Goss might want to chat with his boss about this

February 10, 2006

CIA Director Porter Goss has a passionate, well-written op-ed in the New York Times today, emphasizing the significance of keeping classified information secret. Poor Porter; his timing couldn’t be worse.

After all, on the same day the Director of Central Intelligence wrote this…

At the Central Intelligence Agency, we are more than holding our own in the global war on terrorism, but we are at risk of losing a key battle: the battle to protect our classified information.

Judge Laurence Silberman, a chairman of President Bush’s commission on weapons of mass destruction, said he was “stunned” by the damage done to our critical intelligence assets by leaked information. […]

Our enemies cannot match the creativity, expertise, technical genius and tradecraft that the C.I.A. brings to bear in this war. Criminal disclosures of national security information, however, can erase much of that advantage. The terrorists gain an edge when they keep their secrets and we don’t keep ours.

…the nation was learning this.

I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, told a grand jury that he was authorized by his “superiors” to disclose classified information to reporters about Iraq’s weapons capability in June and July 2003, according to a document filed by a federal prosecutor. […]

The prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, said in a letter to Mr. Libby’s lawyers last month that Mr. Libby had testified before the grand jury that “he had contacts with reporters in which he disclosed the content of the National Intelligence Estimate (‘NIE’),” that discussed Iraq’s nuclear weapons capability. “We also note that it is our understanding that Mr. Libby testified that he was authorized to disclose information about the NIE to the press by his superiors.”

If Goss believes the federal government needs to do a much better job protecting classified information, he may want to let the White House know about his concerns. At this point, the Bush gang appears to be operating from a far different playbook.

In light of this, and of the Congressional GOP’s position on wiretapping and with the Senatorial GOP now willing to meet half way on the Patriot Act issues, it might be time for Dems to make some noise about:

1. GOP willing to sacrifice our liberties because they are afraid of Osama bin Laden.

2. GOP’s intentional “blindness” towards and fear of White House and its actions have weakened national security.

3. GOP is really just afraid of everything, which makes for piss poor decision making and weakens this country at every level.

  • Sully wrote the following in relation to the Murray Waas story – it seems like a good comment so I will just cut and paste and say no more:

    So some intelligence matters are so important that the administration will not divulge them even to critical members of Congress. But others are leaked to journalists to win a political war.

  • I took Porter Goss’s op-ed a as “shot across the bow” aimed at the press–specifically, the NY Times’ published report about the Bush Admininistration using the NSA for domestic spying and going around the FISA court. I think it was meant to intimidate whistle-blowers and the press from revealing Bush & Co. activities–particularly circumventing the FISA court. After all, Goss is a loyal Republican.

  • I’m with Bubba. We need to start attacking the congressional GOP as not doing their job and being too deferential to the White House. Bush is not up for election, but a Dem take over of either chamber can effectively prevent Bush from further damaging our country’s safety and future.

  • Well said Edo. And since the media almost always portrays disagreements between the Executive and Legislative branches as “Bush at odds with Congressional Democrats” (even though Congress is CONTROLLED by Repugs), then perhaps we should make honest men out of them.

  • Gridlock–especially as recent polls show that a near “supermajority” of the public wants the Dems to be a check on Bush.

  • Comment on item 3 in Bubba’s post:

    I can’t help being amazed that in 60 years we have gone from:

    The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
    to:
    Be afraid, be very afraid.

  • Poor Porter Goss! I had to read the op-ed several times to figure out if it was aimed at the media or the White House. First W. blabs about an “intelligence success” by talking up the Al Queda plot to bomb Los Angeles. Then Scooter Libby admits that he was authorized by “superiors” to not only leak Valerie Plame’s identify but also other classified information. Sounds like Porter Goss needs to spend less time worrying about what the NY Times publishes and more time telling the White House to stop leaking sensitive information for political gain.

  • Comment on Billfred’s #7:

    Yes, fear has proven to be this administration’s most potent political weapon. I’m no longer sure who’s making us feel more terrorized and willing to cede our civil rights and liberties, OBL or Bush?

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