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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Bush spares Libby from jail term | Bush spares Libby from jail term |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| US President George W Bush has intervened to prevent Lewis Libby, a convicted former vice-presidential aide, from serving a prison term. | US President George W Bush has intervened to prevent Lewis Libby, a convicted former vice-presidential aide, from serving a prison term. |
| President Bush described as "excessive" the 30-month prison sentence Libby was facing for having obstructed an inquiry into the leaking of a CIA agent's name. | President Bush described as "excessive" the 30-month prison sentence Libby was facing for having obstructed an inquiry into the leaking of a CIA agent's name. |
| Though no longer required to go to jail, Libby is still due to serve a period of probation and pay a fine. | Though no longer required to go to jail, Libby is still due to serve a period of probation and pay a fine. |
| An appeals court had earlier told Libby he could no longer delay going to jail. | An appeals court had earlier told Libby he could no longer delay going to jail. |
| The judge ruled that Libby could not remain free on bail while his lawyer appealed against the sentence. | The judge ruled that Libby could not remain free on bail while his lawyer appealed against the sentence. |
| CIA leak | |
| Lewis Libby, also known by his nickname, "Scooter" Libby, was found guilty in March of perjury and obstructing justice in a case connected to Washington's decision to invade Iraq. | |
| His trial saw the White House accused of having illegally made public the identity of a serving CIA agent, Valerie Plame, in retaliation for Ms Plame's husband's public criticism of the Iraqi invasion plan. | |
| Libby was found to have lied to investigators about conversations where he mentioned Ms Plame but he was not convicted of having directly leaked her name. | |
| He was sentenced to 30 months, or two-and-a-half years in prison, spend two years of probation and pay a fine of $250,000 (£125,000). | |
| 'Disgraceful decision' | |
| President Bush said he had until now refrained from intervening in the case, waiting instead for the appeals process to take its course. | President Bush said he had until now refrained from intervening in the case, waiting instead for the appeals process to take its course. |
| "But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision," he said, referring to the appeals court's decision telling Libby he could no longer delay going to jail. | |
| "I respect the jury's verdict," President Bush said. "But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr Libby is excessive," Mr Bush said. | |
| However, he said, Libby's remaining punishments - the probation period and fine - were "harsh" and would leave his reputation "forever damaged". | |
| The top Democrat in the US Senate, Harry Reid, attacked the president's decision as "disgraceful". | |
| "Libby's conviction was the one faint glimmer of accountability for White House efforts to manipulate intelligence and silence critics of the Iraq war," Mr Reid said. | |
| "Now, even that small bit of justice has been undone," he said. |