetus for the federal probe. Instead he is accused of lying under oath to the grand jury about several conversations with reporters in July 2003.
Indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice, Libby has pleaded not guilty and if convicted, faces a possible prison sentence of up to 30 years.
In his book "Plan of Attack" -- an account of preparations for the Iraq invasion -- Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward described Libby as part of the White House inner circle that played a role in virtually every major decision.
"He might be considered part of a small category of Washington officials -- the Unobtrusive Man, ever-present during the scene," Woodward wrote.
The US left, meanwhile, paints a darker portrait of Libby as a neoconservative schemer who has had a possible hand in scandals ranging from the intelligence leading up to the Iraq war to the awarding of lucrative contracts to Halliburton for the reconstruction of Iraq.
The trial opens Tuesday with the selection of jurors and opening arguments are scheduled for January 22. The trial is expected to last four to six weeks, said court spokesman Sheldon Snook.
During preliminary hearings, defense lawyers have said their client simply could not recall every detail of his conversations because of his intense work load, and that he had more important subjects to concern him than the American diplomat's remarks.
The lawyers plan to call Libby's former boss, Cheney, as a witness. The vice president's office has yet to confirm whether Cheney has been summoned but says it is cooperating fully with the authorities.
In an interview with the Fox network Sunday, Cheney refused to comment on the case but did acknowledge that he might be called to testify.
"I am likely to be a witness in this trial. It would be inappropriate for me, at this point, shortly before the trial begins, to enter into a public dialogue with you about my views on this issue," he said.
He did, however, state his strong support for Libby, calling him "one of the finest individuals I've ever known."
Judge Reggie Walton has made clear he will strictly limit arguments to pertinent facts in the case and not allow the proceedings to turn into a political spectacle.
During one preliminary hearing, Walton said that the murder trial of OJ Simpson in 1995 that lasted eight months could have been finished in a mere three weeks.
Wrap...
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