Ex-CIA officer convicted in New York Times leak case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former CIA officer was convicted in federal court in Virginia on Monday in a case about whether he leaked classified information to a New York Times reporter about a failed U.S. effort to undermine Iran's nuclear weapons programme, a Justice Department spokesman said.

Jeffrey Sterling was found guilty of nine counts, including six counts of unauthorised disclosure of national defence information, spokesman Peter Carr said. Prosecutors had said the leaks put lives at risk and compromised U.S. efforts to deter Iran's nuclear plans.