[JURIST] Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage [official profile] personally admitted to leaking the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson during a phone interview on Thursday. Armitage apologized for the leak, which he maintains was unintentional. Armitage said the admission came during interviews with reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Nowak, when asked why Mr. Wilson, an ambassador, was assigned to a mission to Niger, Armitage says he responded that Wilson's wife "works out there." In late August, a lawyer for Armitage admitted Armitage was the source [JURIST report] of the confidential information.

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald [official website], the prosecutor who led the investigation into the leak of Plame's identity, never brought charges against any official under statutes prohibiting the willful disclosure of CIA officers. Former vice-presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [defense profile] was charged last year with obstruction of justice and perjury [PDF indictment; JURIST report] in connection with Fitzgerald's investigation. Libby has pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] and has requested a one-month delay in his trial [JURIST report], which is now scheduled to begin in February. Critics have said that Libby may have told reporters about Plame's identity in retaliation for statements made by her husband that undermined the Bush administration's position that Iraq was seeking uranium for their nuclear weapons program. Columnist Robert Novak revealed Plame's CIA affiliation eight days after Wilson went public with his allegations. AP has more.