Intelligence Identities Protection Act

The Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 (PL97-200, 50 U.S. Code Secs. 421–426) is a United States law which makes it a federal crime to knowingly reveal the identity of an agent who has covert relationship with a U.S. intelligence agency. It was written after the 1975 assassination of Richard Welch by the Greek terrorist group November 17. He was outed by a magazine called CounterSpy edited by Timothy Butz, though the magazine only identified him as serving in his previous post in Peru.

Another major impetus to pass the legislation was the activities of ex-CIA agent Philip Agee during the 1960s and 70s, whose book CIA Diary and publication Covert Action Information Bulletin (CAIB) blew the cover of many agents. Some commentators say the law was specifically targeted at his actions, and one Congressman, Bill Young, said during a House debate "What we're after today are the Philip Agees of the world. The law passed the House 315–32, with all votes against coming from Democrats. The law passed the Senate 81–4, with the opponents being Democratic Senators Joseph Biden, Gary Hart, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Republican Senator Charles Mathias.

Prosecution history

As of July 2005, there has only been one successful prosecution involving the statute. [1] In 1985, CIA agent Sharon Scranage was sentenced to five years, and served 8 months, for giving the names of other agents to her boyfriend in Ghana. [2]

Valerie Plame affair

There is an ongoing investigation being conducted by prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald into whether this law was violated in the identification of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative in a newspaper column by Robert Novak. Other figures involved in the investigation include White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, former Vice Presidential chief of staff I. Lewis Libby (who has been indicted on counts of perjury and obstruction of justice), and reporters Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper. The matter of whether Plame's identity was covered under the act has not been settled.

See main articles at: Plame affair, Plame scandal timeline

See also

• Espionage Act of 1917

Reference

Laird Wilcox, The Watchdogs: A Close Look at Anti-Racist "Watchdog" Groups, Chapter Four: Political Research Associates, A Study in "Links and ties", Editorial Research Service, 1999, p. 122-123. ISBN 0-993592-96-5

External links

• Text of the law at Wikisource:Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
• Inquiry May Hinge on What the Leaker Knew

For assassination of Welch and magazine title