CIA Gives Libby Overviews Of Briefings

CIA Gives Libby Overviews of Briefings

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060811/D8JDTLGG0.html

By MATT APUZZO
Aug 10, 9:17 PM (ET)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The CIA says it has provided short summaries of Vice President Dick Cheney's daily security briefings to defense attorneys for his indicted former chief of staff.

The documents, which were provided in response to a March court order, summarize a wide range of national security issues that consumed the working day of Cheney and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who is accused of five counts of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI.

In a document filed Wednesday in federal court, the CIA reported that it gave the material to Libby's lawyers in three batches starting in May. The final documents were turned over early this week.

Libby has been charged with making false statements about how he learned the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame and what he told reporters about her. Libby's discussions with reporters came shortly after Plame's husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of twisting prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.

Libby's lawyers say he had many more important things on his mind and may have forgotten the details about his conversations about Plame. They believe the daily security briefings will document his overwhelming workload.

The briefing summaries cover the period in the summer of 2003 when Libby was allegedly discussing Plame's CIA identity with journalists.

They also cover several weeks in the fall of 2003 when Libby was questioned by the FBI and March 2004 when Libby testified before a federal grand jury. It was those FBI interviews and grand jury appearances that led to his indictment.

Libby is scheduled to go on trial in January.