Ex-CIA officer convicted of leaking anti-Iran operation detailsJanuary 27, 2015 - 11:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A former CIA officer has been convicted of leaking classified details of a US operation against Iran to a reporter, BBC News said. Jeffrey Sterling denied the leak but was found guilty in a Virginia court of all nine counts he faced. New York Times reporter James Risen was the recipient of what former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified was one of the most closely held secrets. But he was not called to give evidence because he said he would never reveal his sources, even if jailed. The US operation to thwart Iran's nuclear plans involved using a CIA agent nicknamed Merlin to pass on erroneous nuclear blueprints to Iran. Mr Risen's book State of War described this plan as botched and counter-productive because they could have armed Iran with nuclear expertise. Defence lawyers admitted the journalist and former agent had a relationship, laid bare in phone calls and emails, but they argued there was no evidence the two men discussed anything classified. Sterling will be sentenced in April. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |