The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) says it has fired an officer for leaking classified information to the news media.

A CIA spokesman said the employee has acknowledged unauthorized discussions with the media and the unauthorized sharing of classified information.  The spokesman said the disclosures violate the secrecy agreement that all CIA employees sign.

It was not immediately clear what information was disclosed.  The Associated Press quotes an unidentified law enforcement officer as saying the information involved information included in a Washington Post story last year on secret U.S. prisons in Europe.

The CIA has not said if it intends to file criminal charges against the employee.

The possible leak of classified information to the media is at the heart of another investigation involving White House officials.  Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis Libby, has been charged with obstructing justice in the investigation of how a CIA agent's name became known to journalists.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.