Regarding the Valerie Plame question, on Wed, 24 Dec 2003, Gautam
Mukunda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
There actually is no evidence that it was a crime at the moment.
It's a crime if she had served overseas within the past 5 years (I
think that's the time span) which she has not.
Two questions: does the relevant law have a time limit; and was a
crime committed?
I am looking at 18 U.S.C. 793, which is on line at
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/793.html
No where do I see any mention of a time limit.
Are you thinking of a different law? It is quite possible a different
law is not salient.
I am not a lawyer, but it does look to me that 18 U.S.C. 793 does
apply to this case. The law says
Whoever, lawfully having possession of, access to ... information
relating to the national defense which information the possessor
has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United
States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully
communicates ... to any person not entitled to receive it ....
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten
years, or both.
One issue is whether foreigners who know about chemical, biological,
radiological, or nuclear weapons will be willing to talk to an agent
from the US; or whether they will fear that somehow, even 10 or 20
years from now, their identities will be discovered and they and/or
their families be tortured and killed. Clearly any such increase in
fear is an injury to the US.
Also, people who were not entitled to receive information about
Valerie Plame's identity previous to that of CIA analyst did receive
that information. So there is cause to believe a crime was committed.
--
Robert J. Chassell Rattlesnake Enterprises
http://www.rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
http://www.teak.cc [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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