Obama administration's intelligence leaks threaten country

We've heard about "kill list," reports of U.S. spies infiltrating Al Qaeda in Yemen, stories about Osama bin Laden's DNA and how America got it, and U.S. involvement in the Stuxnet computer virus, used against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Feinstein: "Avalanche of leaks"

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on the Situation Room, Feinstein said, "I think what we're seeing, Wolf, is an avalanche of leaks and it is very, very disturbing. It's dismayed our allies. It puts American lives in jeopardy. It puts our nation's security in jeopardy."

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/0 ... -of-leaks/

"What we're seeing...is an Anschluss, an avalanche of leaks. And it's very, very disturbing. You know, it's dismayed our allies. It puts American lives in jeopardy. It puts our nation's security in jeopardy," Feinstein (D-Calif.) said on CNN's "Situation Room" program. She said the Senate Intelligence Committee plans to meet Thursday morning with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to discuss the issue.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the ... 25513.html

Are the leaks political?

"Any suggestion that this administration has authorized intentional leaks of classified information for political gain is grossly irresponsible," Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Feinstein said she doubted any of the information was leaked by the White House in the first instance, but she suggested officials may have confirmed it, intentionally or inadvertently. "I don't believe any of this came directly out of the top ranks of the White House. I think one of the problems is information is not closely held sufficiently," she told CNN.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the ... 25513.html

Then where is this information coming from?

"This stuff is pouring out," he said. "There's always some leaks either accidentally or intentionally and usually one item or two items. But this is coming -- I mean, these are verbatim quotes from the Oval Office!"

Both stories contained direct quotes from either Obama or Vice President Joe Biden. The "kill list" story was compiled from interviews with three dozen current or former government officials.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/0 ... 77430.html

"... verbatim quotes from the Oval Office!" Who's in the Oval Office? What purpose can these leaks serve other than to damage our intelligence effectiveness?

Another world upside down moment. Usually it is the White House who complains about leaks from Congress.

I think it would be incredibly patriotic, but highly unlikely, if when presented with a leak that any gradeschool kid could see as harmful to the country, that they would refrain from printing it. The American people and "journalists" have the right to ask anything, but they don't have the right to KNOW everything. Because if we know everything, so does our ememies.

Isn't it amazing how "intelligence leaks", (particularly by underlings) are suddenly SO important...And when Cheney and his goon-squad of zombies OUTED a covert CIA operative it was "no big deal" for the knuckle-draggers on the Right?

White House Leaks Mattered Less To GOP During Bush Administration

WASHINGTON -- Republicans who bristled at the suggestion the George W. Bush White House did anything wrong in revealing the identity of a CIA operative are taking a much more aggressive tack in the furor over potential leaks in the Barack Obama White House.

Bush administration officials unmasked Valerie Plame as a CIA agent in 2003 after her husband, a U.S. ambassador, produced a report critical of their claims that Iraq was trying to get uranium from Niger, evidence that they used to build support for the Iraq war. Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was later convicted of four counts of perjury, lying to an FBI agent, and obstructing a federal investigation for his role in the leak.

But as the Plame case unfolded, many Republicans now calling for administration heads accused Democrats of playing politics and conducting an unwarranted witch hunt. They urged at the time that Bush administration officials be given the benefit of doubt.

"I do believe that every American has the right of presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in 2005, when suspicions were focused on top Bush adviser Karl Rove. "Karl Rove has stated that he did not do anything wrong and break any law. I take him at his word."

"In their eagerness to smear the president and his administration, it has become increasingly clear that the president's opponents jumped out way too far, way too fast," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said regarding Democratic criticism of the Plame scandal. "‘I hope that the embarrassing antics will stop, but I'm not convinced they will."

Now that a Democrat sits in the Oval Office, the GOP complainers are unwilling to hold off on predeterminations.

The administration is "intentionally leaking information to enhance President Obama's image as a tough guy for the elections," McCain recently said. "That is unconscionable."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/0 ... f=politics

Oh, wait... I forgot... GOP, "hypocrisy" is thy middle name... How conveeeeeeeeenient.... I guess those "intelligence leaks that threaten the country" are in the eye of the beholder, and seem to come-and-go, depending on which party is in the White House?

Dang... How silly of me...

Democracy4Sale wrote: Isn't it amazing how "intelligence leaks", (particularly by underlings) are suddenly SO important...And when Cheney and his goon-squad of zombies OUTED a covert CIA operative it was "no big deal" for the knuckle-draggers on the right?

White House Leaks Mattered Less To GOP During Bush Administration

WASHINGTON -- Republicans who bristled at the suggestion the George W. Bush White House did anything wrong in revealing the identity of a CIA operative are taking a much more aggressive tack in the furor over potential leaks in the Barack Obama White House.

Bush administration officials unmasked Valerie Plame as a CIA agent in 2003 after her husband, a U.S. ambassador, produced a report critical of their claims that Iraq was trying to get uranium from Niger, evidence that they used to build support for the Iraq war. Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was later convicted of four counts of perjury, lying to an FBI agent, and obstructing a federal investigation for his role in the leak.

But as the Plame case unfolded, many Republicans now calling for administration heads accused Democrats of playing politics and conducting an unwarranted witch hunt. They urged at the time that Bush administration officials be given the benefit of doubt.

"I do believe that every American has the right of presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in 2005, when suspicions were focused on top Bush adviser Karl Rove. "Karl Rove has stated that he did not do anything wrong and break any law. I take him at his word."

"In their eagerness to smear the president and his administration, it has become increasingly clear that the president's opponents jumped out way too far, way too fast," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said regarding Democratic criticism of the Plame scandal. "‘I hope that the embarrassing antics will stop, but I'm not convinced they will."

Now that a Democrat sits in the Oval Office, the GOP complainers are unwilling to hold off on predeterminations.

The administration is "intentionally leaking information to enhance President Obama's image as a tough guy for the elections," McCain recently said. "That is unconscionable."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/0 ... f=politics

Oh, wait... I forgot... GOP, "hypocrisy" is thy middle name... How conveeeeeeeeenient.... I guess those "intelligence leaks that threaten the country" are in the eye of the beholder, and seem to come-and-go, depending on which party is in the White House?

Dang... How silly of me...

No how stupid of you. Outing a CIA agent, does not equal at all military secrets. What part don't you understand. Big difference. No different than the info that the white house gave to the guy making the movie about the Seals. That is being looked into also. I really don't give a damn who is in office, if it is classified information then it is classified. Pretty damn simple. You need to do some research on this also. Since President Obama could have also done something about this situation with wilson and did nothing also. District, Appeals and Supreme Court all turned down further action on this. Libby was convicted to 30 months.

Isn't it amazing how it's always "a big difference" when the shoe is on the other foot. (And Libby "vas only following orders...Cheney's orders.)

No, actually, it is NOT "a big difference"...Outing a covert CIA agent is classified information and should be punishable by jail time and a HUGE fine.

Did I miss the news story about the investigation proved Obama's administration did in fact leak this information. Could someone post a link please.

archer wrote: Did I miss the news story about the investigation proved Obama's administration did in fact leak this information. Could someone post a link please.

Archer the wilsons and thier attorney appealed to the Obama administration when he came out with the "Government officials will be held accountable for thier actions." The lawsuit was still going I belive in 2009. The Obama admin did not leak the info.

The Wilsons have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their appeal of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling. On May 20, 2009, the Justice Department, in a brief filed by Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Assistant Attorney General Tony West, and Justice Department attorneys Mark B. Stern and Charles W. Scarborough, took the position that, "The decision of the court of appeals is correct and does not conflict with any decision of this Court or any other court of appeals,...Further review is unwarranted." Melanie Sloan, an attorney for the Wilsons and the executive director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, released a statement that read, "We are deeply disappointed that the Obama administration has failed to recognize the grievous harm top Bush White House officials inflicted on Joe and Valerie Wilson...The government's position cannot be reconciled with President Obama's oft-stated commitment to once again make government officials accountable for their actions."[32]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plame_affair

this is pretty good reading on a lot of what happened, some I did not even know. Cheney was never convicted though they did bring a civil suit against him, rove, and libby. They were dismissed up the line. Honestly I do not think we will ever know the truth about it as it happened in the Fed Gov.

And did you actually think that if Cheney had sex with Laura Bush on the front lawn of the White House with a gun at her head ... (which would have been the ONLY way that any woman would have sex with Dick Cheneye).... that he would have EVER been convicted of ANYTHING?

Pullllleeeeeze.

Outing a covert CIA agent is classified information and should be punishable by jail time and a HUGE fine.

Democracy4Sale wrote: Isn't it amazing how it's always "a big difference" when the shoe is on the other foot. (And Libby "vas only following orders...Cheney's orders.)

No, actually, it is NOT "a big difference"...Outing a covert CIA agent is classified information and should be punishable by jail time and a HUGE fine.

Your clueless about this there is a big difference between what happened with the CIA agent and military secrets. Outing a CIA Agent, (of which you have no proof that it was the idiot cheny's orders) and devulging national security items that could effect the security of this country. Yep there is a big difference. And since you seem to be unable to READ, I put in my post I do not care who is in office. I do not care what party it is. We do not give out information that is for need to know only.