I'll tell you another fundamental question that has not been addressed: What role did someone at the CIA have in all this?
The CIA was responsible (perhaps under prodding by press?)for filing a criminal complaint under the 1982 law. From everything available so far, it's pretty clear that Plame was merely on NOC status because noone bothered to change it. She was working at a desk and hadn't been involved in covert ops overseas for six years while she began the "mommy track."
Do they pay NOC's extra for the increased risk of the duties?