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Report: Justice Department Probing Durbin, Rockefeller CIA Leak
Newsmax.com ^ | July 23, 2005 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 12/22/2005 10:33:26 AM PST by shield

The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into whether Democratic Senators Dick Durbin, Jay Rockefeller and Ron Wyden leaked details about a secret "black ops" CIA satellite program last December in a move that may have seriously compromised national security, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin said on Saturday.

"The CIA made a request to the Justice Department to investigate and possibly bring criminal charges against these three [senators]," Babbin told WABC Radio host Monica Crowley. "My information is that investigation is ongoing."

Rockefeller is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Durbin is the No. 2-ranking Democrat in the Senate.

Media reports on the satellite leak last December indicated that the Bush administration was concerned about public comments by Durbin, Rockefeller and Wyden and that the CIA had requested a Justice Department probe.

"The formal request for a leaks investigation would target people who described sensitive details about a new generation of spy satellites to The Washington Post, which published a page-one story about the espionage program Saturday [Dec. 11, 2004]," a Justice Department official told The Associated Press at the time.

But the same official told the AP that Justice "has not decided whether to investigate."

Former Deputy Undersecretary Babbin's comments on Saturday were the first indication that such a probe was actually launched and is ongoing.

"The fact of the matter is that [Durbin, Rockefeller and Wyden] divulged something that was above and beyond top secret and frankly, they probably blew the strategy and the hundreds of millions of dollars that were being spent to pursue it," Babbin told Crowley.

"The acknowledgement of [the "black ops" program's] existence is not even proper and the acknowledgement of them and the details of them can very well damage national security," Babbin added.

Asked if he thought the three Senate Democrats should have their security clearances revoked for the duration of the leak probe, the former Defense Department official said: "Absolutely and forthwith. I mean, they should have been revoked at the time of the leak."

"There's really not much doubt about the leak having occurred," Babbin told Crowley. "It's in the press records, it's in the Congressional record. We know what they did."

"The only question," he explained, "is how much damage was done by the leak. And that's part of the criminal investigation right now - to do a damage assessment, to figure out how much this is going to cost us strategically and militarily."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: 109th; 200412; 20041211; 200507; benedictarnolds; berger; blackops; cia; cialeak; ciasatellite; ciasatelliteintl; doj; dojprobe; durbin; espionage; jayrockefeller; leak; leakers; leaks; mayjusticebedone; patriotleak; probe; rattreason; rockefeller; rockefellermemo; ronwyden; sabateurs; satellite; satellites; sic; spies; spying; spysatellites; ssci; treason; turbandurbin; wyden
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To: AmeriBrit
Has Gonzalez accomplished ANYTHING since he took over from John Ashcroft?

He is another butt boy to this "Two-Party Cartel". Now none of you really believe anything bad will come of this to a democrate? Nothing will. Nothing will change in our government until you start voting outside of this cartel. How many Charlie Browm missed kicks before ya'all realize this? Why do we have Frist - Bushe's choice - willing to cave on everything if it were not for us bagering him?

141 posted on 12/22/2005 1:27:40 PM PST by Digger (Outsource CONgress)
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To: shield

I found the Washington Post article from Dec 11, 2004 it's at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56171-2004Dec10.html A different article says that Rockefeller made his statements on the floor of the Senate. It doesn't say where the others made their comments. Rockefeller's office claims everything he said was vetted and approved before he made the statements. The other article in the American Spectator says that they weren't The American Spectator article of 12/16/04 is at:http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7519

Supposedly Rockefeller's comments on the floor were:

""My decision to take this somewhat unprecedented action is based solely on my strenuous objection -- shared by many in our committee -- to a particular major funding acquisition program that I believe is totally unjustified and very wasteful and dangerous to national security," Rockefeller said. "Because of the highly classified nature of the programs contained in the national intelligence budget, I cannot talk about them on the floor."

Rockefeller added that the committee has voted "to terminate the program" for the past two years "only to be overruled" by the appropriations committees. "

Even discussing the existance of a black program is a no no but I doubt that if this is all he said that anyone would prosecute him for this. I don't know what the others had to say. They all refused to sign the conference report. It looks like the others made similar statements at least in public. Who the heck knows what they said to reporters in private. There doesn't seem to be much info


142 posted on 12/22/2005 1:29:49 PM PST by airedale ( XZ)
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To: Marine_Uncle
Hey you forgot to include some hammer and sickles on the emblem.

You are absolutely correct:


143 posted on 12/22/2005 1:36:10 PM PST by FormerACLUmember
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To: shield

Good! Nail those two commies. We don't need traitors in the government.


144 posted on 12/22/2005 1:36:12 PM PST by meyer (Dems are stuck on stupid. Al Gore invented stupid.)
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To: FormerACLUmember

Well bless your heart. Ask and you will receive. Works every time! A big Semper Fi to you.


145 posted on 12/22/2005 1:37:44 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned)
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To: Marine_Uncle

LOL. Have a good time at Jesus' birthday and Semper Fidelis!


146 posted on 12/22/2005 1:45:22 PM PST by FormerACLUmember
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To: airedale

Thanks. Did you see the letter from the NSA to the senate? It's saying that access to classified docs is now denied. Ineresting turn of events.


147 posted on 12/22/2005 1:47:19 PM PST by shield (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instructions.Pr 1:7)
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To: shield
Very good.. Related item.....very important:

NSA (letter to Senate)

an Excerpt:

**************************************************

The purpose of this letter is to provide an additional brief summary of the legal authority supporting the NSA activities described by the President.

As an initial matter, I emphasize a few points. The President stated that these activities are " crucial to our national security." The President further explained that "the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country."

These critical national security activities remain classified. All United States laws and policies governing the protection and nondisclosure of national security information. including the information relating to the activities described by the President, remain in full force and effect. The unauthorized disclosure of classified infomiation violates federal criminal law. The Government may provide further classified briefings to the Congress on these activities in an appropriate manner.

148 posted on 12/22/2005 1:47:57 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: FormerACLUmember

LOL.....


149 posted on 12/22/2005 1:48:18 PM PST by shield (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instructions.Pr 1:7)
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To: shield

RNC Talking Points

 The Voice of Rage and Ruin
Monday, July 25, 2005

Democrats Choose Partisan Politics Over Investigatory Process 

The Democrat senators and commentators calling for the heads of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby and John Roberts have no ground to stand on. They are hypocrates!Consider the sorry history of these liberals on matters of national security:
“Democrats’ eagerness to hold faux hearings illustrates the partisan nature of their attacks. If Democrats had any confidence in the investigatory process, they would hold their fire and let the investigation proceed rather than rushing to judgment. Considering their own dubious history where sensitive intelligence is concerned, Democrats would be better served embracing restraint.”
-Tracey Schmitt, RNC Press Secretary

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Revealed Name Of Undercover CIA Officer In Senate Hearing:
“John R. Bolton, President Bush’s Nominee To Be Ambassador To The United Nations, Delicately Referred To The Undercover Officer As ‘Mr. Smith’ At His Confirmation Hearing On Monday.” (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Loose Lips Let Slip Agent’s Name At Hearing,” The New York Times, 4/13/05)
“[M]r. Kerry Mentioned [Armstrong] By Name While Questioning Mr. Bolton. The Hearings Were Televised, And Transcripts Were Widely Published.” (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Loose Lips Let Slip Agent’s Name At Hearing,” The New York Times, 4/13/05)
Sen. Patrick “Leaky” Leahy (D-VT) Forced To Resign Intelligence Committee Post Because Of Loose Lips:
Leahy Was Forced To Resign From The Senate Intelligence Committee After Leaking Information On The Iran-Contra Investigation. “Sen. Patrick Leahy’s admission that he resigned from the Intelligence Committee this year for ‘carelessly’ exposing the panel’s draft report on the Iran-Contra investigation comes at a time of increased political tension over the issue of leaks to the news media.” (George Lobsenz, UPI, 7/29/87)

Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Intelligence Committee Member, Revealed Information On Classified Spy Program:
“Sen. Ron Wyden, During This Month’s Debate On Intelligence Reform, Said A ‘Major Acquisition Program’ Was ‘Too Expensive’ And ‘Unnecessary.’” (Jeff Kosseff, “Wyden Treads Slippery Slope In Intelligence Reform Debate,” The Oregonian, 12/20/04)
“But In The Arcane World Of Intelligence Spending, Where Billions Are Doled Out With No Public Discussion, It Was The Equivalent Of Shouting Fire In A Crowded Theater. Wyden Is A Member Of The Senate Intelligence Committee, Which Typically Meets In Top-Secret, Closed Sessions.” (Jeff Kosseff, “Wyden Treads Slippery Slope In Intelligence Reform Debate,” The Oregonian, 12/20/04)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Ranking Member, Senate Intelligence Committee, Revealed Information On Classified Spy Program:
“Tucked Inside Congress’ New Blueprint For U.S. Intelligence Spending Is A Highly Classified And Expensive Spy Program.” (Katherine Pfleger Shrader, “Lawmaker Says Mystery Spy Project ‘Dangerous To National Security’,” The Associated Press, 12/9/04)
“In An Unusually Public Rebuke Of A Secret Government Project, Sen. Jay Rockefeller Of West Virginia, The Senior Democrat On The Senate Intelligence Committee, Complained Wednesday That The Program Was ‘Totally Unjustified And Very, Very Wasteful And Dangerous To The National Security.’ He Called The Program ‘Stunningly Expensive.’” (Katherine Pfleger Shrader, “Lawmaker Says Mystery Spy Project ‘Dangerous To National Security’,” The Associated Press, 12/9/04)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) Alluded To Secret Spy Program In ABC Interview:
“Durbin, During An Interview Sunday With ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Alluded To The Secret Dispute Within Congress. ‘Eventually Some Information Will Come Out,’ Durbin Told ABC. ‘But It Does Point To The Weakness In The Whole Process. It Takes A Leak To Understand That Billions Of Taxpayers’ Dollars Are Being Wasted That Could Be Spent To Make America Safer.’” (Ted Bridis, “Feds Urged To Probe Leaks On Spy Project Opposed By Levin,” The Associated Press, 12/15/04)

http://rnctalkingpoints.blogspot.com/2005/07/democrats-choose-partisan-politics.html

150 posted on 12/22/2005 1:53:00 PM PST by MilleniumBug (Pattycake, Pattycake, Wilson's the man...Bake me a yellowboy fast as you can.)
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To: princess leah

Senators are not subject to recall. They can be expelled by the Senate but the chances of that happening are small.


151 posted on 12/22/2005 1:53:09 PM PST by justshutupandtakeit (Public Enemy #1, the RATmedia.)
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To: FormerACLUmember

"LOL. Have a good time at Jesus' birthday and Semper Fidelis!"
Thanks. And to you the same.


152 posted on 12/22/2005 1:55:05 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned)
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To: Travis McGee
Wall. Cigarette. Blindfold.

No cigarette. We don't want them dying prematurely from cancer nor the executioners suffering second hand smoke diseases.Pffftt!

153 posted on 12/22/2005 2:03:14 PM PST by llevrok (4 Great Words: I AM AN AMERICAN !)
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To: shield

Hang 'em!


154 posted on 12/22/2005 2:03:49 PM PST by pankot
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To: MilleniumBug

Hmmmm........


155 posted on 12/22/2005 2:07:21 PM PST by shield (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instructions.Pr 1:7)
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To: pankot

Dear Santa,
Despite being very good this year, I do not want any presents. Rather I ask that you bring the appropriate and well deserved indictments to the aforementioned Traitorcrat Senators with their yearly lump of coal.
I will still leave out cookies and milk.
Sincerely,
JerseyDvl


156 posted on 12/22/2005 2:07:46 PM PST by JerseyDvl ("Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"-Samuel Johnson to the Dems of today.)
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To: JerseyDvl

LOL....That's a great letter to Santa...I second that.


157 posted on 12/22/2005 2:33:30 PM PST by shield (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instructions.Pr 1:7)
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To: shield

mark.


158 posted on 12/22/2005 3:52:33 PM PST by Alia
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To: shield

We should be tapping the phones of these clowns Durbin, Rockefeller, and Wyden. They are, after all, a threat to national security.


159 posted on 12/22/2005 4:07:06 PM PST by UglyinLA
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To: UglyinLA

Wouldn't surprise me if they were tapping their communications. Aren't there real secure phones that can't be tapped?


160 posted on 12/22/2005 4:10:38 PM PST by shield (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instructions.Pr 1:7)
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