Too much talk lets out US spy secret [Senator Rockefeller blabs]

The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | December 13, 2004 | By David Rennie

[aculeus]

A budget fight in the United States Congress, played out in closed-door meetings and cryptic exchanges on the Senate floor, has revealed the existence of a previously top secret "stealth satellite" programme, designed to create a new generation of American spy satellites that cannot be detected from the ground.

The programme's existence has been known only to officials with the highest security clearances and senior senators and congressmen who sit on the committees that oversee intelligence budgets.

It might have stayed secret a while longer, except for the growing vehemence of the policy debate among congressmen and senators over the wisdom of an unproven project that is reported to have doubled in cost, and now takes up a quarter of the £21 billion US intelligence budget.

Last week, senior Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee refused to sign off on the 2005 intelligence budget in protest at a programme that they believe will have little use against terrorists shopping for banned weapons or North Korean and Iranian nuclear facilities, which are designed to be invisible from space.

Attempting to explain why he was staging his protest, the senior Democrat on the committee, Senator John Rockefeller, could only tell colleagues that he had a "strenuous objection to a particular major funding acquisition programme that I believe is totally unjustified and very wasteful and dangerous to national security".

Conservatives denounced Mr Rockefeller for allegedly giving away a state secret, but he insisted that his remarks had been vetted by intelligence officials beforehand.

The satellite system is reportedly designed to replace an existing stealth satellite, codenamed Misty.

It would string satellites in the sky that would look like space debris to nations trying to spot US surveillance satellites.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright

[Old Sarge]

I hate this man...

[Peach]

Why don't we have enforce the law on those who break it? This is outrageous.

[Perdogg]

pot..kettle..black.

[Txsleuth]

Okay--so who told David Rennie, the author of this article?

If what Rockefeller said was vetted, then who DID spill the beans?

[nuconvert]

How does this SOB get to be Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence? I wouldn't trust him with a secret recipe for potato salad.

[acapesket]

Make that two of us who despise this idiot!! This is the second time this SOB has tried to undermine the security of our Government i 2 years Remember the "intelligence committee" debacle? We all know it was big ass Jay!

[Paul Atreides]

Imagine if their talking horse candidate had gotten into the White House.

[aculeus]

pot..kettle..black.

Huh?

[solo gringo]

Jay Rockefeller is an Embarrassment to our country and to the senate of the USA.The senate should make this ass sit in the corner with a dunce cap on.

[Cicero]

Conservatives denounced Mr Rockefeller for allegedly giving away a state secret, but he insisted that his remarks had been vetted by intelligence officials beforehand.

Vetted by whom? The guys Bush is in the process of firing?

[Brilliant]

If it was classified, he should be prosecuted.

[Bombardier]

Why has noone prosecuted Rockefeller (or Senator Depends, meaning Leahy) for leaking intel secrets?

[ironman]

Mr. Rennie must read the Washington Post. Just about every detail in this story was reported in yesterday's Post.

[Brilliant]

I would like to know how many billions we've spent on this already, and why some idiot Senator made them moot by giving away national secrets.

I would also like to know why he hasn't been arrested and charged with treason.

[Ben Hecks]

Rockefeller and Berger should both be charged, tried, convicted and sent away to serve long prison sentences. If we don't draw a line in the sand, our entire security system will be compromised.

[alnick]

This is the second time this SOB has tried to undermine the security of our Government i 2 years Remember the "intelligence committee" debacle?

The second time THAT WE KNOW OF!

[okie01]

And the 'Rats wonder why they aren't trusted on matters of national security...

[NYFriend]

Can someone confirm this. I heard that Congressmen couldn't be prosecuted for releasing classified information, and that legally, none of them needed security clearances (though each house requires clearances for the Members having access to classified information).

I have no idea if this is correct, but it would make sense. The peoples' Representatives should have access to classified information, and the ability to alert the public of classified information that they think needs to be known. That would be consistent with the idea that it's our government, and Congress watches out for us, and if Congress wants to restrict how they get information, that's their business.

[maine-iac7]

Can someone confirm this. I heard that Congressmen couldn't be prosecuted for releasing classified information, and that legally, none of them needed security clearances (though each house requires clearances for the Members having access to classified information). I have no idea if this is correct, but it would make sense. The peoples' Representatives should have access to classified information, and the ability to alert the public of classified information that they think needs to be known. That would be consistent with the idea that it's our government, and Congress watches out for us, and if Congress wants to restrict how they get information, that's their business.

Excuse me???

If I read you right - that would mean no security at all - except at the whim of a congressman/woman?

Remember when Carter leaked about the Stealth Bomber? I was outraged then - am now.

And if we're into no secrets - then why not let Rockefeller tell who is really behind him? I don't think you want to know. But you might want to do some in depth research.