Posted on 06/20/2002 1:33:20 PM PDT by grimalkin
WASHINGTON, Jun 20, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- The chairmen of a joint congressional committee investigating pre-Sept. 11 intelligence failures said Thursday they have asked the attorney general to investigate possible leaks of classified information by the panel.
"We will cooperate with the FBI in any way possible," while the Justice Department and the FBI investigate if or how such leaks occurred, said Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Vice President Dick Cheney had complained to the two chairmen earlier Thursday about leaks that he believed led to the disclosure of the National Security Agency's Sept. 10 intercepts of at least two messages in Arabic. The messages suggested a major event was to take place the next day.
At President Bush's direction, Cheney called Goss and Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, "to express the president's concerns about this inappropriate disclosure," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
Fleischer called the disclosure of the language of the NSA intercepts "alarmingly specific."
Goss said the Justice Department investigation was necessary because committee members are entrusted to keep classified information secret, and undercover operatives or U.S. officials could be endangered by such leaks.
"We've got people out in harm's way who are conducting a lot of serious business," Goss said.
Fleischer called the information that the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency are providing to the committee "extraordinarily sensitive."
"The selective, inappropriate leaking of snippets of information risks undermining national security, and it risks undermining the promises made to protect this sensitive information," the White House spokesman said.
Fleischer said "we do not know who did it," but Cheney's phone call seemed to point a finger at the committees.
Concern about possible leaks has been a key reason the White House has opposed setting up an independent commission to investigate the attacks. The commission has been sought by some lawmakers and relatives of the victims.
Bush has said the intelligence panels were better positioned to avoid leak. They "understand the obligations of upholding our secrets and our sources and methods of collecting intelligence," he said last month.
But Bush has clashed with Congress before over leaks. On Oct. 5, he issued a memo limiting sensitive congressional briefings to the top leaders of the House and Senate and their intelligence committees. He dropped the restrictions a week later after getting assurances from Graham and Goss that they would rein in their members.
Fleischer did not address questions from reporters about the NSA's intercepts themselves. But he said that a 1998 leak - that American intelligence agencies were eavesdropping on Osama bin Laden's satellite phone conversations - led bin Laden to stop using that phone.
"We are in the middle of a war, and one of the ways to prevent attacks on the United States and to win the war is to be able to obtain information from our enemies," Fleischer said. If the enemy learns of U.S. capabilities, "they're going to change their methods."
The Sept. 10 intercepts were not translated until Sept. 12. Intelligence agencies aren't sure if it they were actually a warning of the attacks at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, an intelligence source said Wednesday.
Even if they were, they provided no information that authorities could have acted on, the intelligence source said. The mere mention of a time was insufficient to provide clues of what was to come, the source said.
The messages, recorded in two separate conversations, contained the phrases, "Tomorrow is zero hour," and "The match is about to begin," the intelligence source said.
The messages were believed to be recorded from telephone conversations.
A U.S. intelligence official, while declining to comment on the NSA intercepts, said a piece of raw intelligence that contains only a date provides little useful information.
The official said that both before and after Sept. 11, U.S. intelligence frequently has received threat information that consists of only a date and a vague notion something will happen - and then, nothing happens.
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Associated Press Writer Pete Yost contributed to this report.
By JOHN J. LUMPKIN Associated Press Writer
Yes, it was CNN. Wolf Blitzer was bragging about it tonight. That demonstrates just how far CNN has fallen when they brag about leaking classified information.
Fox's Carl Cameron said tonight that Fox learned about it last week but chose not to broadcast it. That bit of info sheds new light on this sordid mystery.
Its simple, I do not buy tis. Lastly, there was nothing lost here. I'll make book on that too.
This is hog wash! Cameron broke the Israeli Spy Story he had no problem with LEAKING A 50 to 65 PAGE C-L-A-S-S-I-F-I-E-D Document. Cameron would be the first one to go with a story like this. This sound like spoiled milk to me. Gee the pot calling the kettle black.
The way to catch a leaker is to leak different classified information to each potential leaker, and see which bit gets leaked.
These guys aren't serious about finding the traitor. Or they already know who it is and that person CAN'T be uncovered for political reasons.
Ok, how about you "make" some odds.
All you have to do is find out which members of the Democratic Socialists of America had access to this info, and there is your guilty party. Simple.
Whatever your political persuasion, your view of security matters is distinctly that of a liberal. You seem to have no respect for, nor understanding of, legitimate security concerns.
Thus, I sincerely hope you are never in a position where you might be trusted with some responsibility in this regard.
Are you assuming that the enemy knows everything anyway, so "What's the use?"
What then, pray tell, are you doing?
I am not saying this at all. But if you think that its a big secret that we intercept communications then your not thinking. Bin Laden's organization has many intelligence ties. The Saudi's the Paki's, the Iraqi's, the Syrians, Egyptians, and even the Iranians. They covered his back a number of times. If you think that Bin Laden stopped using his Sat because CNN said we were listening then you will believe anything.
What I am saying is that there is a major investigation on-going on Capitol Hill. Which means there is major league politics going on. Leaks? Shoot this leak is minor compared to some leaks. Now the American Public has a right to know somethings I SAID SOMETHINGS. Now everyone in DC knows that House and Senate Select is a strainer for information. One should control the data coming out NOT CLOSE IT OFF. The data leaked today is minor, but with politics nothing is minor. My read is that NSA popped a gasket for using the "I" word and their name. I bet that if the leak was sourced differently there would have been no complains. Realize the folk at NSA are really touchy about these things, rightfully so. The VeeP wanted to shut it down before it got out of hand.
The American public has some right to know some of the details. By not controling and releasing some details will only make matters worse.
Not what your doing!
Who said I did? It is no revelation that NSA is involved in reading other people's mail or that they intercepted messages that constitutes a security breach. Instead, it is the time and day of the messages and the precise words, as translated.
This allows the enemy to determine who was being intercepted, while in conversation with who, by what method and by source -- humint or electronic.
There is no need whatsoever to make this information public. And it gives clear "aid & comfort" to the enemy's own intelligence services.
If you don't see this, you are blind to the realities of wartime security requirements.
Your blind to the politics of national security.
I am quite aware that there are political implications involved in both the original leak and in identifying its source. That's a separate subject and not my concern, at the moment.
Is it your view, then, that no harm was done by the leak? And that none would be done should such leaks continue in the future?
You are certain of that...???
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