Ari Fleischer contradicts Libby in court

January 29, 2007
Ari Fleischer contradicts Libby in court

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former White House spokesman
Ari Fleischer on Monday contradicted the story former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby has told about when he first learned the identity of a
CIA operative whose cover was blown in the press.

Fleischer testified in Libby's perjury trial that the former vice presidential aide first told him the CIA operative's identity over lunch on July 7, 2003, three days before Libby has told prosecutors he first learned her name.

Fleischer, who agreed to testify in exchange for a guarantee of
immunity, said Libby told him about Plame the day after Wilson
publicly charged the Bush administration with ignoring his findings
that Saddam Hussein had not sought uranium from Niger.