Ex-CIA officer, husband file suit against Cheney, 12 Bush aides

The CIA officer whose identity was disclosed to reporters has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney, his former top aide I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, presidential adviser Karl Rove, and10 other unnamed White House officials, accusing them of violating her privacy rights and putting her and her family at risk.

In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday, Valerie Plame and her husband Joseph Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador, accuse Cheney, Rove and Libby of leaking Plame's CIA identity as an act of revenge against Wilson.

"I would much rather be continuing my career as a public servant than be a plaintiff in a lawsuit," Plame told reporters Friday at a press conference. "But I feel strongly and justice demands that those who acted so harmfully against our national security must answer for their shameful conduct in court."

Wilson travelled to Niger in early 2002 on behalf of the CIA to investigate reports that Saddam Hussein's government had plans to make a nuclear weapon using yellowcake uranium it bought from Niger. Wilson said the reports were false but the allegations were still reported in U.S. President George W. Bush's 2003 state of the union address.

In response, Wilson wrote an article in the New York Times suggesting the White House had manipulated prewar intelligence to justify going to war with Iraq. Eight days later, on July 14, 2003, syndicated columnist and CNN host Robert Novak revealed Plame's identity in a column, citing "two senior administration officials" as his source.

"These officials' abuse of power for personal revenge broke faith with their obligations as public servants to uphold and defend the constitution," Wilson said Friday. "This remains a nation of laws and no administration official, however powerful, is above the law."

The Wilsons have set up a support trust to help cover legal costs.

Libby,Cheney's former chief of staff, will stand trial next January on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying to the FBI and a federal grand jury regarding how he learned of Plame's identity.

The charges against Libby were based on conversations he had withNew York Times reporter Judith Miller, Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper and NBC's Tim Russert.

A 22-month criminal investigation suggested that Cheney, the State Department and the CIA informed Libby about Plame's identity. He is alleged to have then passed on the information toMiller andCooper. Miller and Cooper confirmed that Libby was their source.

Libby maintained that he got all of his information on Plame from NBC reporter Tim Russert, who denies the charge.

According to court filings in Libby's case, Cheney was reportedly angered by Wilson's New York Times article.

Libby told a grand jury that he discussed the matter with Cheney the day after the article was published. "He was very keen to get the truth out," Libby testified, quoting Cheney as saying, "Let's get everything out."