For example, see this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/992557/posts?q=1&&page=101
My post from that thread (only one of several, including posts by jwalsh07 and aristeides, discussing the relevant statute) is as follows:
"To: jwalsh07; aristeides
"A story in USA Today, posted on 10/1 at 12:38 a.m(http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-30-couple_x.htm), contains the following information about Plame:
"'Much less is known about Plame, Wilson's wife, for obvious reasons, given the secretive nature of her occupation...
"'A former intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says Plame worked under non-official cover in overseas assignments, meaning she claimed no affiliation to any government agency...
"'Wilson's overseas assignments had ended by the time he married Plame, so the two were never posted abroad together...
"'In Washington, Plame was assigned to the CIA's Non-Proliferation Center, an organization of analysts, technical experts and former field operatives who work on detecting and, if possible, preventing foreign proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.'"[End quote]
"If this story is correct, Plame is now an analyst and not an operative, and has not been posted abroad since the time she married her husband. Since she has 3 year-old children according to the press, this puts her last foreign posting at at least 4 years ago, or a little less, and maybe more. I have not been able to determine exactly when the two were married.
"You may have something here about the 5-year statute of limitations on the "covert agent" definition.
"The part of the statute that includes a covert agent's foreign agents as being within the ambit of a "covert agent" would seem to be a weak read to support any conviction. Since no actual name of any such foreign person was disclosed, it would be very hard to prove the leaker had the requisite intent to out such an (unnamed) foreign person. Specific intent seems to be an essential element of the crime. Do you agree?
130 posted on 10/01/2003 12:08 AM PDT by nvskibum ((lapsed lawyer, therefor dangerous...))"