Libby pleads innocent

US Vice-President Dick Cheney8217;s former aide, Lewis Libby, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges in the CIA leak probe, and his lawyer promised a fight to clear his name in a trial that could put a spotlight on how the Bush administration made its case for the Iraq war.

Federal Judge Reggie Walton has set the next hearing in the case for February 3. Lawyers warned the case could be bogged down for months in a court fight over classified documents underpinning the charges.

Cheney and other top White House officials could be called to testify at a trial and Libby faces a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.