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Congress calls for leak investigation: Presidential reprimand moves representatives to action
MSNBC ^ | 20 July 2002 | Andrea Mitchell, Alex Johnson

Posted on 06/20/2002 5:49:41 PM PDT by PhiKapMom

Presidential reprimand moves representatives to action

NBC, MSNBC AND NEWS SERVICES

WASHINGTON, June 20 — 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.

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“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.” Although there had previously been reports of missed signals, Wednesday’s leak specifically quoted from intercepts, something that never is done, NBC News reported. The intercepts had been discussed with the committee over the last two weeks and particularly in testimony on Tuesday. Advertisement

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.

ARABIC MESSAGES U.S. intelligence intercepted two Arabic messages the day before the Sept. 11 attacks that indicated an event was planned the following day, but the communications were not translated until Sept. 12, government sources said Wednesday. The NSA, which eavesdrops on communications worldwide, intercepted messages that said “tomorrow is zero hour” and “the match begins tomorrow,” sources said on condition of anonymity. 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.

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“We do not know who did it,” Fleischer said, 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 leaks. They “understand the obligations of upholding our secrets and our sources and methods of collecting intelligence,” he said last month.

‘NOT A CREDIBLE WARNING’ On Wednesday intelligence officials strongly disputed reports that the intercepted conversations were a credible warning of the next day’s terrorist attacks. NBC News learned that the intercepted comments, which were discussed at a closed hearing of the House and Senate intelligence committees, were not from any known members of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network, which U.S. officials blame for the attacks. And they adamantly told NBC News that any attempt to connect the conversations to the Sept. 11 attacks indicated a significant misunderstanding of signals intelligence. NBC News has learned that the conversations did not involve members of al-Qaida and that analysts believe they were merely “background chatter” like most NSA-intercepted material, which comes in at the rate or 2 million or more signals every hour.

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Intelligence officials maintained Wednesday that the words “the match begins tomorrow,” plucked from the data stream without context, were essentially meaningless because analysts could not know what the larger conversation was even about. 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. They suggested that the conversations had been leaked by opponents of the security agencies under investigation on Capitol Hill, among them the CIA and the FBI, which have been sharply criticized for failing to coordinate their efforts before Sept. 11. “Hill critics of the agencies have been peddling this for weeks,” one of the officials told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell.

NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC.com’s Alex Johnson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: houseleaker; senateleaker
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To: PhiKapMom
I guess we'll need another congressional investigation to investigate the investigation.

It's pretty ironic how an investigation into intelligence failures is full of intelligence failures from the people who are supposed to be investigating.

41 posted on 06/20/2002 6:36:00 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: Fracas
As I understand it, the Intelligence Committee members have to sign a document saying they will not divulge classified information. That is the reason Leaky Leahy was kicked off the Intel Committee -- he leaked classified information which was against the law but he was not removed back in the late 80's from the Senate and the people of Vermont didn't kick him out either!

I am trying to find if they truly do have to sign an oath or if that is just a rumor!

42 posted on 06/20/2002 6:37:33 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: mystery-ak
I was wondering that same thing -- I thought it was to be Committee Members only and not their staffs. But that seems hard to fathom because some of these folks couldn't operate without the staff telling them what to do.
43 posted on 06/20/2002 6:40:01 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: for-q-clinton
It's pretty ironic how an investigation into intelligence failures is full of intelligence failures from the people who are supposed to be investigating.

I just had to bump that statement because it says it all!

44 posted on 06/20/2002 6:42:02 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: PhiKapMom
Be careful with our assumptions. I wouldn't put it past a republican to have done it. Ideally I'm hoping for a RAT, but republican's have done this sort of thing before. It makes them feel special when they give info to a reporter. And they are dumb enough to leak it to CNN thinking they will get good coverage from them in the future for helping them out.

On a slightly different topic, did you know Fox News actually had this story first; however, they kept the actual message under wraps because they didn't want to help the enemy. So I guess we can all assume what this says about CNN.

45 posted on 06/20/2002 6:43:42 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: PhiKapMom
I personally think it deserves the quote of the day :-)
46 posted on 06/20/2002 6:44:17 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: for-q-clinton
You are correct...Carl Cameron reported this tonight...in fact I thought Carl said he himself was contacted...in that case Carl knows who the leaker is.
47 posted on 06/20/2002 6:46:38 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: PhiKapMom
We had a president, first lady and still have several members of congress who couldn't qualify for DOD clearance. What part of "commie-demoncrap" don't you understand?

These aren't the same D's who fought in WWII, these are the draft dodgers from the Vietnam era.

There's a Kennedy in MD running for governor who is dumber than doorstop, and with all the dead voting she may win. The D's stole the election in 1996 by fraud, what will stop them this year?

48 posted on 06/20/2002 6:48:58 PM PDT by ReaganIsRight
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To: PhiKapMom
The fact that Leahy was not prosecuted is what leads me to think there is no actual oath - that (like so many other things!) it seems so reasonable that we just assume it's a fact.

I see a later post also points out my concern - that it could be a Republican. I know it's Machiavellian, but this is politics (grin). The reasoning would be that the WH and Conservatives would assume it was a Democrat, thereby removing suspicion from Pubbies.

Also, I find it very odd that ONE leaker would give a scoop to both CNN and FOX.

49 posted on 06/20/2002 6:55:32 PM PDT by Fracas
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To: Miss Marple
"Carl Cameron was talking about this today. Apparently a lot of media had the information, but they were asked not to reveal the phrases because the use of those phrases would let the perps know when and where they were heard."

O I see! The press had this CLASSIFIED information and were asked not to go to press, yeah? Three questions arise. 1. Wno in the press has a clearence to have this information anyway? 2. This leak was known to authorities and no action was taken before today and it is fine for the press to have it as long as they do not go to press with it, forget bar talk? and 3. Since when is the press accountable to the government?

Like I said this is politics at its finest! I wonder if this was actually leaked by the committee in the first place?

50 posted on 06/20/2002 7:02:47 PM PDT by PoppingSmoke
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To: for-q-clinton
That means Fox News knows who the source of the leak is.

Makes you wonder, though. Would a Dem leak to Fox?

51 posted on 06/20/2002 7:03:29 PM PDT by aristeides
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To: for-q-clinton
I think it deserves the quote of the day too! I loved it.

I looked over the Republicans on the committees and I cannot see where any of them would have leaked. Hatch has already been in trouble and is the reason I ruled out Feinstein. Also ruled out a lot of the DemocRATS on the House Intelligence committee.

As far as I know, Hatch is the only Republican that leaked before and he was chastised so much I cannot feature him doing it again.

Edwards is suspected of leaking last Fall and seems to be all over the place touting himself. Believe whoever it is should be removed from the Congress period! Let the chips fall where they may but they have no business being a Member of Congress and if their staff leaked -- they should resign for picking the wrong people!
52 posted on 06/20/2002 7:04:26 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: PhiKapMom
This in incomprehensible to me that a member of Congress leaked this information after Senators Graham and Shelby, and Reps Goss and Pelosi guaranteed there would be no leaks.

The fix is easy, but don't hold your breath. When these critters take office, they swear to the same oath as military people do. If I would have leaked classified info during my service, I would have been subject to fines, loss of rank, and imprisonment. These morons get a free pass, not even a slap on the wrist. "Bad boy, don't do that again!" just doesn't cut it. If they leak, fine them and/or throw them in jail, depending on the severity of the leak. End of leaks. But, don't hold your breath on that one.

53 posted on 06/20/2002 7:05:43 PM PDT by FlyVet
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To: PhiKapMom
"I cannot see him (Shelby)leaking to the press even though he has not been happy."

I agree, if only because he has nothing to gain by doing it.

54 posted on 06/20/2002 7:06:05 PM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
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To: Fracas
My understanding is that an oath was required by the Intel Committees after Leaky Leahy but I am still researching to find out. I will call an aide tomorrow and ask if I cannot find out.
55 posted on 06/20/2002 7:06:53 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: FlyVet
Am not holding my breath either. I was AF Civil Service and took an oath and when I left Civil Service had to sign a form saying I would not divulge any classified information that had been in my possession under penalty of law. And then they handed me a copy for my files.
56 posted on 06/20/2002 7:09:50 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: kayak
If they find him, he will probably be put on probation at the millionaires club for a month. That will teach him.
57 posted on 06/20/2002 7:18:35 PM PDT by philetus
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To: aristeides
"That means Fox News knows who the source of the leak is. Makes you wonder, though. Would a Dem leak to Fox?"

BINGO! YOU GET A COOKIE! FOX, MSNBC and a few others. Cameron was pissed that he got scoped! Here is the real question. The Government knew the press had the data and asked them not to go to press. If this was critical classified, hush, hush, mush, mush stuff, why didn't the government take action a WEEK AGO?

Why? Politics of national security.......Keep on grazing sheeple!

58 posted on 06/20/2002 7:20:15 PM PDT by PoppingSmoke
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To: PhiKapMom
had to sign a form saying I would not divulge any classified information that had been in my possession under penalty of law. And then they handed me a copy for my files.

We all did. And it shows the poor quality of some elected people. Their need to blab is ingnorant and incompetent, and shows no regard for the consequences. Like, getting a lot of of good men and women killed, and megabucks' worth of hardware lost. They make me sick. Where do I line up for a free slap across their stupid heads?

59 posted on 06/20/2002 7:20:15 PM PDT by FlyVet
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To: PhiKapMom
AFTER Leahy! Why am I not surprised? LOL.

I made a couple of calls, too, and the response was interesting...'well, I'm SURE it's an oath...well, I THINK it's an oath...well, I'll check'.

60 posted on 06/20/2002 7:23:27 PM PDT by Fracas
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