From the "OH CRAP" Department.

Comes this disturbing piece of news.

At CIA Director George J. Tenet's request, the Justice Department is looking into an allegation that an administration official leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer to a journalist, administration officials said yesterday.

The operative's identity was published in July after her husband, former U.S. ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, publicly challenged President Bush's claim that Iraq had tried to buy "yellowcake" uranium ore from Africa, which can be used in nuclear weapons. Bush later backed away from the claim.

The intentional disclosure of a covert operative's identity can violate federal law.

A senior administration official said two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and revealed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. That was shortly after Wilson revealed in July that the CIA had sent him to Niger last year to look into the uranium claim and that he had found no evidence to back up the charge. Wilson's account eventually touched off a controversy over Bush's use of intelligence as he made the case for attacking Iraq.

"Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge," the senior official said of the alleged leak.

There can be no, and I repeat NO, dodging this issue, if true, by the Bush White House. To say that this could threaten the Bush presidency goes without saying. If a covert operative was burned by anyone in the Administration then those people need to found out, tried, and sentenced to the fullest extent possible. No equivocations can be made, Mr. President.

UPDATE -- After reading the WaPo article for the 4th time, I am left to really wonder at what passes for news today. I mean seriously, Tenet recommends a "possible" violation of federal law to the Department of Justice? No evidence that a crime has even been committed yet, just supposition on the part of the wife's husband on who might have "leaked" the information. And I think we all know how "impartial" the husband of the aggrieved party is. It goes without saying of course, that if these allegations are proven to be correct, then those responsible need to be brought to justice and punished to the fullest extent possible under the law.

link via (Right Thinking)