BBC: Surprise 'won't derail CIA suit' (Plame/Wilson)

Last Updated: Thursday, 31 August 2006, 21:25 GMT 22:25

UKSurprise 'won't derail CIA suit'

By Richard Allen GreeneBBC News,

WashingtonOuted CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband, Bush critic Joseph Wilson,plan to go ahead with a lawsuit against close associates of President GeorgeW Bush despite a startling new revelation about the source of the leakthat blew Ms Plame's cover, one of her lawyers has said.The new information "has no impact on the case. This case is about top-levelWhite House officials who conspired against Valerie Wilson," Melanie Sloan,one of the Wilsons' lawyers, told the BBC, referring to Ms Plame by hermarried name.The Wilsons filed suit in July against Vice-President Dick Cheney; his formerchief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby; and Karl Rove, George W Bush's toppolitical adviser, accusing them of intentionally revealing Ms Plame'sidentity to discredit Mr Wilson.But a new book due out next week claims that the original source of the leakwas Colin Powell's former deputy, Richard Armitage.

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