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Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) issued the following statement on Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald’s announcement of indictments in his investigation of the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity:
“We must remember that any disclosure of covert identities has damaging effects on our country’s human intelligence collection capabilities. When a leak like this happens, there is a ripple of damage. Not only is the original covert operative compromised, but so are all the people who had contact with her overseas. The people with whom Ambassador Wilson’s wife dealt with overseas – other covert agents and informants, for example – have almost certainly been compromised.
“To provide the oversight we are obligated to do, Congress must move forward to examine how this leak occurred, assess the damage to current and future intelligence collection, and review options for preventing similar episodes in the future. Our intelligence professionals need to know that Congress will help them preserve their cover, which is the only real protection they have in their often dangerous job collecting information to protect America.”
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