Monday, January 26, 2015

C.I.A. Officer in Leak Case, Jeffrey Sterling, Is Convicted of Espionage

BREAKING NEWSMonday, January 26, 2015 3:42 PM EST
C.I.A. Officer in Leak Case, Jeffrey Sterling, Is Convicted of Espionage
Jeffrey A. Sterling, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, was convicted of espionage charges Monday, according to The Associated Press, for telling a journalist for The New York Times about a secret operation to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program.
The conviction is a significant victory for the Obama administration, which has led an unprecedented crackdown on officials who speak to journalists about security matters without the administration’s approval. Prosecutors prevailed after a yearslong fight in which the journalist, James Risen, refused to identify his sources.
The case revolved around a C.I.A. operation in which a former Russian scientist provided Iran with intentionally flawed nuclear component schematics. Mr. Risen revealed the operation in his 2006 book “State of War,” describing it as a mismanaged, potentially reckless mission that may have inadvertently aided the Iranian nuclear program.
Mr. Sterling faces years in prison.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/us/politics/cia-officer-in-leak-case-jeffrey-sterling-is-convicted-of-espionage.html?emc=edit_na_20150126

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