WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today Rep. Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, released the following statement on the guilty verdicts in the CIA leak trial of former White House Aid I. Lewis Libby case:

“In the Bush Administration’s rush to commit the United States to a needless and disastrous war in Iraq, the nation’s intelligence apparatus was deeply damaged by the exposure of Valerie Plame as a deep-undercover CIA agent on weapons of mass destruction.  Not only did the nation lose the irreplaceable services of Ms. Plame and her network of informants developed over a distinguished career in government service, but the entire intelligence community was chilled by this politically-motivated outing by White House operatives.  While the White House was saying “trust us” to the American people, it simultaneously was saying to the American intelligence community “if you tell the truth, we’ll threaten your family.”  This deception is now catching up with them.”