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OK. So, I want to get this straight.
A newspaper of record released a story about the CIA bringing detainees to covert prisons in other countries where torture is not against the law. Such rendition is against the law of the USA. Reporting on it is not against the law. For reporting this information, which did not critically damage our nation's ability to gather intelligence, Bush Administration officials wanted to charge people at the paper under the Espionage Act of 1917.
Another newspaper of record released a story about NSA wiretapping on a scale that was effectively trolling for data. This is against the Constitution, the highest law of the land in the USA, as there is no probable cause that millions of American citizens are Al Qaeda members, Al Qaeda sympathizers, or are unwittingly Al Qaeda neighbors, friends and contacts. Reporting on it is not against the law. For reporting this information, which also did not critically damage our nation's ability to gather intelligence, Bush Administration officials wanted to charge people at that paper under the same Act.
At least two people in the Bush Administration leaked the identity of a covert CIA operative who had non-official cover, also known as deep cover. This is against the law, slam-dunk, no two ways about it. This critically damaged the ability of the USA to gather intelligence, in this case about Iran's nuclear capabilities, and compromised the lives and safety of agents and contacts. For releasing this information, the Bush Administration hasn't even bothered to fire the leakers, let alone try to charge them with releasing official secrets.
There is no doubt within the CIA that the CIA operative in question was in very deep cover.
The above are all facts.
I don't think anybody can explain why the Bush Administration is so concerned about secret programs being leaked while it is so unconcerned about intel-gathering and analysis on Iran, a country the Bush Administration is currently rattling sabers at very loudly. At least, I don't think anybody can do so without trying to explain away those pesky facts.
A newspaper of record released a story about the CIA bringing detainees to covert prisons in other countries where torture is not against the law. Such rendition is against the law of the USA. Reporting on it is not against the law. For reporting this information, which did not critically damage our nation's ability to gather intelligence, Bush Administration officials wanted to charge people at the paper under the Espionage Act of 1917.
Another newspaper of record released a story about NSA wiretapping on a scale that was effectively trolling for data. This is against the Constitution, the highest law of the land in the USA, as there is no probable cause that millions of American citizens are Al Qaeda members, Al Qaeda sympathizers, or are unwittingly Al Qaeda neighbors, friends and contacts. Reporting on it is not against the law. For reporting this information, which also did not critically damage our nation's ability to gather intelligence, Bush Administration officials wanted to charge people at that paper under the same Act.
At least two people in the Bush Administration leaked the identity of a covert CIA operative who had non-official cover, also known as deep cover. This is against the law, slam-dunk, no two ways about it. This critically damaged the ability of the USA to gather intelligence, in this case about Iran's nuclear capabilities, and compromised the lives and safety of agents and contacts. For releasing this information, the Bush Administration hasn't even bothered to fire the leakers, let alone try to charge them with releasing official secrets.
There is no doubt within the CIA that the CIA operative in question was in very deep cover.
The above are all facts.
I don't think anybody can explain why the Bush Administration is so concerned about secret programs being leaked while it is so unconcerned about intel-gathering and analysis on Iran, a country the Bush Administration is currently rattling sabers at very loudly. At least, I don't think anybody can do so without trying to explain away those pesky facts.
