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TIME.com: The Wilson War Continues

The Justice Department has opened a preliminary inquiry into whether a Bush Administration official illegally revealed the identity of a CIA employee whose husband criticized the Administration's handling of intelligence on Iraq, TIME has learned. The probe will determine whether to order a full-fledged FBI investigation.

The New York Times is behind the times. Or behind Time. Their story only mentions the fact that the CIA has asked Justice to investigate.

The government official said George J. Tenet, the director of central intelligence, had determined there was a security breach and had asked the Justice Department to investigate. A Justice Department spokesman said tonight that he could not confirm the department had opened an inquiry.

Federal law bars disclosing the identities of Americans who work undercover for the C.I.A., a provision intended to protect operatives.

The Washington Post reports on the same story as Time, and has more information.

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.

The Intelligence Protection Act, passed in 1982, imposes maximum penalties of 10 years in prison and $50,000 fines for unauthorized disclosure by government employees with access to classified information.

Two of 'em, eh? I wonder which one's going to be the punk when they go to jail?