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."
read my post 18 about Rockefeller.
The guilty should be squirming at the end of a rope. But somehow, I don't think that the white flag Republicans (and that's most of them) have the cojones to make that happen.
"Treason never prospers.
What's the reason?
For when it prospers,
none dare call it treason."
Rockefeller is the source of so many leaks, imo, it behooves him to try and deflect attention away from himself.
I just saw that!!
I'm afraid you're right. RATS see treason as a badge of honor.
"Jane Fonda, John Kerry, Jim McDerrmott, Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan have virtually eliminated the idea of treason being punishable."
For the moment, but things have a way of changing. I hope so anyway.
I see Rockefeller and Levin are squealing like the stuck pigs they are.
"Book 'em, Danno."
Traitors should be hanged.
I was hoping there was a live thread. I didn't put one up because I haven't been able to stay on the computer that long these days. I'll tell you if it replays you must watch it. It was amazing to see.
You better believe there is a reason Goss mentioned a grand jury right in front of Rockefeller. He didn't have to. It wasn't really relevant to the line of questioning. This was one big-time shot across the bow of the sinking ship Rockefeller.
I saw this too. What I didn't understand, is did Goss say a grand jury has been empanneled, or should be empanneled? I also thought it quite telling that Rockerfeller pointed the finger at someone else as being the leaker. It was the Director of FBI (Muehler?) who took Rocky to task when he stated that the leak was from the executive branch. I wish that someone on the pubbie side of the committee had brought up the Rocky memo, which of course, detailed his plans to release classified information to undermine the President and the WOT. But alas, no one did; at least not while I was watching.
Firing squad hell. I have a very dull hatchet and I volunteer to do the job. Might take a while, but it'll get done.
The leaker is probably a Senator or Congressman and mothing will happen to them.
We have many traitors serving as elected officials. We had them serving during WW II, and we did little to them, so don't expect much to happen today.
Shut down ALL committees in the Senate and refuse to give out any information until all have been through a lie-detector test (better have multiple machines as they're liable to breakdown upon seeing so many lies democrats spewed out). If a senator refuses to take the test, then NO COMMITTEE appointment will be allowed for them.
"I'm afraid you're right. RATS see treason as a badge of honor."
Worse! They see it as a patriotic duty that much is higher than protecting this country.
Not a shot across the bow. This is "ready or not, here they (the Feds) come . . ."
I realize that after all these years of libs getting away with this stuff many of us have become jaded, some cynical, but this time they are saying that GWB should be impeached for what he has been doing. They will not drop it. The Justice Department will be saying don't call us, we'll be calling you!
Bloody right! Zero tolerance to those who give aid and comfort to the enemy!
Treat them the same as we did to traitors during the Great War.
building scaffold in backyard now...just doing my part for old glory...
Rockefeller is a bald-faced liar.
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