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 I mean, they should have been revoked at the time of the leak."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."
Hey, they support alternative life styles, right?
And .. the reason we probably don't know is that this admin doesn't leak little tidbits - like the Clinton's did.
"Leakyfella"
"Senator Depends the II"
"What kind of a probe do you think they're using?"
If they thought they'd find anything, they'd use a brainscan...but with these guys they are probably probing with a proctoscope.
Oh yes they do.
Yikes. It would take an entire Chinese sweatshop working an overtime shift in an aircraft hanger to make just one.
Hang 'em High ~ Bump!
Now THAT'S funny!!!
Good one! Thanks!
"one of Janet Reno's thongs..."
Maybe Hillary's thong? Ouch, no, that's too disturbing.
Hopefully large & spiny ones...cacti would be best.
Wouldn't it be great to see Harry Reid go down in the Jack Abramoff deal and Durbin go down for this? Culture of corruption, indeed. At least Tom DeLay isn't compromising our national security and obsoleting a multi-million dollar intelligence program.
Wasn't this on the front page of the NY Times this morning?
crickets......
Ha, I have a few suggestions...Of course they may not survive it...
Maybe W will giving US all a really nice Christmas Present. LOL
... and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
We don't have a "recall law" in IL. And IIRC from the CA fiasco, most states do not.
And personally I'm glad we don't. IMO recalls are Un-American in principal. This isn't 5th grade where you get a do-over. A person is elected and unless they commit some impeachable offense, they serve their term.
Durbin's a sick, evil, mean-spirited puke, but he was lawfully elected. We'll do our best to through his treasonous butt out of office in his next election.
hmmm ONLY SEEN ON NEWSMAX so far...
Anyone got links to the MSM (this includes fuaxNEWS) reporting this?
"Wasn't this on the front page of the NY Times this morning? "
If it was then I'd immediately assume, knowing the NY Times record and deceptive way of reporting, that there was something of greater importance and risk to the security of the US that they're trying to smother by repeating this story.
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