What Scooter Libby's Conviction Leaves Unanswered

Okay, so now we know “Scooter” Libby lied about his involvement in leaking Valerie Plame’s CIA identity to the press. But the conviction still leaves unanswered the larger question: Why, exactly, did Libby and other top White House officials (including Cheney) begin leaking Plame’s identity soon after her husband, Joseph Wilson, wrote an oped in the Times revealing that he found no evidence that Saddam Hussein had purchased enriched uranium in Africa – contrary to Bush’s allegation in his 2003 State of the Union Address?

A. Typical Washington personal-character assassination explanation: Cheney and company wanted to undermine Wilson’s personal credibility by making it appear that he had been sent to Africa on a junket by his wife. But this explanation is unlikely. Who would want a junket to Niger?

B. Ordinary Washington bureaucratic in-fighting explanation: Cheney et al wanted to undermine the credibility of what Wilson said by connecting it to a plot by the CIA to undermine the Pentagon’s and White House’s case against Saddam Hussein. But this explanation also seems doubtful. Why would Cheney want to emphasize that the CIA disputed intelligence the White House relied on?

C. Unusually vindictive take-no-prisoners explanation: Cheney et al wanted to intimidate anyone who might dare criticize the administration by showing that their act would invite retribution – including leaks that would ruin the careers of and even physically endanger their spouses. This is the most likely explanation, and it’s entirely consistent with standard operating procedures of this White House. We may never know how well this strategy actually worked.