Posted on 02/02/2006 10:50:14 AM PST by SkyPilot
WASHINGTON - CIA Director Porter Goss said Thursday that the disclosure of President Bush's eavesdropping-without-warrants program and other once-secret projects had undermined U.S. intelligence-gathering abilities.
"The damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission," Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee. He said a federal grand jury should be empaneled to determine "who is leaking this information."
His testimony came after National Intelligence Director John Negroponte, who directs all intelligence activities, strongly defended the program, calling it crucial for protecting the nation against its most menacing threat.
"This was not about domestic surveillance," Negroponte said.
Leaders of the nation's intelligence agencies appeared before the panel in a rare public session to give a rundown on threats facing the world.
Negroponte called al-Qaida and associated terror groups the "top concern" of the U.S. intelligence community, followed closely by the nuclear activities of Iran and North Korea.
Committee Democrats sought to change the focus to the president's decision to authorize the National Security Agency to eavesdrop — without first obtaining warrants — on communications to and from those in the United States and terror suspects abroad.
"The president has not only confirmed the existence of the program, he has spoken at length about it repeatedly," while keeping Congress in the dark, said Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, the panel's senior Democrat.
"The administration wants to have it both ways," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich.
Goss complained that leaks to the news media about the surveillance program and activities such as reported CIA secret prisons abroad had damaged his own agency's work.
CIA Director Porter Goss, and FBI Director Robert Mueller, right, talk as they prepare for the U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence hearing to examine the world threat, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006 in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Email Photo Print Photo
"I use the words `very severe' intentionally. And I think the evidence will show that," Goss said.
He said not only have these revelations made it harder for the CIA to gather information, but they have made intelligence agencies in other countries mistrustful of their U.S. counterparts.
"I'm stunned to the quick when I get questions from my professional counterparts saying, `Mr. Goss, can't you Americans keep a secret?'" he said.
Goss cited a "disruption to our plans, things that we have under way." Some CIA sources and "assets" had been rendered "no longer viable or usable, or less effective by a large degree," he said.
"I also believe that there has been an erosion of the culture of secrecy and we're trying to reinstall that," Goss said.
"I've called in the FBI, the Department of Justice. It is my aim and it is my hope that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present, being asked to reveal who is leaking this information," he said.
Rockefeller suggested that the "leaks" Goss talked about most likely "came from the executive branch" of the government.
That brought a terse response from FBI Director Robert Mueller, who said, "It's not fair to point a finger as to the responsibility of the leak."
I was talking about when he was a leaker on the intel committee. Sorry, my wording was confusing.
Why do Democrats LIE?
And the reason that none of the Democrats have demanded that Bush stop doing what he has been doing -- which not ONE Of them has done -- is because they KNOW it's not against the law.
And they're lying about it.
Well, I came in late and probably should have read up the thread! Sorry.
You mean like Robert and John Kennedy did to Martin Luther King?
Of course, you realize that what Bush has done is exactly like the things Bill Clinton did, right?
the Select Intelligence Committee is on now
Rockefeller is yapping
Watching. I'm logging off for a bit. Wait till you see Feinstein ask if any Al Queda in the U.S. were secretly killed. They looked at here like WTF!
suppersready - Member since 1 Feb 2006
Hiya!
I see you guys are nervous about the Feds and possibly a Grand Jury getting to the bottom of this.
That's good. Appreciate you making my night.
Signed on to tell us THAT!
IBTZ
Making mine too!
Well, we let Bill Clinton, so I don't see why Bush can't!
Prove it was a lie.
Duelfer report
Might I remind you that even ONE single sarin shell is proof of WMD?
"Should George Bush be allowed to break the law?"
What law was broken?
Ah yes, the "whatever DEMS say it is" law.
"feel the need to misrepresent what Democrats believe and lie about what they say." You keep saying this without showing what was supposed to be a lie.
"Democrats are NOT against wiretapping Al-Qaeda!"
Yes they are, they are also against detaining them in Gitmo.
If Dems had their way, there would NOT be a war on terror at all.
"What they are against is Bush and company spying on honest Americans,"
The NSA program isn't spying on Americans at all, something you people will never be honest about.
It WAS looking at calls from known terrorists.
At least until idiots like YOU and the Dems mentioned it.
NOW we have to build up intel on what numbers the terrorists are using and calling from scratch.
I see the troll, thanks.
Ummm has anyone explained to DiFi that Jack Bower from 24 isn't a real person?
And we should stop calling it "leaks." This was illegal disclosure of TOP SECRET information. Whoever is found guilty of this should do extensive prison time.
Yes, and this is why the media tried to inoculate themselves with all the "Whistle blower" stories in the days following the announcement by President Bush that the Justice Dept had opened an investigation.
I did a search for news stories with "Whistle blower" in them and I came up with scores of hits. It was like they all got the same fax and e-mail.
Rockefeller isn't a very good liar, is he?
He came oh-so-close to incriminating himself with this gratuitous little fib.
Bring out the blowtorches and pliars. We need to know who has been undermining our national security, and fast. Hang 'em high.
Are you still watching this? Dumb ass dem questions.
No problem.
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