The NYTimes also makes clear that the memo that Armitage had seen was one done by Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman that did not contain any references to Valerie Plame Wilson’s covert status. So the intent to out a covert agent is not something that could be proved by evidentiary standards under this set of facts, as far as I can tell from what we know at this point.

Fine, but Novak called Mrs. Wilson an “operative,” which is spook-speak for “undercover agent.” And Novak had always used “operative” in that sense. So, someone other than Armitage informed Novak of Mrs. Wilson’s “undercover” status. I wonder who.

There are other items in Novak’s column that were not in the State Department memo that was Armitage’s source, namely the memo identified Valerie Wilson as the wife of Joseph Wilson yet Novak knew that her professional name was Valerie Plame and he used that name to confirm with the CIA that she did indeed work at CIA. While Armitage gave Novak a foot in the door the critical data came from another source. So far Novak has only acknowledged Karl Rove as the confirming source but Novak needs another source for the key details that Armitage was unable to provide. Who is Novak providing cover for? Dick Cheney?

So Novak got the clue about ‘Plame’ elsewhere. Why is this important? Because the person who talked about ‘Valerie Plame’ must have been aware that this was the name she used at the CIA. And then it’s probable this official new that she was undercover, too. So this must have been the real deliberate leak (but of course, mentioning Ms. Wilson in that memo that Armitage read, without disclosing that this info was secret, at least was criminal neglect, too)

Afaik, the broad public knew her as Valerie Wilson after the wedding…

Exactly, Gray.

I’ve seen the layout of the Who’s Who entry: it is in a genealogical format – first, middle, last maiden name of the person Joe Wilson married, with the marriage date. No one not otherwise informed would assume from that entry listing that Valerie Wilson retained her maiden name after her marriage, or that she used it in her career. The very most one could claim to independently infer from that entry is that the post-marriage name of Joe Wilson’s wife is either ‘Valerie Wilson’ or ‘Valerie Plame Wilson.’

“In the accounts by the lawyer and associates, Mr. Armitage disclosed casually to Mr. Novak that Ms. Wilson worked for the C.I.A. at the end of an interview in his State Department office.”

Ms. Wilson, right. That’s the name gossiper Armitage used, the only name he knew. And where did Novak get the name ‘Valerie Plame’???

I think that may be key. Remember what a big deal it was that Judith Miller scribbled some variation of “Plame” (I think it might have been Flame) in her notebook after chatting with Scooter.