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Cheney adviser resigns after indictment
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-29 11:40
Cheney said he accepted the resignation with regret because Libby is "one of
the most capable and talented individuals I have ever known."
The closest to bright news Friday for the White House was word from Rove's
attorney that the presidential confidant was not being indicted along with
Libby.
Fitzgerald has been looking for weeks at whether Rove gave false testimony
during his four grand jury appearances. Rove's lawyer recently waged a furious
effort to convince the prosecutor that any misstatements were unintentional or
were corrected.
"The special counsel has advised Mr. Rove that he has made no decision about
whether or not to bring charges," attorney Robert Luskin said. "We are confident
that when the special counsel finishes his work, he will conclude that Mr. Rove
has done nothing wrong."
Prosecutors identified Rove in the Libby indictment only as "Official A,"
recounting a conversation he had with Libby about Plame and Wilson in the days
just before the CIA operative's identity was revealed. The mention could make
Rove a witness at any Libby trial.
Libby's indictment paves the way for a trial that could renew attention on
the faulty rationale the administration used for going to war against Iraq — the
erroneous assertion that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Libby is considered Cheney's alter ego, a chief architect of the war with
Iraq. A trial would give the public a rare glimpse into Cheney's influential
role in the West Wing and his behind-the-scenes lobbying for the war. The vice
president, who prizes secrecy, could be called as a witness.
Democrats suggested the indictment was just the tip of the iceberg. Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the case was "about how the Bush White
House manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to bolster its case for
the war in Iraq and to discredit anyone who dared to challenge the president."
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