WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- The probe into the leak of a CIA operative's name could hinge on her role in hiring former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson for a fact-finding trip to Niger.
Wilson traveled to Africa in 2002 to look into allegations that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was trying to by nuclear materials from the African country. He said he told the Bush administration he didn't find any such evidence.
President Bush made the charge during the build-up to the invasion of Iraq.
After Wilson appeared on media outlets disputing the Niger connection, he said the White House began a campaign to discredit him that included revealing the name of his wife, Valerie Plame, a CIA operative.
An investigation into that leak continues. It is a federal crime to disclose the name of a covert CIA officer, but it is unclear who suggested Wilson be sent to Niger. Bush supporters say it was Plame; others claim her role was limited, the Washington Post reported.
A Senate committee report said CIA counter-proliferation division officials "could not recall how the office decided to contact" Wilson, but documents and interviews indicate it was Plame.
