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I thought that you stated earlier that the indictment stated that Libby had prior knowledge, outside of the rumor mill, of Plame's status. That would mean that Libby had been officially informed that Plame worked for the CIA, in other words, that Cheney had informed Libby and that Libby remembered the sequence in that way.

I remember hearing, some time ago, that Libby went into the questioning cold, without having reviewed his notes. That would make the case of intention extremely hard to prove.

I thought that you stated earlier that the indictment stated that Libby had prior knowledge, outside of the rumor mill, of Plame's status.

The indictment says what it says. Read it. It says that Libby had various contacts, including some where he took the initiative to make the inquiry of the CIA himself, that provided him with authoritative knowlegde that Wilson's wife in fact worked at CIA. He had more detail than that, including that she was assigned to counterproliferation. So says the indicment, maybe the assertion is a lie.

That would mean that Libby had been officially informed that Plame worked for the CIA, in other words, that Cheney had informed Libby and that Libby remembered the sequence in that way.

Right.

I remember hearing, some time ago, that Libby went into the questioning cold, without having reviewed his notes. That would make the case of intention extremely hard to prove.

I reach a different conclusion after reading the indictment and thinking about the timeline as set forth therein. Again, as you say, the entire indictment could be a figment of Fitzgerald's imagination, but assuming the facts are as alleged, the case for "intentionally mislead investigators" is not a difficult stretch. Just my opinion, mind you.

I thought that you stated earlier that the indictment stated that Libby had prior knowledge, outside of the rumor mill, of Plame's status.

One more point, a timeline of the following order does not ruin the indictment.

Libby hears "Wilson's wife works at the CIA" from the rumor mill
Libby checks with the CIA himself, to see if the rumor is true
Libby hears from Cheney and CIA briefers that Wilson's wife in fact DOES work at the CIA
Libby meets with reporters
Libby is asked by investigators where he heard of Plame, and Libby's story is designed to leave the impression that Libby was just another guy in the rumor mill, and to make sure the fact pattern in the investigator's mid did NOT include that Libby knew for a fact that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA

He could have contact with the rumor mill before learning of Plame's employment with the CIA, and still be guilty of misleading investigators as to whether or not he had learned of her employment with the CIA as a matter of fact. Libby could know for a fact, and that alone would not make him "the leaker." And even if he knew for a fact that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and WAS the leaker of that fact, he would not have been charged with outing the agent:

Wilson's wife was not "covert" under the meaning of the "outing the covert agent" statute
Even if Wilson's wife WAS "covert," Libby would have to know THAT, in order to intentionally compromise "covert" status. It would not be enough to know that she worked at the CIA.