[Lancey Howard]

Several sources suggested last week that the extensive secrecy irritated some officials who were kept out of the loop at intelligence and law enforcement agencies, but declined to discuss the tensions in detail.

Finally, confirmation!

A caller to Roger Hedgecock (who was filling in for Rush) the day after news of this plot broke said that the CIA was kept out of the loop because the British and US officials didn't trust them not to leak. The CIA and the State department are disgraceful. I hope Bush hasn't given up on cleaing them up.

[STARWISE]

Ditto! This seems to constitute good reason to do so, one would hope. Otherwise, the Slimes would've probably printed the home addresses, phone #'s and routines of the suspects and blown the whole deal ... AND they would've BEEN PROUD OF THEMSELVES!

[Enchante]

Sorry, just saw your ping, I've been out in the mountains all day (beauuuutiful day here in Utah). Interesting article -- obviously the normal operational security is made ever more difficult by the FACT that we have so many lib weasels in the bureaucracies who would much rather blather to the NY Slimes than see a major counter-terrorism operation come off successfully. All real Americans are ashamed that the weasels in CIA, State, etc. have given America such a bad reputation and reality when it comes to keeping vital secrets with Allies, etc.

"Operational security was the paramount concern on our part and on the part of the Brits," one senior U.S. law enforcement official said. "We had a very small number of people who were actually read in on it and operating with full knowledge."