By the Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Little Rock joined other Democratic
candidates for president Monday in calling for an independent investigation into reports that a Bush
administration official leaked the identity of a covert CIA agent.
The White House on Monday denied that President Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, was
involved in revealing the identity of a CIA operative, in possible violation of the law.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, has asked the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to
probe the matter.
Other Democratic presidential candidates to call for independent probes were former Vermont Gov.
Howard Dean; Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo.; Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.; and Sen. John Kerry,
D-Mass.
The naming of the intelligence officer's identity by syndicated columnist Robert Novak came shortly
after her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, undermined Bush's claim that Iraq had tried
to buy uranium in Africa.
Wilson has publicly blamed Rove for the leak, although Wilson did say Monday he did not know
whether Rove personally was the source of Novak's information, only that he thought Rove had
"condoned it."
"The Administration should not play politics with this matter. This issue is too important for political
gamesmanship or to be managed by the John Ashcroft Justice Department," Clark said in a statement
released by his campaign.
"The investigation must be independent of the Justice Department, otherwise the investigation could be
influenced by political considerations," he said. "That is why President Bush should immediately refer
this entire matter to a completely independent body -- a body with credibility both in our country and
with our allies around the world."
