Posted on 08/01/2017 2:30:43 AM PDT by SpaceBar
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 - As an example of the damage caused by unauthorized disclosures to reporters, President Bush said at his news conference on Monday that Osama bin Laden had been tipped by a leak that the United States was tracking his location through his telephone. After this information was published, Mr. Bush said, Mr. bin Laden stopped using the phone.
The president was apparently referring to an article in The Washington Times in August 1998. (more at link)
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The article drew little attention at the time in the United States. But last year, the Sept. 11 commission declared in its final report: "Al Qaeda's senior leadership had stopped using a particular means of communication almost immediately after a leak to The Washington Times. This made it much more difficult for the National Security Agency to intercept his conversations." There was a footnote to the newspaper article.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I remember that leak.
During WWII the Navy gave a briefing to a senator. They had lost few subs to that point because the Japanese were setting their depth charges too shallow. The senator then told the press. The Navy immediately started losing subs because the Japanese realized American subs could dive deeper than they’d thought.
It really is dangerous for anybody in the Senate to have a secret. Politicians will say anything for a moment’s time in the news. The fact it might kill somebody is irrelevant.
Leaking should be considered treason. And prosecuted as such. With the the full force of the penalties. Only then would the leaking stop.
I believe it was Orrin Hatch.
Loose lips need to be swimming with the fishes.
That was the senior senator from Vermont.
In a declared war I’d say don’t let the Senate in on the info. Washington times leaked Bin Laden?
Ben Franklin said it best
Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead
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