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."
Can you BELIEVE the chutzpah of ROCKEFELLER saying this? How many leaks is he under investigation for now?
Hi okie. Yeah, ROckefeller almost tripped himself up. Must be hard keeping all those lies straight.
"STFU you traitorous snake before more die needlessly."
Amen to that..but getting Rockefeller to shut up is like getting hitlery to wear a dress, ain't gonna happen in our lifetimes.
I wish the ENTIRE Senate Intel cmte would be investigated thoroughly for leaks. It's time to clean that house. Something very wrong here and heads should roll. They should have charged and imprisoned both Leaky Leahy and Lurch in the past for their treasonous public remarks containing classified info.
Democrats, as an organized body, are on the ragged edge of becoming traitorous.
"The leaker is probably a Senator or Congressman and mothing will happen to them.
I have never been mothed, but I hope it hurts like a sumbitch!"
If it's Mothra doing the mothing, you had better believe it!
He sure said it with a lot of confidence. He first pointed at the DOJ which reminded me of an article about Comey and couple of other former DOJ lawyers who were portrayed as being at odds with Cheney's office.
Truth hurts, doesn't it Paula? Of course democrats don't care if we get bombed - they only care about winning elections.
This is no surprise. When Rockefeller farts, he blames whoever is in the room.
Democrats do NOT CARE.
The Democrat Party is not about protecting the USA from our enemies, they are intent on delivering the USA TO our enemies.
The Democrats are only about securing power unto themselves. If they have to clone hitler from the dead and nominate him for president to obtain political power, the democrats will do so.
"The disclosure of President Bush's eavesdropping-without-warrants program and other once-secret projects had undermined U.S. intelligence-gathering abilities."
IMO, it's not that the democRats are stupid or ignorant, they are simply too self-centered to understand the truth in that statement.
I hope they throw Pinch in jail for this. George W. himself told him not to publish the info and he did anyway knowing it is classified. If this is not a crime why even have a CIA?
I watched the whole hearing and you could tell that the Committee chair was more than a little teed off at Rockefeller...
Add new committee member Feingold to the list and Feinstein doesn't even know that Military Intelligence is separate from the other intelligence agencies and she groused about them not telling Negreponte and Goss what they are doing, to which they informed her they don't report to Negreponte -- it was a real b-slap by the General.
He's just p!ssed that he didn't know even more details to blab to his friends the Syrians!
I couldn't believe he opened his traitorous mouth.
Looks like what we've been hoping for padre.
So that is why Feingold showed up today....wonder why Leahy was moved....very interesting!
Looks like Rockefeller is still acting in the spirit of his memo.
thanks for the links....
OMG yes! I thought I'd fall off the couch laughing as they tried desperately to keep a straight face. I also loved the look on Muellers face as he tried to understand that convoluted, incredibly stupid question she asked earlier.
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